PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team opened its 2024-25 season here Friday afternoon with an impressive 83-64 victory over Cameron University at Massari Arena.

With the victory, the ThunderWolves wins its season opener for the first time since 2022 when they collected a 79-59 home win over Midwestern State. The Pack will conclude the opening weekend of the 2024-25 season with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, Nov. 10 against Midwestern State. MSU opened the season with a 72-63 win Friday at UCCS.

In Friday's opener, the Pack used a strong second half as they outscored the Aggies, 46-31, after leading by just four points 37-33 at the half. In the second half, the Pack 66 percent from the field and 50 percent from the 3-point line and held a 16-13 edge on the board after getting outrebounded 27-17 in the first half.

Senior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School) and senior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) each scored 18 points, while redshirt sophomore guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) added 13 points in his Pack debut. Fifth-year senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) fell one point of double figures with nine in the win.

Cameron jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the opening two-plus minutes to game, before the Pack responded with an 11-3 run to take a 13-9 lead following a lay-up by Cooper with 12:56 left in the opening half. Cameron, though, responded with a 10-4 run capped by a dunk with Lavell Brodnex to take a 19-17 lead with 8:57 left in the first half.

That would be the final lead of the game for the Aggies, who were tabbed to finish eighth in the Preseason Lone Star Conference poll, as the Pack closed the half on 20-14 run to take its 37-33 halftime lead. The run began with back-to-back treys from Kennis and Muldrew and was capped by two Walter free throws with 35 seconds left. Cameron used a basket by Kodhi McStraw with 15 seconds left to cap the first half scoring.

CSU Pueblo opened the second half 20-6 run to turn its four-point halftime advantage into a 57-39 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. The run was keyed by six points from Copper and five points each from Muldrew and Kennis.

Two free throws by Mason Dunlap stopped the Pack's run, but following those free throws, the Pack would outscore the Aggies 17-10 over the next five-plus minutes to take a 74-51 lead following a lay-up by Muldrew with 5:52 left in the game. That 23-point lead was the largest of the game for the Pack.

Cameron closed the game on a 13-9 run to set the final margin.

The Aggies (0-1) was led offensively with 19 points from Jarmell Johnson, while Zavelon Okoh added 13 points. Brodnex added nine points, five rebounds and three steals for Cameron.

For the game, the Pack shot 56 percent from the field, but was just 5-for-17 (29.4 percent) from the 3-point line and shot 77 percent at the free throw line. Cameron finished the game shooting 34 percent from the field, 23 percent from the 3-point line and 67 percent at the free throw line.

Cameron outshot the Pack at the free throw line, 24-13 and held a 40-33 edge on the glass, including a 19-8 disadvantage on the offensive boards. Cameron also outscored the Pack, 22-8 in second change points.

The Aggies committed 17 turnovers and had eight assists, while the Pack finished with 11 turnovers and 22 assists on 34 made baskets. Junior guard Denim Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Trinity Valley CC) led the way with six assists, while Walter added a five assists and Muldrew had four.

The Pack outscored the Aggies, 48-26 in the paint and scored 16 points off their 17 turnovers.