FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Western New Mexico University men's basketball team opened strong and got to within eight in the second half before falling to Northern Arizona, 93-71, in exhibition action Wednesday night.


WNMU started the game with authority, as Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) threw down a dunk off a steal by Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) just 23 seconds in.


Luttrell then called his own number on the next possession down the floor, laying it in for two and giving the Mustangs a 4-0 lead a minute in.


The Mustangs stayed close over the next several minutes, as after falling behind by six, Brelan Barry posted a layup to trim the lead back to four for the Lumberjacks, 17-13, with 13:39 left in the first half.


Luttrell connected on a three-pointer three minutes later to help keep the Mustangs within six, 22-16, halfway through the half.


NAU then ran away the rest of the half, getting the lead as high as 21, before holding an 18-point lead, 46-28, at halftime.


WNMU started strong in the second half, as Luttrell opened the scoring for the Mustangs to help start some momentum, as Carter later followed with a layup and then after TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) hit a pair from the floor and another bucket from Carter, the lead was at 10, 50-40.


Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) help cut the lead to eight after he hit two free throws at the 17:11 mark.


NAU countered with a three-pointer on their next trip, but the Mustangs answered with a triple by Luttrell to keep the lead at eight at the 16:41 mark.


NAU would extend the lead back into double-digits and they would keep it that way the rest of the game, as after Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) hit a jumper at the 12:55 mark to cut the lead back to 10, 57-47, that would be as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the way, with the Lumberjacks posting the next nine points.


The Mustangs shot nearly 43 percent (27-63) from the field, with Riley leading all-scorers with 22 points, while also adding seven rebounds and four steals.


Luttrell added 15 points, including two three-pointers, while Carter chipped in 14, going 4-of-8 from the floor.


WNMU will conclude their exhibition slate Saturday when they will play at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque beginning at 7 p.m.
 

Western New Mexico vs Northern Arizona
11/2/11 6:35 p.m. at Rolle Activity Center
At Rolle Activity Center
NORTHERN ARIZONA 93, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 71
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-1)
TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 9-22 4-4 22; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 6-10 1-3 15; Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 4-8 6-7 14;
Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 3-5 0-0 6; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 1-5 2-2 4; Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 2-5 0-0 4;
Edward Estavillo (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 1-3 0-0 3; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 1-4 0-0 3; Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) 0-0 0-0 0;
Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 0-1 0-1 0; Jared Marquez (Socorro, NM/Socorro High School) 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 13-17 71.
NORTHERN ARIZONA (1-0)
EKANEM, Ephraim 6-8 4-8 16; DOUGLAS, James 6-12 3-4 15; GRUBER, Colin 3-7
4-4 12; JACOBSEN, Max 3-5 4-4 10; BEWERNICK, Gaellen 5-9 0-0 10; DUNN,
Michael 3-5 0-0 7; SALDIVAR, Stallon 3-4 1-1 7; WILSON, Jywrell 2-8 0-0 6;
CHEECK, Danny 1-5 2-2 4; FLORES, Luis 1-2 0-0 3; NORMAN, Durrell 1-1 0-0 2;
OLAYINKA, Ben 0-1 1-2 1; WEAVER, Colby 0-0 0-0 0; HEINE, Chris 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 34-67 19-25 93.
Western New Mexico............   30   41  -   71
Northern Arizona..............   46   47  -   93
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 4-23 (Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 2-4; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 1-3;
Edward Estavillo (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 1-3; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 0-2; Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 0-1; Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 0-2;
TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 0-8), Northern Arizona 6-19 (GRUBER, Colin 2-4; WILSON, Jywrell
2-7; DUNN, Michael 1-1; FLORES, Luis 1-1; SALDIVAR, Stallon 0-1; CHEECK,
Danny 0-2; DOUGLAS, James 0-3). Fouled out--Western New Mexico-Daryl
Littleton, Northern Arizona-None. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 31 (TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School)
7), Northern Arizona 45 (EKANEM, Ephraim 10). Assists--Western New Mexico 11
(Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 5), Northern Arizona 15 (SALDIVAR, Stallon 5). Total
fouls--Western New Mexico 23, Northern Arizona 18. Technical fouls--Western
New Mexico-None, Northern Arizona-None. A-412
Exhibition