GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team led for 25 of the first 34 minutes, but Montana Western took the lead in the final six minutes and didn't relinquish it as the Mountaineers fell 73-71 Friday at the CMU Holiday Inn - Airport Thanksgiving Classic at Brownson Arena.

WCU (2-3), which led by as much as nine points, trailed by a game-high five points at 71-66 with less than two minutes remaining to the Bulldogs (5-3) when Cole Sienknecht drained a 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining to cut the Mountaineer deficit to two. After a UMW turnover, Jackson Ehrlin grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled with 40 seconds remaining and hit one of two free throws to cut the Bulldog lead to one at 71-70.

The Mountaineers forced a UMW miss, but the Bulldogs grabbed the offensive board and WCU was forced to foul. UMW's Max Clark hit both free throws with six seconds left to make it 73-70 and the Bulldogs fouled with four seconds left - not letting WCU get a game-tying 3-pointer off. James Willis hit the first and purposely missed the second, but the Bulldogs got the rebound and ran the clock out to come away with the two-point win.

Josh Tomasi finished with a double-double for the Mountaineers - leading four WCU players in double figures with 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Willis had 12 points and two steals, Ehrlin had 11 points, seven rebounds and a team-best six assists while Cole Sienknecht had 10 points.

The Mountaineers shot 42.1 percent from the field, including going 7-for-15 from 3-point range (46.7 percent), but was 16-for-25 from the free-throw line (64 percent - entered game shooting 79 percent from the line).

WCU returns to action 2 p.m. Saturday in Grand Junction against Missouri Western State at Brownson Arena.