Box Score Las Vegas, N.M. – The NMHU Men's Basketball team pulled out a huge win over #23 Adams State University, on Feb. 8, by the final score of 74-72. The Cowboys were down at the half, but they battled throughout the second half and came away with a huge conference victory over the Grizzlies. With the win the Cowboys, led by Head Coach Joe Harge, improve to 8-8 in the RMAC and 10-10 in overall play.
The Cowboys scored first in the game and they were doing a good job of holding the lead for the first few minutes. The Grizzlies quickly took control of the first half and they had managed to jump out to a 17 point lead midway through the half.
The Cowboys worked hard to keep the game from getting away from them early, but Adams State still held a 12 point advantage (45-33) when the buzzer sounded for halftime.
The Cowboys came out of the locker room determined to prove themselves as equals with their rivals. They started the second half with a 10-0 run, cutting the Grizzlies' lead down to just two points (45-43).
The Grizzlies regained their composure and managed to hold the lead for much of the second half. But the Cowboys were not about to let the game go on their home court. They kept pace with Adams State and
Lavell McDade hit a big 3-pointer with 3:55 left in the game to give the Cowboys a 66-63 lead.
The Grizzlies tried to regain the advantage, but the Cowboys wanted the win more and
Dominick Baca converted one of his two free-throw shots with just 11 seconds left to secure the 74-72 victory.
Lavell McDade proved yet again why he is the leader of the Cowboys. He scored a team high 17 points in his 36 minutes on the court. His determination and composure is perhaps McDade's greatest quality, as he led the Cowboys to victory against #23 Adams State.
Ray Riley had a great game for the Cowboys from the point guard position. He scored 16 points, adding four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in his 20 minutes on the court.
Mannie Cass persevered through early foul trouble to score 15 points against the Grizzlies. His size and physical play made him a difficult match-up for Adams State, especially when he popped outside and dropped two 3-pointers.
Stuart Sullivan rounds out the Cowboys' top performers. He continues to improve and return to his early season form. Sullivan only saw 15 minutes of action, but made a big contribution with 11 points and two rebounds.
The Cowboys remain in the hunt for RMAC postseason play, holding the seventh place spot in the conference.
GO COWBOYS!!!
