PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo put together its most complete 20 minutes of the season here Wednesday evening, using a dominant second-half performance to pull away from 13th-ranked Black Hill State for a program-defining 71-53 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory in front of a season-high 1,189 fans on White Out Night at Massari Arena.
With the victory, the ThunderWolves snapped their season-long three-game losing skid and improved their record to 14-7 overall and 8-5 in the RMAC, while BHSU snapped its four-game win streak and fell to 17-4 overall and 10-3 in the league. Despite the win, the Pack remains in a tie with Mines for fifth place in the league standings after Adams State collected a 95-93 home upset win on Thursday against Fort Lewis, who entered the game 12-0 in league play.
Thursday's victory, which was the Pack's ninth home win in 11 games on the season, was the first for the CSU Pueblo men's basketball program against a nationally-ranked opponent since an 80-71 win on Jan. 17, 2015, against then fifth-ranked Colorado School of Mines, a span of 10 years and 19 days, or 3,672 days.
The Pack, who trailed 22-12 with 6:07 left in the first half, closed the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 24-22 halftime lead and then outscored the Yellowjackets 47-31 after the break to post the victory and snap a three-game losing streak to Black Hills State. In fact, the last time the Pack defeated the Yellowjackets was on Feb. 5, 2022, as the Pack collected an 82-59 win in Spearfish. Ironically, that Black Hills State team finished the season with a 26-8 record and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.
In the second half, the Pack shot 59.3 percent from the field and 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from the 3-point line, holding the No. 2 nationally effective field goal percentage team in Division II to 38.5 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from the 3-point line. The 53 points were a season-low for the Yellowjackets and their lowest point total in a game since scoring 57 points in a 64-57 loss last season at Colorado Mesa.
For the game, the Pack shot 41 percent from the field and 35.7 percent (10-for-28) from the 3-point line, while BHSU finished the game shooting a season-low 33.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from the 3-point line.
After holding a slim 24-22 lead at the half, the Pack turned that halftime lead into a 45-26 lead just seven minutes into the second half. The run was keyed by five straight treys, including two each from sophomore guard
Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines) and junior guard
Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC) in the opening four-plus minutes of the half to jump in front 39-26 at the under-16-minute timeout. The run was capped by four straight points from freshman guard
Bryce Riehl (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mesa Ridge), including a dunk on a steal with 13:04 left in the game.
Sanders paced the Pack with a career-high tying 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field and a 3-for-5 effort from downtown. In addition to Sanders, Terry tallied 10 points, while Riehl had eight points off the bench as the Pack held a 22-16 edge in points off the bench.
Junior forward
Kyren Allen (Commerce City, Colo./Trinidad State College) and senior guard
Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) each tallied seven points and seven rebounds each. Allen and Howey posted a plus/minus of 18 and 16, respectively, in Thursday's win.
Following the Pack's opening run to the second half, BHSU used a 12-6 run over the next four-plus minutes to pull within 52-38 with 9:17 left in the game. That would be as close as the 'Jackets would get as the Pack used a 14-7 run to push out to a 21-point lead at 66-45 following a driving lay-up off a steal by Riehl. Riehl finished the night with two steals and a blocked shot.
BHSU would close the game by scoring eight of the final 12 points to set the final margin at 18 points. That 18-point loss for the 'Jackets since suffering a 27-point loss (86-59) to Colorado Mesa to close out the 2023-24 season.
After trailing by 10 points at 22-12 with six minutes left in the first half, the Pack closed the half on a 10-0 run, capped by a floating jump shot from junior guard
Cash Callaway (Pasco, Wash./South Mountain CC) with 40 seconds left in the half to take its 24-22 halftime lead.
After opening the game making three of its first 20 shots, the Pack closed the half making six of its final 14 shots of the first half as they shot 26.5 percent from the field and 20 percent (3-for-15) from long distance. BHSU wasn't much better shooting the ball in the opening half, as they shot 30 percent from the field and 25 percent (3-for-12) from the 3-point line.
BHSU jumped out to a 5-2 lead less than two minutes into the game, before the Pack scored three of the next five points to pull within 7-5 with 15:49 left in the opening half. The 'Jackets, though, responded with a 5-2 run to take a 12-7 lead at the under-12-minute first-half media timeout.
BHSU's lead grew to 17-10 with 7:54 left in the first half following a 3-point play from Cam Lowe, and was extended to as much as 22-12 with 6:07 left in the half, before five straight points from Sanders and a dunk from Allen brought the Pack within 22-19 with 4:34 left in the opening 20 minutes of play.
A trey from Sanders with 2:40 left helped the Pack tie the game at 22, and Callaway's floating jumper with 40 seconds left helped the Pack lead at halftime.
Lowe, who is a candidate for RMAC Player of the Year accolades, entered the game averaging 18.4 points per game, was held to 13 points and added five rebounds, while BJ Woodruff added 11 points and five rebounds, and Jaeton Hackley had nine points and five assists.
CSU Pueblo controlled the interior, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 28–20 in the paint and finishing with a 44-40 edge on the glass, including Allen and Howery each pulling down seven rebounds. The Pack also capitalized on extra possessions, scoring 10 second-chance points thanks to nine offensive rebounds.
The Pack forced BHSU into 10 turnovers that led to 13 points, while the Pack committed a season-low five turnovers. The Pack also had 14 assists and blocked four shots, including two by Terry. BHSU had 12 assists and two blocked shots.
CSU Pueblo will continue its three-game home stand with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 7, against Chadron State College (5-16 overall, 3-10 RMAC), which suffered an 86-80 loss on Thursday at Colorado Christian. The Pack collected an 89-74 win at Chadron on Dec. 11.
