LAS VEGAS, N.M. (January 10, 2023) - The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team went on the road and brought home a thrilling 68-66 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win over New Mexico Highlands on Tuesday.
In the game, CSU Pueblo shot 50.0 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point land. Second chance points was a big difference in the contest in favor of the ThunderWolves by an 11-4 clip and free throws was crucial down the stretch. CSU Pueblo went 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) against an 11-for-11 showing by NMHU.
Makiah Morris led the team with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Isaiah Thompson and
De'Shaun Cooper each pitched in 12 points in the win.
Through the first half, CSU Pueblo carried a 34-33 lead and shot 56.0 percent from the field, led by Morris with eleven points through the first half. Morris went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field including 3-for-3 from the perimeter in the first half.
Meekness Payne knocked down 3-of-7 from the field and had six points at the intermission.
At the break, CSU Pueblo led 15-9 in rebounds and controlled much of the half, leading for over 17 minutes in the period.
In the second half, the Pack came out with high energy and built a 45-35 lead after the first media timeout thanks to hot-shooting by Thompson and Cooper. The duo accounted for the first ten points of the half with Thompson scoring the first seven points for the ThunderWolves.
At the under-12 media timeout, the Pack led by eight points, 47-39.
After the timeout, Cooper hit 1-of-2 free throws and with just under eleven minutes left, Payne knocked down a three pointer to extend the ThunderWolves lead.
A couple of turnovers by CSU Pueblo allowed the home team to claw back into the game and the Cowboys got within five with 9:44 left.
Highlands cut the deficit to three points at 51-48 before a CSU Pueblo timeout.
Coming out of the huddle,
Hilmir Hallgrimsson hit his second three-pointer of the game which was followed quickly by a layup by NMHU.
After the under-8 media timeout, the Pack got the ball after a pair of fouls from the Cowboys put the Thompson at the line for a one-and-one free throw try.
With 5:58 left in the game, Morris hit another three and was matched by a three-pointer made from NMHU.
Holding a five-point lead and 5:05 showing on the clock, Cooper went to the line and hit 1-of-2 free throws and put the Pack ahead 58-52.
The Cowboys' Dante Moses was a force all game for the Cowboys, scoring over 30 points and getting the NMHU within a point, 58-57 after an-and-one layup with 4:01 left.
NMHU took its first lead at 59-58 with 3:18 left off a basket inside the paint for the Cowboys.
A jump ball called with under three minutes left kept possession with the ThunderWolves.
With 2:53 left in regulation,
Lian Ramiro drew a foul and hit both of his free throws to give the ThunderWolves the lead again 60-59.
A crucial point of the game came at 2:20 left when NMHU's Moses was called for an offensive foul and was disqualified with his fifth personal foul of the game with the Pack ahead by two.
The Cowboys tied the game at 62-62 before Cooper was able to get deep inside the paint and hit a turnaround hook shot to regain the lead.
The ThunderWolves used every second of the shot clock on their next possession and Ramiro knocked down a jumper just inside the three-point line with 38 seconds left to give the Pack a four-point, 66-62 lead.
The teams exchanged baskets and CSU Pueblo hit 1-of-2 free throws with 18 seconds left to go ahead by three. NMHU drove the ball inside the paint and hit a uncontested layup to get within a point at 67-66 and four seconds left.
Ramiro stepped to the line and hit the first of two free throws and the second bounced out and Highlands found possession and a last second heave at the basket went wide and gave the ThunderWolves a 68-66 win on the road.
CSU Pueblo (8-8, 4-6 RMAC) returns home for a match-up Saturday against Western Colorado starting at 7:30 p.m. inside Massari Arena.
