GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team drained a season-high 18 3-pointers while keeping its postseason hopes alive as the Mountaineers defeated Colorado Christian 90-78 on Saturday at Paul Wright Gym.

WCU's (11-14 overall, 8-11 RMAC) 18 3-pointers are tied for the fourth most in program history - only behind the program-record 22 hit during the 1999-2000 season against New Mexico Highlands and twice draining 19 in a game (in 1996-97 and in 1998-99). It's only the second time since 2000 that the team has hit 18 or more 3-pointers in a game as WCU also did it during the 2017-18 season against Midwestern State.

The win moves the Mountaineers to 8-11 in the RMAC, two games back of the No. 8 seed New Mexico Highlands with three games to go (they are three games back of Westminster and UCCS).

As for Saturday, the game was tied 33-33 with six minutes left in the first half before a 13-2 run by the Mountaineers that included a pair of Will Wills 3-pointers and another by Cole Sienknecht gave them a 46-35 advantage. WCU eventually went to the half with a 48-38 lead.

The Cougars (4-21, 4-15) in the first eight minutes of the second half slowly cut the WCU lead to one at 60-59. But Willis - who finished 4-for-4 from 3-point range - drained another 3-pointer to push the lead to four before back-to-back 3-pointers from Brian Read and Sienknecht eventually increased the lead to double figures again and CCU wouldn't get closer than eight the rest of the way.

Seven Mountaineers hit two or more 3-pointers in the contest as WCU went 18-for-28 from beyond the arc (64.3 percent).

Sienknecht led the Mountaineers with 23 points to go along with three steals, Willis had 14 points, Matthew Ragsdale and Jackson Ehrlin had 10 points apiece with Ehrlin adding five rebounds while James Willis had nine points. Monroe Porter led the team with nine rebounds and three assists to go along with six points and two steals.

As a team, the Mountaineers shot 56.1 percent from the field - though CCU did shoot better at 61.7 percent from the field, but 15 turnovers did the Cougars in.

The Mountaineers hit the road next week as they travel to take on Adams State on Friday and Fort Lewis on Saturday.