BELLINGHAM, Wash. – In a back-and-forth battle featuring five lead changes and four ties, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Mountain Lions closed the night on a decisive late surge to earn an 85–81 road victory over Western Washington on Friday evening.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
Final: UCCS 85, WWU 81
Records: UCCS (3-2, 0-0 RMAC), WWU (3-5, 0-0 GNAC)
Facility: Carver Gym | Bellingham, Wash.
All-Time Series: UCCS and WWU met for the second time historically on Friday night, with each team having a win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Vikings opened the contest red-hot, surging ahead by as many as 13 points in the first half thanks to 57.6% shooting from the floor. But UCCS countered with toughness on the defensive end and a critical bench lift, closing the gap to just 42–40 entering halftime.
- UCCS shooters found rhythm from deep early, knocking down four first-half threes to stay within striking distance.
- The Mountain Lions took their first substantial lead of the night during a 9-0 scoring run at the 14:03 mark, their best burst of the game. From there, UCCS leaned on defensive pressure, converting 16 points off turnovers and matching WWU's presence in the paint with 42 inside points of their own.
- A pivotal stretch came when Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq drilled a three with 56 seconds left in the first half and later added several key buckets in the second, helping UCCS build what became their largest lead at 7 points with 1:37 remaining.
- Tre Lucia's perimeter shot making and Martinez's steady decision-making powered the offense late, while Hull and McKenzie combined for several crucial defensive rebounds to seal the game.
- Western Washington's final push cut the margin down the stretch, but the Mountain Lions held firm in the closing possessions much as they did in their narrow win earlier in the week to secure the 85–81 victory.
STATS FROM THE GAME
- Xavier Martinez led the Mountain Lions offense with 15 points, adding 8 helpers to set up teammates.
- Jezza McKenzie, Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq and Brody Hull all captured five rebounds.
- UCCS pulled away in three key categories, with 42 paint points, 34 points from players off the bench, and 28 points from turnovers.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lions have a 86.8 point scoring average through their five games this season.
- Tre Lucia was just one point shy of matching his career high of 14 points, set last November vs Barclay.
UP NEXT
The Mountain Lions will finish their six-game road trip tomorrow in Canada when they take on Simon Fraser at 8 p.m. Mountain Time.
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 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
