COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team overcame second half struggles to prevail to a 98-89 victory over Western Colorado Friday afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
Final: UCCS 98, WCU 89
Records: UCCS (8-4, 3-1 RMAC), WCU (5-7, 3-1 RMAC)
Facility: Gallogly Events Center | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: UCCS and Western Colorado met for the 51
st time on Friday, with UCCS holding a 32-19 record over the Mountaineers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams traded blows as the game got underway, as the first ten minutes of the game featured four ties and eleven lead changes as the sides tried to settle into the action. Aidan McDowell and Tyler Halligan led the visitors with eight points each, as Brody Hull shined for the Mountain Lions as he scored 10, but the teams were even at 18 at the midway point of the first half.
- After two quick lead changes with just under ten minutes to play in the first half, UCCS began to take control of the game, as they built out a 15-point lead that they would take into halftime. Shawn Williams and Xavier Martinez each added eight points to help the Mountain Lions' effort, as UCCS took to the locker room at the intermission on a 34-19 run to lead the contest 52-37.
- The Mountaineers came out in the second half with a new-found energy which allowed them to make their way back into the game after facing the steep 15-point deficit out of the halftime break. At the 16:21 mark, Western Colorado embarked on a 4:04 second stretch in which they outscored the Mountain Lions 17-4 to pull within a single point of UCCS, with just over 12 minutes to play. Halligan led that charge with nine points, as WCU as a near-perfect 6-7 from the floor on the run.
- A James Ellis lay up with 11:58 would snap the run, as UCCS began to settle back into their offensive prowess. WCU would take a brief lead with eight minutes to play, but got into foul trouble, which UCCS took advantage of to reclaim the lead. After a tie at 73, UCCS didn't look back as they finished the las seven minutes of the game on a 25-18 run over Western, defeating the Mountaineers by a 98-89 final.
STATS FROM THE GAME
- Aidan McDowell continued his strong season as a scorer, collecting 32 points for the Mountaineers. Xavier Martinez led the Mountain Lions with 22 points.
- Three pointers were hard to come by in the contest, with McDowell (3) and Martinez (2) being the only two shooters with multiple triples.
- Free throws were a difficult task for the Mountaineers, only shooting 62.5% from the foul line on Friday.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lions failed to score 100 for the first time in three contests, as they lead the RMAC in average offense with a 90.3 per game pace.
- The Mountain Lions have defeated the Mountaineers for the third straight meeting between the programs.
UP NEXT
The Mountain Lions are back on the court on Tuesday when they take on Colorado Christian on Tuesday in Lakewood. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at CCU Event Center.
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.
