LAKEWOOD, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball is stunned by Colorado Christian University in a 88-87 loss to the Cougars inside the CCU Event Center.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
Final: UCCS 87, CCU 88
Records: UCCS 8-5 (3-2 RMAC), CCU 6-7 (1-4 RMAC)
Location: CCU Event Center | Lakewood, Colo.
Series: The Mountain Lions slide to 26-38 all-time vs. the Cougars.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UCCS controlled the opening stretch, scoring the game's first seven points and holding Colorado Christian without a field goal for nearly four minutes. The Mountain Lions forced early turnovers and pushed the lead to as many as eight points (17:20), with Jezza McKenzie knocking down an early three and Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq finishing in transition.
- Colorado Christian briefly trimmed the margin to one, but UCCS answered with its best run of the half, closing the half with 6-0 run. Brody Hull converted a layup off a turnover in the final seconds to give the Mountain Lions a 43–36 halftime lead, having led for nearly the entire opening period.
- The Mountain Lions extended the lead early in the second half, pushing the advantage to seven points before CCU began to find rhythm from the perimeter. Colorado Christian used an 11–2 run fueled by strong shooting to take its first lead of the night, swinging momentum midway through the half.
- The final 10 minutes featured multiple ties and lead changes as UCCS battled back repeatedly. The Mountain Lions tied the game at 83–83 and briefly led late after free throws from Xavier Martinez, but CCU converted key second-chance points and scored the decisive layup at the buzzer to escape with an 88–87 victory.
STATS FROM THE DAY
- Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq led UCCS with 18 points, also vacuuming in six rebounds to tie Brody Hull for second most on the team Tuesday night.
- Xavier Martinez shared five assists with his teammates, leading the team with 28 minutes on the floor.
- Shawn Williams secured nine rebounds, just shy of the double-double as he scored 14.
- Brody Hull was clutch from the foul line going a perfect 4-4, on a night where UCCS shot just 56.5 as a team from the free throw stripe.
BEYOND THE BOX
- Colorado Christian picks up their first conference win of the season, now 1-4.
- The Mountain Lions struggled to hold onto the ball, turning it over 18 times which is second most in a game this season.
- Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq ties a single game season high for the team with nine field goals made.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions return home on Thursday night against CSU Pueblo at 7 p.m. to kick off a three-game home stand.
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.
