GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado broke in front of visiting University of the Southwest early in Saturday's home opener at Paul Wright Gym, pushing its lead to as many as 15 points and leading by six at the half. But the Mustangs picked up their defensive efforts while opening up a fast transition game in the second half to rally for an 89-83 non-conference win on the opening day of the Comfort Inn Classic.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Southwest def. Western Colorado, 89-83
Records: Western Colorado 0-3, Southwest 3-4
Location: Paul Wright Gym; Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Two of the game's three lead changes happened in the opening minutes of the game as the teams traded baskets toward a tie at 7-7.
• Avery Rembao dropped one of his four 3-pointers to break the tie, and Western sailed through the rest of the first half with the lead.
• Jaelan McCloud's layup off a fast break, following a Grant Wilkinson defensive rebound, pushed the Mountaineer advantage into double digits (26-16) halfway through the period. And as the clock wound under four minutes remaining the lead had grown to 15.
• The final minutes of the half were an omen, though, for second-half action, as Southwest whittled its deficit to six points heading into recess.
• Western held firm with that lead through almost 10 minutes of action in the second, but the Mustangs began to chip into the lead over the next few minutes, tied the game at 68-68 with 8:36 to play, then wrested away the lead 20 seconds later.
• Southwest pushed its advantage to eight at the four-minute mark and though Western pulled within four at 84-80, were able to withstand the frantic final minute for a six-point victory.

COURT NOTES

• Rembao had a career night in the loss, scoring 34 points for the Mountaineers. Along with a solid night from behind the arc, he also want 8-for-10 from the free throw line.
• Elijah Davidson also hit for double digits, scoring 10 points, including knocking down 4-of-5 from the stripe.
• Southwest pushed three players into double figures, getting 61 of its 89 points from Brandon Meadows (26 pts.), Jeremiah Toney (19) and Ladarrius Spears (16).
• Spears scored most of his points from in the paint, where the Mustangs accumulated a 52-38 advantage over the Mountaineers.
• Those close-in shots helped Southwest shoot 63 percent from the floor in the second half, while Western saw a dip in shooting percentage between the two halves from 53% to 34%.

UP NEXT
Western will play in the concluding game of the Comfort Inn Classic on Saturday, taking on Washington Adventist (D.C.) University, which lost to Colorado Mesa University Friday afternoon, 99-59.