GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado battled back to within striking distance several times throughout the game, but host Colorado Mesa University responded each time to push its advantage back to double digits in the Mavericks' 100-90 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win Saturday afternoon in Brownson Arena.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Colorado Mesa def. Western, 100-90
Records: Western 8-18 overall (6-12 RMAC), CMU 18-8 (14-4)
Location: Brownson Arena, Grand Junction, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening 20 minutes saw the Mavs take hold of the lead on the scoreboard, eventually pushing out to a 10-point margin at 38-28 with just five minutes left in the half.
• The Mountaineers doubled up CMU down the stretch, though, outscoring them 16-8 to enter the halftime break trailing by just two, 46-44.
• Five different players scored during that recovery stretch, initiated by a Reese Strawn 3-pointer and closed out by a triple then soon after a jumper by Aidan McDowell.
• Western, on a Qunicy Scott 3-pointer for the first points of the second half, leapt in front 47-46, the Mountaineers' first lead since the 18:32 mark of the first half.
• CMU answered with a 9-0 run, however, only to have the Mountaineers claw back with a bucket, 63-61, on a Jordan Kuac 3-pointer.
• But the Mavs scored the next nine points to hold off Western's challenge once again.
• Fighting back from an 11-point deficit, at 77-66, the Mountaineers got within five (81-76) with a pair of Joanis Koulisianis free throws – but Mesa scored six unanswered to push the lead to 87-76 and finally were able to keep Western from mounting one last rally to finish with a 10-point victory.

HARDWOOD NOTES

• While McDowell led all scorers with 29 points on the day, Strawn posted a career-high 15 points – all five of his buckets from behind the arc.
• Kuac, with 13 points, and Mason Mottashed with 12 also reached double figures in scoring for Western.
• Mesa commanded the glass during the game, 33-16, enabling the Mavs to score 14 second-chance points and contribute nearly half of their game total, 46 points, from in the paint.
• The Mountaineers didn't have a poor game shooting, finishing at 57% from the floor, 53% from behind the arc, and a perfect 7-for7 from the free throw line. Mesa simply shot just a little better, 60% and 57% from long range.

UP NEXT
Western will close out the season on the road with a Feb. 26 game at Chadron State (Neb) followed two days later with a season-ending game at South Dakota Mines.