SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team was the victim of a late 14-6 scoring run by the Westminster College Griffins as they fell by a score of 92-80 on Friday evening at the Behnken Field House.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UCCS 80, WC 92
Records: UCCS (13-9, 7-8 RMAC), WC (9-13, 8-8 RMAC)
Facility | Location: WC Behnken Field House | Salt Lake City, Utah
All-Time Series: Friday evening's setback drops the Mountain Lion's record against the Griffins to 6-4 all-time and snaps a five-game winning streak dating back to the 2017-18 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Griffins opened the game with points on each of their first two possessions to take a 4-0 lead, but UCCS quickly got their offense rolling as a three-pointer from Jon'il Fugett capped a 6-2 run that brought the score even at six with 17:45 remaining in the first half.
- After trading buckets to keep the score tied at eight, Westminster found an offensive groove and went on to score 13 of the next 15 points to jump ahead by a score of 21-10 at the 13:49 mark. Redshirt freshman Logan Bracamonte would stop the Griffin's momentum briefly on the next possession with a three-pointer that brought the UCCS deficit back to single-digits at eight points, but Westminster once again found their stride as they put together an ensuing 10-4 scoring run that increased their lead to 14 points, 31-17, with 10:18 left in the half.
- Facing their largest deficit of the opening period, Bracamonte once again flipped the momentum with a three-pointer that sparked a 9-2 Mountain Lion run and brought UCCS back within seven points of the Griffins, 33-26, with 7:18 remaining. After a three-pointer from Jeremy DowDell pushed the Griffin's lead back to ten points, the Mountain Lions rattled off six straight points, with four from Fugett and two from redshirt freshman Keegan Phillips, to cut their deficit to just four points, 36-32, at the 3:50 mark.
- Bracamonte would continue his success from beyond the arc inside of the two-minute mark, as he drained two more three-point shots on back-to-back possessions to bring the score even at 40 with 1:19 left until the intermission. The Griffins would proceed to score five of the final seven points in the half to take a three point lead, 45-42, into the locker room.
- The Mountain Lions came out of the break firing on all cylinders as they started the second half on a 10-2 scoring streak that included back-to-back three-pointers from Fugett and gave UCCS their first lead of the game, 52-47, with 16:47 remaining. Westminster, however, was quick to find a response as they immediately countered with six straight points of their own to regain a one-point lead, 53-52, at the 14:54 mark.
- As the game progressed, the two teams matched buckets for about a seven minute span, throughout which neither team led by more than three points. The Griffins began to create some separation with 5:34 remaining as DowDell hit another three-pointer that capped a 6-2 Westminster run and gave the Griffins a seven-point lead, 78-71.
- After sophomore Jezza McKenzie responded with a three-pointer of his own to get the deficit back to just four points at 78-74, the Griffins found their stroke from deep, hitting three three-pointers down the stretch as part of a 14-6 run that effectively put the game away as Westminster secured the 92-80 victory.
GAME STATISTICS
- The Griffins held advantages in shooting from the field (54.4% to 40.6%) and from three-point range (53.3% to 32.4%), but the Mountain Lions outpaced Westminster at the charity stripe (92.3% to 71.4%).
- Westminster also managed to dominate the paint on Friday evening as they outscored the Mountain Lions 56-30 inside the painted area.
- Fugett notched a game and career-high 33 points as he went an impressive 9-for-15 from the field, 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. The Denver, Colo., native also stuffed the stat sheet with six assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
- Bracamonte matched his season-high with five three-pointers against the Griffins as he totaled 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field in 30 minutes on the court.
- McKenzie registered his first double-double of the season as he finished the contest with 16 points and a team-high ten rebounds while also tallying two blocks in 33 minutes.
- The Griffins were led in scoring by Taylor Miller, who went 9-for-17 from the field to score 21 points while also adding six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Fugett's career-high 33 points ties for the most points scored by a single UCCS player this season, matching the 33 points scored by Beni Fungula on Dec. 2 against South Dakota Mines.
- Tonight marks the third time that McKenzie has recorded a double-double during his three-year career, with the first two occasions coming in back-to-back games on Nov. 24 and Nov. 26, 2021, against SAGU American Indian College and Kansas Christian.
- For Bracamonte, his 19 points are tied for the second most he has scored in a single game this season. His 11 three-point attempts also marks a team-high for a single game this season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions return to action tomorrow night with a matchup against No. 22 nationally ranked Colorado Mesa University at 7:30 p.m. from the Brownson Arena in Grand Junction, Colo.
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.
