GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado scored the opening basket Tuesday but trailed the rest of the night against visiting Colorado Mesa University, the Mavericks needing to hit eight free throws at the end of the game to hold off the Mountaineers in CMU's 75-61 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win at Paul Wright Gym.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Colorado Mesa def. Western, 75-61
Records: Western 5-10 overall (3-4 RMAC), CMU 9-6 (5-2)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Though the Mavericks never ran away with a lead, they seemed to do just enough to keep the advantage at six or seven or eight points for much of the night.
• The Mountaineers trailed only by six, 36-30, at the halftime break and would start a push early in second-half action, clawing to within three, 38-35, on a Mason Mottashed 3-pointer.
• CMU elevated its cushion to seven several times after Mottashed's trey, but Western battled back each time.
• Trailing 49-43, Western trimmed it to three on a McDowell triple, but CMU's Ben Henderson answered with a 3-pointer of his own and after a Mountaineer miss, Henderson dropped in another to push the lead to nine, 55-46.
• McDowell popped in another from behind the arc to answer, but the Mountaineers would go on a three minute scoring drought that allowed the Mavs to stretch their advantage to 63-49.
• Finally breaking the drought, Western would eventually climb to within six, 65-59, but Mesa would outscore the Mountaineers 10-2 down the stretch, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 63 seconds.

HARDWOOD NOTES

• McDowell would lead all scorers in the game with 35 points, but Western got only 16 points from its other starters and 10 points from its bench, while Mesa pushed four players into double figures, paced by Ty Allred's 20 points and Clayton Jewell's double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).
• Rebounding and second chance points contributed to the deficit at the final horn. Mesa forged a 36-20 edge in rebounding and posted a 13-5 advantage in second chance points.
• The Mountaineers, who had over 20 turnovers in each of their last two games, were much more possessive Tuesday night, letting loose only 11 times, the second lowest turnover total of the season.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
Western hits the road for its next game, an RMAC game Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City at Westminster University.