LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team led by double digits for most of the second half and held off a late Northern New Mexico run to win its fifth game in a row with a 91-84 victory over the Eagles on Saturday night at Wilson Complex.
The Cowboys (5-1 overall) led by 16 points after a pair of
Marcus Brown free throws at the 7:08 mark made it 74-58 and led 84-73 after a
Sammy Barnes-Thompkins 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining in the game.
NNMC hit a pair of 3-pointers and free throws to cut the lead to 86-81 with 38 seconds remaining before Barnes-Thompkins went 4-for-4 from the line and
Desmond Carpenter added a free throw to make the final 91-84.
Barnes-Thompkins led the Cowboys with 24 points to go along with four assists.
Andre Adams had 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks,
Marcus Brown had 14 points, four steals and three boards,
Ja' Vary Christmas had 14 points and eight rebounds and Carpenter finished with 14 points and five rebounds.
NMHU shot 48.3 percent from the field, though it was 7-for-21 from 3-point range (33.3 percent) and was 26-for-39 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. Defensively, the Cowboys held NNMC to 35.5 percent shooting from the field.
NMHU opens RMAC play Friday on the road at Adams State before playing at CSU Pueblo on Saturday.
