Box Score WHICHITA FALLS, Texas – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team drop the opening game of the 2025-26 season with a 97-90 result against Midwestern State University.

INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
Final: UCCS 90, MSU 97
Records: UCCS (0-1, 0-0 RMAC), MSU (1-0, 0-0 RMAC)
Facility: D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
All-Time Series: UCCS and MSU have faced off six times, with each team having three victories.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• The Mustangs took the early lead in the game thanks to a pair of threes for the home town squad, UCCS hit a triple of their own, but came up empty on a pair of trips in the first four minutes. The first timeout came with a narrow advantage for Midwestern State 9-8.
• Two triples and a perfectly executed set play for the Mountain Lions sent them on a small run to come out of the first break. Shooting for both teams during the stretch cooled off, with UCCS building a four-point, 18-14, lead before they returned to the benches for the under 12 timeout having scored eight unanswered.
• The Mustangs returned the favor to the Mountain Lions as MSU drained a three once play resumed, but UCCS held their ground. A pair of defensive fouls from the Mustangs gave the Mountain Lions an opportunity to score with the clock stopped, which the Mountain Lions took advantage of, leading 24-17. Three pointers continued to hurt UCCS, however, as MSU cut back into the lead. The Mountain Lions and Mustangs began to trade baskets midway through the first half, with six points separating the sides with seven and a half minutes to play, 33-27 Mountain Lions.
• The margin held at six for several minutes, but under three minutes to play MSU began to chip away at the Mountain Lions lead. A pair of baskets with and-one fouls cut the UCCS lead to just two with 2:28 to play. Perimeter defense was a struggle for the Mountain Lions in the first half, and a pair of threes from the Mustangs gave the hosts a two-point lead, before adding a free throw to grow the lead to three. Mario Williams Jr. would tie the game at 46 with a three of his own that skipped in off the front of the rim, with the intermission commencing with the teams even at that 46-point total.
• The Mountain Lions continued to leave the arc unguarded as play resumed in the second half, leading to three triples in the early minutes. The Mountain Lions would be forced to call an early time out due to the scoring flurry as Midwestern State constructed a 7-0 run to lead 56-51 at the time of the timeout.
• Derek Pranger began to stop the bleeding for the Mountain Lions as the lead for the Mustangs fluctuated between seven and nine points until the redshirt junior hit a three-pointer. Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq followed up the next trip up the floor with a basket with a foul to drop the lead back to one possession at 65-62.
• The Mountain Lions would battle back to tie the game at 66, but three empty trips followed on offense, as Midwestern State took advantage with a 6-0 run on the opposite end of the floor to force another UCCS timeout.
• The teams continued to battle as the clock ticked under ten to play, with UCCS able to battle back to a three point game. Neither team could capitalize on the other's mistakes as ball security was a struggle for both sides midway through the second half. Luckily for UCCS, foul shooting was a bright spot as the Mountain Lions cut the lead to just one, 77-76.
• UCCS would take their first lead of the second half off a Jayden Washington three with just under three minutes to play to pull in front 87-85 but would give up a triple right down the floor as Jonathan Jackson hit his ninth three of the game to restore the lead to Midwestern State. Shortly after, a long two from MSU's Terrance Ramirez would force the Mountain Lions into the foul game down 5 with under a minute to play, but the tactic was unsuccessful as the Mountain Lions suffer the 97-90 loss.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME
 

• Blocks were a difference maker for MSU, swatting 10 Mountain Lion attempts from the field, keeping UCCS to just 39% from the field.
• MSU shot an impressive 53% from the field, with a 44% clip from long range.
• Jonathan Jackson led all scorers with 31 points, including a sweltering 9 three-pointers.
• Rebounding was a bright spot for UCCS, out rebounding the Mustangs 43-37.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
 

• UCCS have lost the last three matchups with Midwestern State, with two of those losses coming on the road.
• The Mountain Lions drop the first game of the season for the second straight year, both at the hands of the Mustangs.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.