COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team takes down New Mexico Highlands University, 95-85 in their highest scoring game this season. The Mountain Lions are now 12-7 overall and 8-6 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
UCCS shot the ball well from the field as they finished the game shooting 50.8 percent (33-65 FG). They also added 21 free throws in a game that featured 58 total free throws taken by both teams combined and 48 total fouls committed by both teams combined (24 for each). Eight of NMHU's fouls were technical fouls in what turned into a very chippy game down the stretch.
Blend Avdili was the top scorer for the Mountain Lions with 23 points to the tune of 5-for-9 shooting from the field, 3-for-6 from long range and a game high 10-for-14 from the free throw line.
Padiet Wang followed suit with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting and added six assists.
UCCS got big contributions from the bench as well as
Alijah Comithier went for 16 points and
William Becker added his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and a game high 10 rebounds.
The first half was a back and forth battle as neither team could gain any sort of a substantial lead. Both teams shot over 40 percent in the half, with NMHU going into the locker room with a slight edge, 42-39.
The second half featured the majority of the action as UCCS exploded for 56 second half points. The Mountain Lions shot 62.1 percent from the field (18-29 FG) and 40 percent from long range (4-10 3PT), while holding one of the most potent offenses in the RMAC to 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 21.4 percent from three. Down the stretch, UCCS led for the final 4:21 of the game as things got out of hand for NMHU.
After having one player ejected earlier in the second half thanks to two technical fouls, the Cowboys had two more players and their head coach thrown out due to double technical fouls in the final five seconds of the game. Those free throws pushed the Mountain Lion lead to 10 points and effectively sealed the upset for UCCS.
The Mountain Lions are back in action tomorrow night as they host Colorado State University – Pueblo at the Gallogy Events Center starting at 7:30 p.m.
