Box Score GUNNISON, Colo. – Riley scored a season-high 36 points, but it wouldn't be enough as Western State College held on down the stretch to defeat the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team, 93-89, Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


Riley started his big night right away hitting an opening trey 13 seconds in to open the scoring.


It remained tight throughout the entire game, but both teams each had their moments of breaking the game open.


WSC (11-11, 9-9 RMAC) pushed to one of their biggest leads of six, 14-8, at the 16:19 mark on a tip-in by Charles Joseph.


WNMU (8-14, 8-10 RMAC) would fight back, as still trailing by four, 18-14, Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) tallied a layup on the fastbreak, which Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) followed with a jumper to tie the game at 18.


After the Mustangs went in front by one on the next possession, the Mountaineers went on another run, pushing the lead back to six thanks to a 7-0 run.


Riley helped WNMU tie the game again at 27 with three minutes to play and after another tie at 30, Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) gave WNMU a 32-30 lead on a jumper, but WSC closed the half outscoring the Mustangs by four to take a 36-34 lead into the locker room.


The Mustangs would then return the favor to the Mountaineers by racing out to their own six-point lead early in the second half.


Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) tied the game on a jumper and a pair of free throws from Riley put WNMU back in front by two. After Carter split a pair from the line, Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) drained a three-pointer to give WNMU a 42-36 lead at the 18:43 mark.


Just like both teams did all night long, WSC came back to tie the game at 44, before another Crane three gave the Mustangs a three-point advantage back.


With the game tied at 57, the Mountaineers began to make their push, as they raced their lead back up to six for the third time in the contest.


WSC would outscore WNMU, 10-4, to open a 67-61 lead with nine minutes to play in the game.


Riley would keep WSC from increasing the lead with a pair from the charity stripe, but fouls came into play late, as WNMU put WSC into the bonus early and they took advantage.


After Riley's free throws, a foul gave WSC more foul shots in which they hit one of two and after the Mustangs couldn't score on their end, another foul on a rebound put WSC back at the line in which they converted two more to make it a 70-63 game with eight minutes to play.


The Mountaineers continued with the pressure, as Alex Hart drilled a three to open up a 10-point lead at the 7:36 mark.


A timeout followed and WNMU responded, as Crane delivered another big jumper and then a big play in the game came with WSC big man Joseph picking up a pair of fouls leading to his fifth. His final foul put Riley at the stripe and he converted a pair to get WNMU back within six, 73-67.


Each time WSC tried to break away, Riley continued to keep WNMU in it.


The Mountaineers pushed the lead back to 10 with 4:36 to play, then Riley hit a jumper while being fouled and converted the freebie to trim it to seven. He then collected the defensive rebound and raced to the other end of a fastbreak layup and was fouled again. He converted another foul shot to cut the deficit to four.


Branch delivered a key defensive play, as he collected a steal and found Carter on the break for a dunk and all of a sudden it was a two-point game, 77-75, with 3:48 to play in the game.


WSC came back with a layup and then a Luttrell trey had WNMU back within one.


The Mountaineers would lead by five with 1:04 to play when Riley came away with a layup to trim it back to three.


Out of a WNMU timeout, Carter was whistled for his fifth foul making him sit the rest of the game. The Mountaineers converted both from the line to go back up five with 44 seconds.


Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) looked to hit a big three on the next Mustang trip down the floor, but the shot missed giving the ball back to WSC.


A foul followed, but the Mountaineers only could hit one of two and Riley stepped up, hitting a three in transition to cut the lead back to three, 88-85, with 27 seconds left. The three gave him a new season-high with 34 points.


The Mustangs still used every second they could, as they got to within two, 91-89, on a fastbreak layup from Riley with four seconds left.


But, Dushon Carter hit both at the foul line to seal the victory for the Mountaineers.


Riley did all he could, in addition to his 36 points, he also collected five rebounds and dished out three assists. He was also 11-of-12 from the foul line. Crane added 15 points, while Luttrell also found his way into double-digits with 11.


Hart scored 33 to lead the Mountaineers.


WNMU will remain on the road as they will play at Colorado Mesa University on Saturday night with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
 

Western New Mexico vs Western State
02/10/12 8 p.m. at Gunnison, Colo. (Paul Wright Gym)
At Gunnison, Colo. (Paul Wright Gym)
WESTERN STATE 93, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 89
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (8-13, 8-9 RMAC)
TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 11-25 11-12 36; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 5-8 2-3 15; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 4-9 2-4 11;
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 4-7 1-4 9; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 3-7 1-3 7; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 2-6 0-0 5; Brelan
Berry 2-3 0-0 4; Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 1-4 0-0 2; Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) 0-1 0-0 0; Edward
Estavillo 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-71 17-26 89.
WESTERN STATE (11-11, 9-9 RMAC)
Alex Hart 8-13 15-17 33; Charles Joseph 7-15 6-7 21; Steven Aldridge 2-3 2-2
8; Kairo Rochford 3-7 1-2 7; Travis Shepherd 3-7 0-0 7; Weylan Towns 3-6 0-4
6; Dushon Carter 1-1 4-6 6; Jordan Adams 2-3 0-0 5; Jake Braddy 0-1 0-0 0;
George Berling 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-56 28-38 93.
Western New Mexico............   34   55  -   89
Western State.................   36   57  -   93
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 8-28 (Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 3-5; TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 3-10; Juan
Suarez 1-4; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 1-4; Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 0-2; Edward Estavillo (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 0-1;
Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 0-1; Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 0-1), Western State 7-15 (Alex Hart 2-4;
Steven Aldridge 2-2; Travis Shepherd 1-4; Jordan Adams 1-2; Charles Joseph
1-2; Jake Braddy 0-1). Fouled out--Western New Mexico-Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School); Chad
Carter, Western State-Charles Joseph. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 32 (Chad
Carter 6), Western State 41 (Charles Joseph 8). Assists--Western New Mexico
10 (TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 3), Western State 10 (Steven Aldridge 5). Total fouls--Western
New Mexico 28, Western State 22. Technical fouls--Western New Mexico-Chad
Carter, Western State-Charles Joseph. A-305