COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team played hard down the stretch but come up just short to Colorado School of Mines 75-70.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: UCCS 70, CSM 75
Records: UCCS (7-2, 2-1 RMAC), CSM (4-3, 2-1 RMAC)
Facility: Gallogly Events Center | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 11-37 all-time against Colorado School of Mines
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- It was a slow start from tip-off for the Mountain Lions as Colorado School of Mines scored the first bucket of the game which gave the Orediggers the early lead, one they did not surrender for the entirety of the first half.
- The Orediggers continued to put up points as they tallied 12 three-point attempts sinking half of them while the Mountain Lions made only one from beyond the arc on nine attempts.
- The Mountain Lions fell to their largest deficit of the game after a two-point jumper put the Orediggers up 34-16, but UCCS was able to cut into their lead by going on an eight-point run that was capped by an Alijah Comithier layup with 2:57 remaining in the half.
- The scoring would continue to go back and forth for the remainder of the half, but Comithier put up a buzzer-beating layup to bring the score to 39-30 with the Orediggers holding the lead.
- UCCS wasted no time as the second half opened with a William Becker drive toward the basket, delivering with a contested two-handed dunk.
- Comithier gave life to the Mountain Lions eight minutes into the half with an acrobatic layup that was followed by two more field goals and a free throw that kept UCCS within striking distance.
- The Mountain Lions continued to chip away at the Orediggers lead and was inching ever closer to eclipsing the opposing score total. With 4:37 remaining in the half, Jon'il Fugett found Jezza McKenzie for a three-point bucket, cutting the deficit to one with the Orediggers leading 66-65, the closest the game had been since the opening tip-off.
- After an Oredigger shooting foul, Comithier hit both of his free throws to tie the game at 67. The remaining minutes would feature clutch fadeaway jumpers from the Orediggers that extended their lead with time dwindling. The Mountain Lions had plenty of opportunities to overtake the lead but could not get any shots to fall when they needed them.
- Fugett found Bobby Martin for a three-point jumper with 4.2 seconds on the clock to bring them within three points of the lead, but they were never able to capitalize and complete the comeback as the Orediggers held strong and came away with a 75-70 conference victory.
STATS FROM THE GAME:
- The Mountain Lions forced many turnovers in the game and capitalized on those opportunities by scoring 20 points off turnovers.
- Comithier had a team-high 23 points as he made 50 percent of his shots from the field. He was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
- McKenzie also played a large role for the Mountain Lions as he made five of his nine shots from the field while sinking two three-point buckets.
- When it came to second chance points, the Mountain Lions outscored the Orediggers 16-5 as they came down with eleven total offensive rebounds.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- With 38 minutes, Comithier played more than any other Mountain Lion and recorded a season high for minutes.
- The Mountain Lions' losing streak against Colorado School of Mines continues as they have now dropped three games in a row to the Orediggers.
- The Orediggers played solid defense as they held the Mountain Lions to their lowest shooting percentage of the season at 42.2 percent.
UP NEXT:
- UCCS continues conference play on Saturday, December 18th as they travel to take on Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb.
SOCIAL:
Twitter – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
