Box Score PUEBLO,
Colo. – After missing all 10 three-point attempts in the first half, the Cowboys came up big in the second half. New Mexico Highlands University (6-4, 3-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) made 8-15 from beyond the arc in the second half, including a spurt of 5-6 to put the visitors in the lead for good, in knocking of Colorado State-Pueblo (6-4, 4-3 RMAC) 82-71 Saturday night (Dec. 21) in Pueblo, Colo.
With Highland trailing 51-49, senior
Stuart Sullivan hit a triple that ignited a 15-4 run – all by three-pointers – to take control of the game. Classmate
Dominick Baca drained a three-pointer before senior
Mannie Cass answered with a triple off a Pueblo offensive foul to cap a run of nine unanswered. The Thunderwolves snapped spurt with a layup, but Sullivan wrapped a pair of threes around a layup by Pueblo to push the Cowboys advantage to 64-55 with 8:17 left in the game.
The ThunderWolves pulled within 66-61, but Cass answered with a triple to put the Cowboys back up eight. After going hitting its next four free throws, Sullivan's fourth three of the second half pushed the Cowboys advantage to double-digits. Pueblo cut the Highlands' lead to 76-71, but Cass answered with a pair of lay-ups and a pair from the charity stripe for the final 11-point margin.
Cass finished the contest with a game-high 28 points on 6-15 shooting, including a 14-15 mark from the free-throw line. Sullivan came off the bench for 18 points, including a 4-7 mark from beyond the arc. Four players for CSU-Pueblo hit double-digits, led by Dylan Fritsch's 19. Nate Tigner nearly missed a triple-double with 11 assists, eight points and seven boards, but he made eight key turnovers himself, one less than Highlands had as a team (nine).
Hitting only 35.1 percent (13-37) of their shots in the first half, the Cowboys hit 53.3 percent (16-30) in the second half to claim the victory.
Tied 32 at the break, the second half started with a series of runs that saw the home team built a seven-point advantage. The ThunderWolves scored the first five out of the intermission, but the Cowboys countered with the next six to retake the lead. A Fritsch three capped a 10-2 run for CSU-Pueblo as Highlands faced a 47-40 deficit. Down 49-44, junior
Terrance Lafayette foreshadowed the Cowboys run to take control of the game with a three. Both teams traded scores before Sullivan's three game the visitors the lead for good.
Highlands picked up its first Saturday RMAC win and regulation victory in conference play this season. The Cowboys scored 50 points in the second half against CSU-Pueblo, the second time this season (and the first time since the second half against Portland Bible College on Nov. 11) that they reached the half-century mark in a half.
Highlands takes nearly two weeks off before returning to action Jan. 3, 2014 when it hosts Metro State. Tip-time is set for approximately 8 p.m.
