DENVER --- For much of the New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team's strong start to the season the Cowboys have used it's up-tempo, high flying, 3-point bombing style to win with an eye-catching brand of basketball.
Saturday night, NMHU proved it can grind wins out too – more impressively doing so on the road.
The Cowboys rallied from a 12-point, second-half deficit along with a six-point, double-overtime deficit and overcame another night of shooting struggles to defeat MSU Denver 83-81 on the road.
NMHU (13-4 overall, 8-3 RMAC) trailed 80-74 with less than 1:30 left in double overtime before a
Gerad Davis jumper cut the Roadrunner (7-8, 5-6) lead to four points.
From that point on, last week's national player of the week
Raquan Mitchell took over offensively for the Cowboys while NMHU got a key defensive play from
Desmond Carpenter.
After a Roadrunner turnover gave the ball back to the Cowboys, Mitchell – who struggled shooting in regulation (started 0-for-10 from 3-point range) – drove into the paint and scored to cut the lead to two at 80-78 with 1:18 remaining.
After MSU Denver split a pair of free throws to make it 81-78, Mitchell calmly dribbled up, created some space and drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 58 seconds remaining.
After the make, the Cowboys continued to press and Carpenter was able to poke the ball away from the Roadrunner and Davis was there to pick it up with 50 seconds remaining. Eventually Mitchell was fouled with 25 seconds remaining and hit one of two free throws to give NMHU an 82-81 lead.
MSU Denver missed a 3-pointer on its end and Carpenter got the ball, was fouled and split a pair of free throws with 0.5 seconds left to make the final 83-81.
The Cowboys, who trailed 49-37 with 10:58 remaining in the game, were led by Mitchell's 23 points.
Nnamdi Okoro finished with his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, Davis had 16 points along with a team-high four assists while
Jordan Jones had 12 points. Carpenter filled the stat sheet with six points, a team-best 11 rebounds, two steals and two assists.
The Cowboys shot 35.9 percent from the field and were 8-for-35 from 3-point range (22.9 percent) – a day after going 5-for-33 from behind the arc, making them 13-for-68 from 3-point range (19.1 percent). The number was boosted by NMHU going 3-for-7 from 3-point range in the two overtime periods on Saturday. The Cowboys entered the weekend averaging just more than 11 3-pointers made per game – tops in the RMAC.
NMHU compensated, however, by forcing a season-best 26 turnovers in the contest.
The Cowboys hit the road again next week as they travel to take on Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines.
