PUEBLO, Colo.  It seemed that every time Western Colorado drew within range Friday at Massari Arena, host Colorado State University Pueblo would stiff-arm the Mountaineers, finally extending a tenuous advantage late in the game to a eight-point victory, 85-77, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball action.

Matthew Ragsdale led all scorers, knocking down 28 of his 30 points during the second half.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: CSU Pueblo def. Western Colorado, 85-77
Records: Western Colorado 5-20 (4-15 RMAC), CSU Pueblo 11-14 (8-11)
Location: Massari Arena, Pueblo, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The host ThunderWolves got off to a quick 5-0 start, but Western responded with a 9-2 run to move in front a little more than six minutes into first-half play.
• Late in the half with the score tied at 26-26, the Pack broke free with a 6-0 run only to watch Western's Kade Juelfs hit a jumper to cut into the deficit on the next possession. And with 38 seconds remaining before the break Cole Sienknecht knocked down a 3-pointer, after pulling down a defensive rebound, to slice the CSUP lead to only 32-31 as the teams headed into the locker rooms for the halftime break.
• The ThunderWolves scored the opening points of the second half, then grew their lead to six, 40-34, in just over two minutes after recess.
• A Jaelan McCloud jumper halved that, and the teams traded buckets until Ragsdale cut the deficit to just two, 44-42, on a layup-and-one.
• CSU Pueblo once again built back its cushion, going up by nine (51-42) over the next 100 seconds.
• Again, Western rallied, pulling once more to within a short basket, 55-53, after Rembao pulled down a defensive board, raced up court and dished to Ragsdale who deposited another 3-pointer.
• The Pack would cling to their narrow lead until finally breaking free after Rembao registered a jumper-and-one to bring Western to within three, 63-60. Pueblo outscored Western 22-17 over the final seven minutes to finish off its home victory.

COURT NOTES

• Neither team lit up the scoreboard in the first half, Western hitting 34 percent from the floor while CSUP shot only 38 percent.
• The ThunderWolves were able to crank it up more than did the Mountaineers over the final 20 minutes, going 20-for-35 (57%) from the field against a 13-for-28 (46%) half from Western.
• Points from the bench and points from in close were factors in the outcome. Pueblo, on top of starter Lian Ramiro scoring 26 points, got 32 points from its subs, against Western's 14 points from its non-starters.
• The Pack also had a commanding presence in tight, registering a 32-14 advantage from points in the paint.
• Elijah Davidson reached double figures in rebounds, 11 on the night, for the eighth time this season, outdone on the glass only by Pueblo's Isaiah Thompson's 13 boards.

UP NEXT

• The Mountaineers continue the weekend road trip with a Saturday visit to Alamosa, Colorado, where they will face host Adams State University in a conference lockup.
• Pueblo hosts Fort Lewis College Saturday in an RMAC contest.