Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – Colorado Mesa University jumped out early and the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team couldn't quite come back as the Mavericks came away with the 71-57 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Friday night inside Drag's Court.


CMU (5-2, 3-0 RMAC) raced out of the opening gates, posting the first seven points before Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) got WNMU (1-5, 1-2 RMAC) on the board with a jumper at the 17:35 mark.


The Mavericks continued with the early pressure, pushing the lead to 11 five minutes in, 13-2.


The lead would reach 14 with seven minutes before halftime when the Mustangs started the chip away.


Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) delivered a running jumper in the paint, which Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) added to that a three-pointer near the top of the key to leave the deficit at nine, 23-14.


TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) cut the lead even further with a layup off an offensive rebound, then later he split a pair from the line to leave the Mavs ahead by just six, 23-17, with 4:18 to play.


CMU rebounded with a 6-0 run to push the lead back to 12 before taking a 31-21 lead into the locker room.


Carter got the Mustangs going in the second half, as his rainmaker trey from the wing four minutes in had WNMU back within seven, 33-26.


But, just as before, CMU went back on another run, this time a 10-0 run to jump the lead to 17, 43-26, with 13 minutes to play in the game.


Down 16, WNMU put together another run to almost get the lead into single digits again.


Suarez blew through the defense for a layup, which Riley followed by splitting a pair from the line after a full-court press steal and then a layup by Carter after another Riley steal trimmed the deficit to 11, 56-45.


The Mustangs then had a chance to get the deficit even shorter, but came up short on their next three shots. The Mavs ended the stretch with a pair from the line to keep the lead at 13 with three minutes to play.


The Mavs would keep the lead in double-digits the rest of the way, as a Carter trey at the 1:33 mark brought the Mustangs to within 10, 65-55, but that would be as close as they would get.


Carter led all-scorers with 23, while also pulling down five rebounds. Riley found his way into double-digits with 15 and a team-leading seven rebounds and four steals. Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) came off the bench to ignite the team with a team-leading five steals, along with five rebounds.


WNMU will host Western State College Saturday night with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. inside Drag's Court.


 
Colorado Mesa Univ. vs Western New Mexico
12/09/11 7:30 pm at Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
At Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
COLORADO MESA UNIV. 71, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 57
COLORADO MESA UNIV. (5-2, 3-0 RMAC)
Michael Bear 4-8 10-10 18; Jeff Hart 3-10 5-6 11; Shawn King 3-6 4-4 10;
Daniel Estes 3-6 1-2 8; Mike Melillo 2-8 3-4 8; Colton Burgon 3-7 0-2 6;
Chandler Burgon 2-4 2-4 6; Kevin Screen 1-3 1-2 3; Nate Nelson 0-0 1-2 1;
Blake Francom 0-0 0-0 0; Landon Vermeer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-53 27-36 71.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (1-5, 1-2 RMAC)
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 8-16 4-4 23; TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 3-16 9-12 15; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 3-8 2-3 9; Lucio
Luttrell 3-13 2-2 8; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 0-3 2-2 2; Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) 0-2 0-0 0;
Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 0-2 0-0 0; Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 0-0 0-0 0; Chris Mason (Phoenix, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-2 0-0 0; Ryan
Crane 0-3 0-0 0; Edward Estavillo (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-65 19-23 57.
Colorado Mesa Univ............   31   40  -   71
Western New Mexico............   21   36  -   57
3-point goals--Colorado Mesa Univ. 2-6 (Daniel Estes 1-2; Mike Melillo 1-3;
Michael Bear 0-1), Western New Mexico 4-25 (Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 3-8; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School)
1-3; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 0-6; Chris Mason (Phoenix, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-1; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 0-2; TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 0-5).
Fouled out--Colorado Mesa Univ.-None, Western New Mexico-TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School).
Rebounds--Colorado Mesa Univ. 50 (Mike Melillo 11), Western New Mexico 34
(TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 7). Assists--Colorado Mesa Univ. 12 (Daniel Estes 3; Mike Melillo
3), Western New Mexico 10 (Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 3; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 3). Total
fouls--Colorado Mesa Univ. 19, Western New Mexico 23. Technical
fouls--Colorado Mesa Univ.-None, Western New Mexico-None. A-885