Box Score PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western New Mexico University men's basketball team battled back a number of times, but Grand Canyon made just enough plays down the stretch to pull out the 69-58 win in the season opener for the Mustangs.


Western New Mexico University (WNMU) took their first lead of the night a little over a minute in on a three-pointer from Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) for the 5-3 lead. The lead would push to 8-5 on another three, this time from Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) nearly four minutes in. The Mustangs continued to lead throughout much of the first half, keeping a 12-10 lead after Grand Canyon University (GCU) tied the game at 10 on a pair of free throws by Carter.


GCU (2-2) answered with a 12-0 run over the next several minutes to open a 22-12 lead just under the halfway part of the first half. Carter converted a pair of free throws again with nine minutes before halftime to trim the deficit to six, 23-17, which would be as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the half with the Lopes taking a 41-29 lead into the locker room.


WNMU came out shooting in the second stanza, with Carter dialing up a three and Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) adding a quick jumper to open on a 5-0 run 45 seconds in. WNMU would score the first seven points of the second half with Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) hitting two from the line to get WNMU within five, 41-36.


Trailing by eight, 44-36, Berry and Luttrell would help bring WNMU back, as Berry connected on a pair from the line and then Luttrell hit a three off a pass from Berry and would later split a pair at the line to have WNMU within two, 44-42, at the 14:15 mark.


Andy Sohlich (Battle Creek, MI/St. Phillip Catholic Central High School) hit a mid-range jumper near the midway part of the second half to leave WNMU down by just one, 50-49. Just like the first half, GCU would answer to go back up seven on a quick 6-0 run.


WNMU began to once again chip away, Carter came through with a layup and then after Sohlich stole the ball, Carter slammed it home to pull the Mustangs back within three, 58-55, with seven minutes to play.
Sohlich would hit a three two minutes later to get WNMU within two, 60-58, but that would be as close as they would get with GCU closing the game on a 9-0 run.


Carter led all-scorers with 19 points, going 6-of-16 from the floor, including two, three-pointers and a 5-for-5 effort from the charity stripe. He also added six rebounds and two steals in playing all 40 minutes. Luttrell was also in double-figures with 14, going 4-for-6 from the field, including a 2-for-2 effort from downtown and 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Sohlich came off the bench and was the third Mustang in double-digits with 10, hitting a pair of treys. Branch led the team in rebounds with eight, with three coming on the offensive end.


GCU shot over 45 percent (23-51) from the field, while WNMU shot over 34 percent (18-52).


WNMU will remain on the road as they will head to Hawaii for the next three games, beginning with Montana State-Billings on Monday with tip set for 5 p.m.


Western New Mexico vs Grand Canyon
11/14/12 6:30 pm at Phoenix, AZ (GCU Arena)
At Phoenix, AZ (GCU Arena)
GRAND CANYON 69, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 58
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-1)
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 6-16 5-5 19; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 4-6 4-6 14; Andy Sohlich (Battle Creek, MI/St. Phillip Catholic Central High School) 4-9 0-0 10;
Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 2-6 2-2 6; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 2-5 0-0 4; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 0-9 2-4 2; Daryl
Littleton 0-0 2-2 2; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 0-1 1-2 1; Chad Arechiga (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge) 0-0 0-0 0; Nate
Murdock 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-52 16-21 58.
GRAND CANYON (2-2)
Larson, Killian 2-5 9-11 13; Lowery, Joshua 5-11 3-5 13; Lowery, Jeff 4-5
3-3 11; Foreman, Justin 4-8 1-4 10; Davis, Blake 2-4 1-1 6; Garrison, Jerome
2-4 2-2 6; Pickrel, Braylon 1-4 2-2 4; Morin, Steve 2-5 0-0 4; Carroll, Brad
1-3 0-0 2; Robbins, Barret 0-2 0-0 0; Boone, Camyn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-51
21-28 69.
Western New Mexico............   29   29  -   58
Grand Canyon..................   41   28  -   69
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 6-18 (Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 2-2; Andy Sohlich (Battle Creek, MI/St. Phillip Catholic Central High School)
2-6; Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 2-7; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 0-1; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 0-2), Grand Canyon 2-12
(Foreman, Justin 1-3; Davis, Blake 1-2; Garrison, Jerome 0-2; Pickrel,
Braylon 0-1; Morin, Steve 0-1; Lowery, Joshua 0-2; Larson, Killian 0-1).
Fouled out--Western New Mexico-None, Grand Canyon-None. Rebounds--Western
New Mexico 30 (Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 8), Grand Canyon 37 (Larson, Killian 6).
Assists--Western New Mexico 14 (Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 5; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 5), Grand Canyon
10 (Carroll, Brad 2; Lowery, Joshua 2). Total fouls--Western New Mexico 22,
Grand Canyon 19. Technical fouls--Western New Mexico-None, Grand
Canyon-None. A-2725