LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball halted its season-high six game losing streak here Friday evening as the ThunderWolves scored over 40 points in each half en route to earning a 95-87 victory over Colorado Christian in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at the CCU Event Center.
With the victory, the Pack improves to 10-13 overall and 6-11 in the league, while CCU falls to 9-14 overall and 5-12 in the league. The win helped keep the Pack's postseason hopes alive as they moved into a tie for 10th place in the league standings with five games left in the regular season.
The Pack, who has now won 10 straight games in the series against the Cougars, shot 55 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and was 18-for-22 (81.8 percent) from the free throw line in Friday's victory, which was the first for the Pack since collecting a 75-55 home win over New Mexico Highlands on Jan. 16.
Friday's game featured eight ties and nine lead changes, including four ties and eight lead changes in the second half as the Pack outscored the Cougars, 47-42 after halftime.
Five ThunderWolves scored in double figures in Friday's win with senior guard
Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) leading the way with 25 points, including scoring 14 in the second half. In addition to Walter, junior forward
De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School) added 18 points, including going 8-for-11 from the free throw line, while junior guard
Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) and freshman guard
Corbin Garver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) tallied a career-high 14 points, all of which came in the first half. The other double-digit scorer was senior guard
Makiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./San Diego City College) posted his second straight double-double as he had 13 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was the fifth of the season for Morris.
Trailing 78-73 with 8:35 left in the game, the Pack used a jump shot and a 3-pointer by Walter to tie the game at 78 with 7:37 left. The Cougars, though, retook the lead on a trey by Robert McWard with 7:17 left, before the Pack used a 15-3 run over the next three minutes to take a 93-84 lead following two free throws by Morris. The run was keyed by six points from Morris. That nine point lead was the largest of the game for the Pack.
McWard would drill another trey with 3:10 left to bring CCU within 93-87, but the Pack capped the scoring and sealed its win with a basket from about 15 feet by Muldrew to give the Pack its final eight point lead at 95-87.
The teams would only score a combined just five points over the final four minutes of the game.
CCU was paced offensively by 15 points each from Nic Zeil and Noah Kon, while Jacob Everson added 13 points and McWard scored 12 points off the bench thanks to going 4-for-8 from the 3-point line. Zeil also added 10 rebounds for a double-double in the loss.
While the Pack shot 55 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line, CCU finished the game shooting 48 percent from the from the floor and 42 percent from the 3-point line. The Cougars were 11-for-26 from long distance in the game.
In the first half, the Pack used 60 percent shooting from the field and four 3-pointers to hold a 48-45 lead at the half. CCU would shoot just as well in the first half as they shot 52 percent from the field and made five treys.
Both teams got off to a hot start offensively in Friday's game as they combined to make 13 of their first 20 shots as the Pack led 18-17 just six-plus minutes into the game. The Pack opened the game making seven of its first 10 shots, while CCU made six of its first 10 shots.
The Pack's strong play in the first half was keyed by Garver as he eclipsed his previous career high of 12 points in the opening half as he tallied 14 points and added seven rebounds.
After leading by as much as eight points at 38-30 with 5:47 left in the first half, CCU would outscore the Pack, 15-10, to close the gap to just three points at the half.
The Pack finished the game with a 35-32 edge on the boards and got 14 assists on 34 made baskets, including four assists by Morris and three each from Walter and Garver.
Both teams committed 15 turnovers on the night as the Pack held a 23-17 edge points off turnovers.
While the Pack was strong at the free throw line, CCU made just 14 of its 23 free throw attempts (61 percent), including going 8-for-13 at the line in the first half.
The Pack will conclude its two-game road trip with a 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Chadron, Neb., against Chadron State. The Pack opened league play with an 84-82 home loss to the Eagles in Massari Arena on Dec. 1.Chadron State (11-12 overall, 8-9 RMAC) following its 90-82 home overtime loss Friday to New Mexico Highlands.
