Las Vegas, New Mexico - The New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys went toe-to-toe with No. 17 Black Hills State University for 40 minutes Saturday afternoon, but the nationally ranked Yellow Jackets pulled away late for an 85-77 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory inside the John A. Wilson Center.
The Cowboys are now 12-17 overall and 10-8 in RMAC action. Black Hills State, ranked 17th in the latest NABC NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, improves to 22-4 overall and 15-3 in conference play.
New Mexico Highlands trailed by just one point at halftime, 39-38, after a competitive opening 20 minutes. New Mexico Highlands remained within striking distance throughout the second half, but the Yellow Jackets capitalized on key possessions down the stretch to hold off the Cowboys.
Marcus Pierce scored a career-high 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting and a perfect 10-of-10 effort at the free-throw line while adding five assists to lead the Cowboys.
Ramiah Adedigba contributed 12 points and three assists, while
Ibrahima Sacko added 11 points, knocking down two three-pointers.
As a team, New Mexico Highlands shot 38.6 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from three-point range, and 84.4 percent at the free-throw line - its second-best performance of the season at the stripe.
Despite the setback, the Cowboys secured a berth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Playoffs, which begin March 3rd. New Mexico Highlands closes out the regular season on the road at Colorado Christian University on Thursday night before traveling to University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Saturday afternoon, looking to improve its postseason seeding.
