SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball put the brakes on season-long four-game losing streak here Saturday evening with an impressive 93-78 road victory over Westminster University in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at Behnken Field House.

With its first win since earning a 103-97 win at Adams State on Dec. 8, the ThunderWolves improved its overall record to 7-6 on the season and its RMAC record to 3-4, while Westminster dropped its seventh straight game as they fell to 4-9 overall and 0-7 in the RMAC.

The 15-point road win was the largest this season for the Pack and it is the largest margin of victory in a road conference game for the Pack since earning an 82-59 win at Black Hills State on Feb. 5, 2022. In addition, the win was just the fourth road win for the Pack in RMAC play since the beginning of last season and improved the Pack to 2-2 on the road in RMAC play this season.

Saturday's victory was aided by a season-high 62 percent shooting from the field, 14 made 3-pointers and a perfect 11-for-11 shooting from the free throw line. It marked the first time the Pack made all its free throws in a game (minimum of nine attempts) since going 9-for-9 at the line against Adams State on Dec. 2, 2017.

The 62 percent shooting from the field bettered the previous season high of 52.4 field goal percentage in the win at Adams State.

With its 14 made treys against Westminster, the Pack have now made 10 or more treys in a game six times and is 5-1 on the season when making 10 or more three-pointers in a game.

Four Pack players finished in double figures in Saturday's win as senior guard Makiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./San Diego City College) led the way with a game-high 26 points and added eight rebounds and three steals, while junior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School) had a career night as he tallied a career-high 20 points and added four rebounds and a career-high tying three assists.

The other two double-digit scorers were senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines), who scored 16 points and graduate student guard Isaiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./Cal State-Dominguez Hills) finished with a career-high 15 points and added a career-high five assists. Morris had 11 of his points in the second half, including hitting three treys after halftime.

CSU Pueblo led for nearly 33 minutes in Saturday's game, including leading by as much as 18 points with 3:17 left in the game. In fact, the Pack never trailed in the second half of the contest.

The Pack jumped out to an 11-8 lead just three-plus minutes into the game, before the Griffins responded with a 12-8 run to take a 20-19 lead with 11:42 left in the opening half. The lead, though, was shortlived as Makiah Morris drilled a trey with 11:24 left to help the Pack retake the lead at 22-20.

Following Makiah's trey, the two teams would take trade points for the next minute, before the Pack scored five straight points to push in front 29-24 with 9:43 left in the half. The Griffins would respond as they used a 9-0 run capped by a basket from Tyler Kurtz to take a 33-29 lead with 7:52 left in the half. That four-point lead was the largest of the game for the Griffins.

The Pack, though, answered right back as they used a 14-2 run capped by a dunk from Cooper to push out to a 43-35 lead with 2:44 left in the half. The run was aided by back-to-back treys from junior guard Daeyon James (Stockbridge, Ga./Seward County CC) and Walter. Westminster would score four of final six points of the first half to cut the Pack's halftime lead to 45-39.

In the first half, both teams shot over 50 percent from the field as the Pack shot 59 percent from the field and 50 percent (5-for-10) from the 3-point line, while Westminster shot 52 percent from the field and was just 2-for-7 from the 3-point line. The teams combined to go 17-for-17 at line as the Pack were 8-for-8 from the line and Westminster was 9-for-9 at the line.

Westminster would cut the Pack halftime lead to one point at 50-49 following a lay-up by Keynion Clark just two-plus minutes into the second half. Westminster opened the second half with a 10-5 run.

The Pack came right back and scored 20 of the next 31 points to push its lead to 70-60 following a trey by Makiah Morris with 11:17 left in the game. After a trey by Pierre Sterling stopped the Pack run, the visitors would put the game out of reach thanks to a 19-11 run to extend its lead to 89-71 with 3:17 left in the game. The run was aided by made three-pointers by junior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley), Makiah and Walter. In fact, Muldrew and Cooper each scored five points during the run.

Westminster would close the scoring by outscoring the Pack, 7-4 over the final three minutes of the game to set the final margin.

Much like the first half, both teams shot even better from the field in the second half as the Pack shot 64 percent from the field and 64 percent (9-for-14) from the 3-point line, while Westminster shot 58 percent from the floor and 46 percent (6-for-13) from long distance.

Trey Wood and Rylen O'Brien paced Westminster with 13 points each, while Sterling added 12 points and Parker Christensen tallied 11 points off the bench as Westminster's bench outscored the Pack, 28-19.

While the Pack shot 62 percent from the field and 58 percent from the 3-point line, Westminster also shot the ball efficiently for the game as they connected on 55 percent of its field goal attempts and were 8-for-20 (40 percent) from the 3-point line.

The Pack won the rebound battle as they had a season-low 22 rebounds, while Westminster had 21 boards. Additionally, the Pack had 17 assists with five each from Muldrew and Isaiah Morris and Westminster had 18 assists.

The Pack committed just nine turnovers in the game and the Griffins finished with 10 turnovers. The Pack, though, held a 16-12 edge in points off turnovers.

While the Pack were 11-for-11 at the line, Westminster finished the game 14-for-17 (82 percent) from the line.

The Pack will return to action next Friday, Jan. 12 as they begin a three-game homestand with a 7:30 p.m. game against Colorado School of Mines, before hosting MSU Denver on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. and then concluding the homestand with a 7:30 p.m. game on Tuesday, Jan. 16 against New Mexico Highlands.