GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Cowboys scored the first points and cut a double-digit deficit to two in the second half, but the Mavericks used an 11-0 run in the first half and never trailed after as New Mexico Highlands (1-6, 1-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) fell to regionally-ranked Colorado Mesa (8-2, 3-1 RMAC) 84-73 Saturday night (Dec. 13) in Grand Junction, Colorado.
It was a reversal from the win on Friday night as Colorado Mesa claimed a 32-29 edge on the boards and a 34-14 advantage in points of the paint.
Junior
Kaylen Shane hit a layup and freshman
Joe Anaya hit a triple to give the visitors a 5-0 lead about a minute into the game, but the home went on a 20-2 run to push the lead to double-digits. Landon Vermeer – who hit both threes he took in the game for six points – started the run with a triple. Ryan Stephan, who had a game-best 29 points, tied the game on a layup and a layup and a jumper by Julian Vasquez capped the 11-0 run by the home team.
Vasquez also reached double-digits with 14 points.
Shane stopped the run with a lay-up, but another nine unanswered by the home team, capped by a Nate Hauley three, pushed the Mavericks advantage to 20-7 with 12:38 left in the first half.
A jumper by senior
Erick Vega shortly before halftime cut the deficit to 42-33 at the break.
Junior
Kendrick Nichols led the Cowboys with 21 points while classmate
Jonathon Mines finished a solid weekend with 14. Sophomore
Ricky Norris came off the bench and scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting. The Cowboys did manage to hit 28-58 (48.3 percent) from the field in the game, but the Mavericks were even hotter as they hit 28-for-52 (53.8 percent).
With the Cowboys traling 52-39 with 15:34 remaining in the game, Highlands went on a 17-6 run to climb within two. Nichols hit back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to three. Stephan wrapped a pair of inside shots around a layup by
Amal Wilson, before Mines hit a triple to cut the deficit to six. After a Mavericks layup, a sophomore
Justin Bustos and another Mines triple cut the deficit to 58-56 with 9:04 left.
With the Cowboys trailing 74-67 with two minutes left, the Mavericks scored eight unanswered to push the lead to double-digits as the home team claimed an 11-point win.
The Cowboys return to action next Friday (Dec. 19) when they host UC-Colorado Springs at 7 p.m. in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
