GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Tuesday night's conference opener between Western State Colorado University men's basketball and Colorado Mesa University came down to the final seconds. After taking the lead with four seconds to play, the Mavericks scored with 3.1 seconds left to take an 86-85 win.
 
It was 12-2 in favor of the Mavericks before Western settled into the game. The Mountaineers pushed the ball inside and were able to cut the 10-point CMU lead to just four points, 17-13, at the 13:40 mark of the first half.
 
A Ben Beauchamp three-pointer at the 10:07 mark erased the Mavericks lead as the two teams each had 21 points. The Mountaineers would take over the lead, 26-25, after back-to-back baskets by Monroe Porter at the 7:55 mark of the first half.
 
Beauchamp led the Mountaineers with 22 points scored. He is now just four points away from 1,000 career points.
 
Western's high pressure defense forced the Mavericks into tough offensive possessions and the Mountaineer offense capitalized. Western forced 11 first-half turnovers, converting those into nine points.
 
By halftime, Western pushed their lead to five points, 43-38.
 
Western extended the lead to 10 points, 54-44 at the 15:21 mark, after a Brady Subart free throw.
 
However, the Mavericks wouldn't go away in the first conference game of the season. CMU used a 9-0 run over the following three minutes to cut the Western lead to just one point, 54-53, with 12:13 remaining.  
 
From that point on, the two teams exchanged buckets and the lead. After a pair of Collin Smith free throws, Western and CMU were once again tied, this time 63-63 at the 7:14 mark of the second half.
 
Smith scored 21 points for the Mountaineers. It is the fourth game this season Smith has scored 20 or more points.
 
From the 12:45 mark until a Quincy Harding three pointer at the 4:05 mark, no lead by either team reached more than two points in the second half. Harding's three point field goal gave Western a 77-73 lead before a Beauchamp layup put the Mountaineers ahead by six points with 3:22 left to play.
 
CMU reclaimed the lead, 84-83 with 1:15 left to play. With the ball and the shot clock off, Harding drove to the basket. The junior guard was tripped and headed to the line with 4.2 seconds remaining. Harding downed two free throws and put the Mountaineers ahead, 85-84.
 
After a timeout, CMU scored on the inbounds play to take an 86-85 lead. A last-second desperation shot for the Mountaineers fell short as they lost the conference opener to the Mavericks, 86-85.
 
Western continues the season on Saturday when they host Westminster College at 7 p.m. in Paul Wright Gym.