Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University men's basketball team stayed with Colorado Mesa University throughout the first half and into the second half early on before the Mavericks began to pull away on their way to a 67-57 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Saturday night.


After CMU (13-10, 11-8 RMAC) opened the scoring 21 seconds in, WNMU (8-15, 8-11 RMAC) responded with Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) connecting on a jumper, then a tip-in, followed by another jumper for a 6-2 Mustang lead.


WNMU would hold the lead to nearly the midway point of the first half when CMU pulled in front on a pair of free throws and held the lead until the 5:56 mark as Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) tallied a steal and then a transition jumper for a 19-17 Mustang lead.


Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) would later put WNMU back in front by as much as four on a jumper at the 3:23 mark for a 26-22 advantage.


The Mavs would keep WNMU without a point the rest of the half to go on an 8-0 run and take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.


Foul trouble again hampered some of the Mustangs, with TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) being whistled for two in the first half, forcing him to miss some minutes. Carter tallied his fourth foul midway through the second half, along with Berry.


A Carter three two and a half minutes into the second half pulled the Mustangs within two before the Mavericks would get the lead as high as 10 at the 12:28 mark.


The Mustangs chipped away over the next several minutes, with Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) following up his own missed free throw to grab the board and lay it back in to trim the deficit to five, 47-42.


Foul shots came up big for WNMU, as Riley was fouled shooting a three-pointer with the Mustangs down seven, but missed all three shots.


Berry tallied a layup to counter a shot by CMU and WNMU had a chance to get back to within five, but split a pair from the line by Carter.


The Mavs then began to pull away, hitting a jumper, and then forced a turnover tallying a layup off of the steal for a 10-point lead with five minutes to play.


WNMU wouldn't get any closer the rest of the way as the Mavs went on to collect the victory.


Carter paced the Mustangs with 18 points, followed by nine from Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) and eight from Berry.


Colton Burgon led all-scorers with 23 points to lead the way for the Mavs


WNMU will return home this coming Friday when they will host Metro State with tipoff set for 8 p.m. inside Drag's Court.

 
Western New Mexico vs Colorado Mesa
02/11/12 7:30 at Grand Junctin, CO
At Grand Junctin, CO
COLORADO MESA 67, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 57
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (8-15, 8-11 RMAC)
Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 7-22 2-5 18; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 3-3 2-2 9; Brelan Berry (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) 4-9 0-0 8;
Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 3-7 0-0 6; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 2-5 2-2 6; TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 3-8 0-3 6;
Everett Duis (El Paso, TX/El Dorado High School) 1-1 0-2 2; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 1-5 0-0 2; Daryl Littleton (Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde High School) 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 24-61 6-14 57.
COLORADO MESA (13-10, 11-8 RMAC)
Colton Burgon 10-17 3-6 23; Nate Nelson 3-7 3-4 9; Chandler Burgon 2-2 3-3
7; Landon Vermeer 1-4 4-4 6; Shawn King 2-6 1-2 5; Blake Francom 2-5 0-0 4;
Mike Melillo 2-10 0-2 4; Daniel Estes 1-2 0-0 3; Clay Kame 0-0 3-4 3; Jeff
Hart 1-3 0-0 2; Kevin Screen 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 24-57 18-27 67.
Western New Mexico............   26   31  -   57
Colorado Mesa.................   30   37  -   67
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 3-13 (Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School) 2-4; Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 1-1;
Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 0-3; Merle Branch (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 0-1; TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) 0-1; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 0-3),
Colorado Mesa 1-10 (Daniel Estes 1-1; Landon Vermeer 0-2; Shawn King 0-1;
Blake Francom 0-1; Mike Melillo 0-4; Jeff Hart 0-1). Fouled out--Western New
Mexico-None, Colorado Mesa-None. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 31 (Daryl
Littleton 5; Ryan Crane (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek High School) 5), Colorado Mesa 45 (Mike Melillo 11).
Assists--Western New Mexico 7 (Juan Suarez (Nogales, AZ/Nogales High School) 2; Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School) 2), Colorado
Mesa 12 (Daniel Estes 2; Shawn King 2; Jeff Hart 2; Nate Nelson 2; Mike
Melillo 2). Total fouls--Western New Mexico 20, Colorado Mesa 13. Technical
fouls--Western New Mexico-None, Colorado Mesa-None. A-922