Wild Game, Wild Finish - Western Colorado University Athletics

Next Game:

at Regis University

2/11/2022 | 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 (Fri) / 7 p.m.

at Regis University

History

GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado rallied back from a potential dagger of a 3-pointer by New Mexico Highlands University, cutting a late eight-point deficit to just one with three seconds remaining. The visiting Cowboys, though, were able to survive a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer to steal a hard-fought 75-73 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win from the Mountaineers in men's basketball action Saturday night.

The physical game saw the referees call 34 fouls, mete out three technicals, and hand out two player ejections, one from each team.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: N.M. Highlands def. Western Colorado, 75-73
Records: Western Colorado 5-17 (4-12 RMAC), N.M. Highlands 9-11 (4-10)
Location: Paul Wright Gym; Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sam Barnes-Thompkins drained a 3-pointer to elevate what had been a shaky five-point Cowboys lead to eight with just 2:12 remaining in the game.
• Western rallied in the final 30 seconds and, with under five seconds on the clock and trailing 74-70, Elijah Davidson came up with an offensive rebound, went back up for a layup and was fouled on the play.
• The free throw rolled around the rim before falling through to cut the deficit to one, and now requiring the Mountaineers to foul immediately on the Highlands inbounds.
• The Cowboys' Marcus Brown missed the first of two from the free throw line but hit the second. With three ticks left and N.M. Highlands leading 75-73, all Western could do was inbounds and almost immediately heave up a desperation 3-pointer from their own end, an improbable shot that was off the mark, allowing the Cowboys to escape with the conference victory.
• Highlands led for nearly the entire game, taking a 3-2 lead less than two minutes in and not surrendering the lead until a Matthew Ragsdale 3-pointer found its mark nearly four minutes into second half action.
• The early lead change grew to a 10-point advantage for the Cowboys (12-2), but it would be the only double-digit difference in the game after Will Willis' layup cut the advantage to eight on Western's ensuing possession.
• N.M. Highlands' cushion wavered between two to six points across much of the rest of the game, the Cowboys never completely shaking loose from the Mountaineers.
• When all looked lost after Barnes-Thompkins' trey, Western rose up, keyed by  an Avery Rembao free throw and the first of his two late offensive rebounds and put-backs by Davidson, this first layin drawing the Mountaineers to within a bucket (72-70) with 23 seconds remaining.

HARDWOOD NOTES

• Ragsdale got off to a slow start, not scoring his first points of the game until a layup at the 6:43 mark in the first half for his only points before the halftime break. He was a different player in the second half, scoring 18 more points to finish with a team-high 20.
• Willis and Gino Corridori ended the night with 14 points apiece.
• Davidson continues to show he's among the top rebounders in the league, pulling down a game-best 15 in the loss and missing the double-double by a single point, adding nine points to the Mountaineers' offensive efforts. Davidson hit double digits off the glass for the third consecutive game and for the seventh time this season.
• Davidson's six assists also led all players and was a career high. Ragsdale dished out five assists, which was also a career high.
• Though the 34 total fouls were evenly distributed – 18 called on the Cowboys and 16 on the Mountaineers -- N.M. Highlands went to the free throw line 21 times compared to just 9 by Western players. The Cowboys hit 14 of the attempts, doubling the Mountaineers' 7 made free throws.
• Western has of late experienced second-half chills in shooting, but Saturday it hit 18-of-34 from the floor in the second half to post a 53 percent half. Unfortunately, Highlands shot 56% (13-of-23) in the second half and dropped in 13 of their free throws over the final 20 minutes of action.

UP NEXT

• The Mountaineers begin a four-game RMAC road swing with their next outing, heading to Regis University on Friday, followed by a trip to Colorado School of Mines on Saturday night.
• N.M. Highlands hosts conference foe Colorado State University-Pueblo on Tuesday night.

    

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2022-02-06 05:42:19Z
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