Five Score in Double Figures to Lead UCCS to First Win

SILVER CITY, N.M. - Derrick White led the University of Colorado Colorado Springs with 22 points and five Mountain Lions who scored in double figures as UCCS (1-9 / 1-5 RMAC) claimed its first victory of the season with a 84-80 victory tonight against Western New Mexico (4-6 / 3-3 RMAC) at the WNMU Fieldhouse.

The Mountain Lions shot 55 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Mustangs 45-to-25 in the largest rebounding margin of the season. The win tonight was the first for Head Coach Jeff Culver and sends the Mountain Lions into the holiday break with a victory.

White led both teams with 12 points at halftime and shot five-of-seven from the field as UCCS shot 58 percent as a team in the period. The Mustangs held a four-point lead after free throws with eight minutes and 18 seconds left in the half, before White scored seven points in a 9-2 run to put UCCS ahead by three points at 28-25 with 6:27 left.

UCCS held a lead through the rest of the half and closed the period on a 10-2 run to lead 47-36 at the half. It was the largest halftime lead for the Mountain Lions this season.

The Mountain Lions led by as many as 14 points with 9:45 remaining, and led by at least six points until the 2:23 mark of the second half. The Mustangs closed the gap to three points three times - with 1:04, 49 seconds and nine seconds left - but the UCCS went five-of-six at the free throw line in the final minute to maintain the lead and claim the first win of the season.

White shot seven-of-15 overall and two-of-four from the three-point line. Darius Pardner scored 15 points off the bench, Alex Welsh scored 14, Jordan Carter scored 12 and Alex Koehler made 11 points. Koehler also finished with a game-high seven rebounds.

Up Next: UCCS will be off until after the holiday season, and will play next in the Inaugural Downtown Classic on Jan. 5 against Colorado State-Pueblo. Tip-off from the Historic Colorado Springs City Auditorium is set for 7:30 p.m.