Box Score HILO, HAWAII – The Western New Mexico men's basketball team held a 12-point lead early in the second half before Hawaii-Hilo once again came storming back to defeat the Mustangs, 84-79, Tuesday night.


HH (3-1) opened the game strong, as after WNMU (0-2) took an early 3-2 lead on a three-point-play by Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School), they went on to score 10 of the next 12 points for a 12-5 lead at the 14:58 mark.


The Mustangs responded, as they went on a 10-0 run for a three-point lead behind baskets by Carter hitting a three-pointer, Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) a three and then four points from TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) for the 15-12 lead at the 11:36 mark.


The Vulcans would cut the deficit back down to one by scoring the next basket, but WNMU kept the pressure on, pushing the lead back to four on a three by Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) on the next trip down the floor.


The lead would reach six on a pair of free throws by Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) at the 6:58 mark, 22-16.


HH came back to tie the game at 28 with 4:15 at the half, before the Mustangs closed the half strong outscoring the Vulcans by seven for a 42-35 halftime lead.


The second half belonged to WNMU at the start, with Carter hitting on a pair of jumpers and after HH cut the deficit back to nine, Luttrell connected on a three at the 18:04 mark for a 12-point lead, 49-37.


The Vulcans came back real strong, ripping off the next 16 points for a 53-49 lead with 14 minutes to play in the game.
The Mustangs finally stopped the run on the next trip down the court on a three-pointer by Riley.


HH kept the pressure on, going on an 8-0 run to push the lead out to nine, 61-52, with 11:02 to play.


In a game of runs, the Mustangs came back with a run of their own, scoring the next nine points to tie the game at 61.


During the run, the Mustangs made a pair of free throws and received a jumper by Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) and one from Crane, before Luttrell nailed a three-pointer to tie the game with 7:21 to play.


The Vulcans would regain the lead on the next trip down the floor and never look back.


The Mustangs came back to cut the deficit back to one on a number of occasions, with Luttrell making a pair of free throws, before Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) split a pair to leave HH ahead, 65-64, with 5:10 to play.


After HH posted a jumper right after that, Littleton answered with a jumper to kept the deficit still at one, 67-66, at the 3:54 mark.


HH would then control the play down the stretch, pushing the lead back to three with a basket on the next trip down the floor and would get it as high as five before Riley's three with 2:54 to play trimmed the deficit down as close as it would get, 71-69.


Four Mustangs posted double-digit in points, led by Riley's 19, as he posted 52 in the two games against the Vulcans. Carter added 15 points and five rebounds, Luttrell with 14 points, including a team-leading four three-pointers and 13 from Suarez, along with seven assists.


The Mustangs had only nine turnovers, to 14 for the Vulcans, while HH made 48 percent from the field (28-58) to 41.7 percent by the Mustangs (25-60).


WNMU will return to action Friday night at 10 p.m. against Hawaii-Pacific University.