GUNNISON, Colo. Grant Wilkinson released a 3-pointer from the right corner with 0.8 seconds on the clock in overtime and was then mobbed by teammates as his rainbow found nothing but net cords, elevating host Western Colorado to a thrilling 92-89 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over visiting Colorado State University Pueblo in men's basketball action Saturday night in Paul Wright Gym.

 Kade Juelfs had played the hero just five minutes earlier, dropping in a pair of free throws in the waning seconds of regulation to pull the Mountaineers from a two-point deficit and force the extra period.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western Colorado def. CSU Pueblo, 92-89 OT
Records: Western Colorado 4-13 (3-8 RMAC), CSU Pueblo 8-10 (5-7)
Location: Paul Wright Gym; Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The short answer is:
  • Western never trailed in the first half but settled for a 38-38 tie as the teams headed into the halftime break
  • CSU Pueblo scored the opening bucket of the second half and never trailed during the period, only to have Juelfs force the ThunderWolves to settle for a tie score (78-78) at the end of regulation
  • and though the score was tied five times in overtime, Western never trailed, and broke the final tie with Wilkinson's trey for the win.
• The pivotal stretch in the game was when Western erased a nine-point deficit with six minutes left in regulation. And the pivotal moments came with under 10 seconds remaining in that second half.
• Early in the final minute of regulation, CSU Pueblo clung to a two-point advantage and went to the foul line with the opportunity to make it a two-possession game. Meekness Payne missed the first of his two free throws, however, leaving the door open for Western.
• A Matthew Ragsdale baseline drive from the left drew a foul, sending Ragsdale to the line where he drained both to trim the deficit to one with 4.5 seconds remaining.
• Western fouled immediately on the inbounds, putting Lian Ramiro at the stripe where he answered with a pair of free throws to push the margin back to three. CSU Pueblo also fouled on the inbounds, erasing the possibility of a Western 3-point attempt that could have potentially tied the game.
• Juelfs stepped to the line with 3.3 seconds left and sank the first of his two. Still needing two points for the tie, he purposefully clanged his second off the rim and Wilkinson grabbed the rebound. His pass was kicked out of bounds with 0.7 seconds remaining, leaving Western one more chance.
• Almost miraculously, at least unexpectedly, Juelfs was fouled away from the ball on the inbounds, setting up his opportunity to don the hero's cape. Two successful free throws later, the teams were headed to OT.
• Ragsdale opened the scoring in the extra period with another driving layup for Western's first lead since the final minute of the first half.
• Western led by two, at 89-87, in OT but a Western foul and a pair of ThunderWolves free throws knotted the game up with 7.4 seconds left in extra time. The Mountaineers quickly drove down court, pushed the ball to the baseline and Ragsdale kicked out a pass to Wilkinson in that sweet-spot right corner where the celebration began shortly after.

COURT NOTES

• Ragsdale led all scorers with 30 points, while Juelfs finished with 15 and Elijah Davidson chimed in with 14. Wilkinson scored five points for Western, but three of those were the most important of the game.
• Romiro paced the ThunderWolves with 27, and four others reached double figures on the night. However, CSU Pueblo's starters accounted for all but 12 of its points, while Western picked up 31 points from its bench. In all, 10 Mountaineers scored on the night.
• With the exciting finish, it's hard to imagine that the lead changed hands only twice in the game – when CSU Pueblo scored the second half's opening basket, and when Western dropped in the first points of OT. There were eight ties in the contest.

UP NEXT

• Western is on the road next, traveling to Westminster (Utah) College Friday for a league contest, followed by a Saturday date on the way home at Colorado Mesa University.
• CSU Pueblo hosts Colorado School of Mines and Regis University those same nights.