Box Score GUNNISON, Colo. – Just like the night before, it came down to one last shot. The Western New Mexico University men's basketball team trimmed a 14-point second half deficit to two with 15 seconds remaining, but a potential game-winning three-pointer by Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) missed giving Western State Colorado University the narrow 73-71 victory over the Mustangs Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Paul Wright Gym.


At one point in the second half, Western New Mexico University (WNMU) trailed by as much as 14 points with 17:40 to play in the game. They would fight back to trim the deficit to five a pair of times, once on a free throw by Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) and later a trey by Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) to make it 50-45 in favor of Western State Colorado University (WSCU) near the midway point of the second stanza.


WSCU (5-3, 4-0 RMAC) would stretch the lead back to 12 with 8:24 to go and would still hold a 10-point cushion, 64-54, with 5:37 to play when WNMU (3-5, 2-2 RMAC) made their final push.


Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) got loose inside for a layup and later added a pair from the line and finished off his own 6-0 run with another layup leaving the Mustangs within four, 64-60, with 4:27 to play.


The Mountaineers would come back with a three-point play the hard way to go back in front by seven, when Carter drilled a jumper in the paint to bring WNMU back within five, 67-62, with still 3:22 to play. The teams would trade baskets over the next few minutes and with WSCU still up six, 72-66, with a minute to play, the Mustangs got a big three from Branch with 39 seconds left leaving it a three-point contest, 72-69. After the Mountaineers split a pair from the line, the Mustangs pushed the ball getting a layup from Carter with 25 seconds to go and down two, 73-71. Again, WNMU fouled to extend the game and the Mountaineers again struggled from the charity stripe bricking a pair which left the door open for the Mustangs.


Carter pulled down the rebound and sprinted down court looking for the win with five seconds to play, but his three-pointer was not to be leaving WSCU with the narrow victory.


WNMU opened the game with the first four points thanks to a jumper by Branch and layup from Berry. WNMU would hold the lead until the 15:13 mark when WSCU captured their first lead at 10-9. It would be a lead the Mountaineers would run with, as after the Mustangs tied the game at 12 on a three by Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School), WSCU scored the next five points and would hold the lead the rest of the first half.


WNMU trimmed the deficit to three a pair of times, once on a layup by Luttrell at the 7:36 mark and a layup from Branch left WNMU down 24-21 with 6:52 to go before halftime. WSCU outscored WNMU, 13-5 over the final six minutes to take a 37-26 lead into the locker room.


The Mustangs opened the second half with the first basket made by Carter to trim the deficit to nine, which the Mountaineers would quickly turn into a 14-point advantage over the next two minutes before WNMU would fight their way back.


WNMU forced 27 WSCU turnovers, while they only committed 13. The Mountaineers shot 51.9 percent from the field (27-52) to a 39.4 (26-66) effort by the Mustangs. WSCU also hit more three-pointers (10-5). WNMU shot better from the free throw line, making 14-of-20 (70) to a 9-for-22 (40.9) night for WSCU.


Carter led all-scorers with 19 points, he also tied for the team lead in rebounds with eight. Branch tallied 18 points, while Berry, battling against WSCU's 6-foot-8 center Charles Joseph, collected 15 points and eight rebounds.


Terrence Boyd led the Mountaineers with 16 points, while Joseph posted 15 points and 12 rebounds at center.


WNMU will return home this coming week as they will host CSU-Pueblo on Friday night with game time set for 7:30 p.m. inside Drag's Court. Metro State defeated CSU-Pueblo, 88-68, Saturday night.
 
WESTERN STATE 73, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 71
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (3-5, 2-2 RMAC)
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 9-21 1-2 19; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 5-10 6-10 18; Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 6-9 3-4 15;
Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 2-7 2-2 6; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 2-9 0-0 5; Andy Sohlich (Battle Creek, MI/St. Phillip Catholic Central High School) 1-3 0-0 3;
Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 1-1 0-0 3; Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) 0-3 2-2 2; Chad Arechiga (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge) 0-2 0-0 0;
Nate Murdock (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School) 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-66 14-20 71.
WESTERN STATE (5-3, 4-0 RMAC)
Terrence Boyd 6-12 4-9 16; Charles Joseph 7-15 1-4 15; Travis Shepherd 4-7
0-0 12; Steve Aldridge 3-5 2-5 10; Mike Vandahl 3-4 0-0 9; George Berling
2-2 1-2 5; Joseph Charles 1-3 1-2 4; Jordan Adams 1-2 0-0 2; Bernard Webb
0-1 0-0 0; Jon Cooke 0-0 0-0 0; Jake Braddy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-52 9-22 73.
Western New Mexico............   26   45  -   71
Western State.................   37   36  -   73
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 5-14 (Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 2-2; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School)
1-3; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 1-1; Andy Sohlich (Battle Creek, MI/St. Phillip Catholic Central High School) 1-1; Chad Arechiga (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge) 0-1; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 0-2;
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 0-4), Western State 10-20 (Travis Shepherd 4-7; Mike Vandahl
3-4; Steve Aldridge 2-3; Joseph Charles 1-3; Jake Braddy 0-1; Jordan Adams
0-1; Terrence Boyd 0-1). Fouled out--Western New Mexico-None, Western
State-None. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 33 (Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 8; Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 8),
Western State 43 (Charles Joseph 12). Assists--Western New Mexico 13 (Juan
Suarez 9), Western State 14 (Steve Aldridge 4). Total fouls--Western New
Mexico 16, Western State 19. Technical fouls--Western New Mexico-None,
Western State-None. A-405