SILVER CITY, N.M. – Just when it appeared to be going the right way for the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves, senior Adam Kesler (Silver City, NM/Silver) entered and brought the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team back. Kesler's 19 points over an eight minute span helped give the Mustangs a lead at halftime. The ThunderWolves then came back to hold off WNMU for the 80-77 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Friday night.

CSU-Pueblo (6-2, 2-0 RMAC) currently receiving votes in the latest NABC Coaches' Poll, looked ready to pull away early. Just six minutes in, The ThunderWolves had built a 20-3 lead. Still ahead by 18 at 35-17, Kesler entered and turned the entire game around for the Mustangs (0-7, 0-2 RMAC). He hit a jumper at the 6:37 mark and after two from the free throw line, he began to dial long distance.

He would connect on not one, not two, but three straight three-pointers, with the last one from NBA range to help bring the Mustangs to within eight at 38-30. He wasn't done, after getting fouled on a three-point attempt, he would make all three to trim the deficit to five. Kesler then setup Emery Range (Grand Rapids, MI/Willow Canyon) with an assist as Range drilled a three that had WNMU within two. Kesler then tied the game at 39-all with another three with two minutes to go before halftime. Range and Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy ) closed the final two minutes strong tallying the final seven points for the Mustangs to give them a 46-44 lead at halftime.

Carter Aby (San Tan Valley, AZ/Combs) delivered a fastbreak layup three minutes into the second half to leave WNMU with their largest lead of the night of three at 52-49. Near the midway point of the half, CSU-Pueblo made their move to push ahead by 10 at 71-61 with 5:34 to play.

The ThunderWolves would keep the lead around nine until two minutes to play when the Mustangs came on with a big run.

On a missed shot, McCray came through with a big offensive rebound and then found Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air ) for a three to trim the deficit to six at 78-72 with 1:57 to play. Following a turnover, Steven Loucks (Yuma, AZ/Cibola) went to work on the low block off a pass by Kesler and banked in the layup to move the deficit to four. Another defensive stop setup the offense again to chip into the lead. Brandon Tanter (Long Beach, CA/Los Angeles Prep) grabbed the defensive rebound and didn't stop as he went coast-to-coast for the layup. Not only that, he was fouled on the play. He connected on the free throw to complete the three-point-play and pull to within one at 78-77 with 45 seconds to play.

A crazy sequence then followed as CSU-Pueblo ran the clock down before Will Newman tried a three. His shot was off and McCray secured the rebound for the Mustangs. As he tried to break away from the traffic, Odessa Lear was able to come away with the steal for the ThunderWolves and was fouled with nine seconds to play. He would hit both from the line moving CSU-Pueblo to the 80-77 lead.

Out of a 30 second timeout by the ThunderWolves, WNMU brought it up the floor and went to Tanter. Tanter took the shot from the wing that just missed and the rebound was collected by Chris Golden to give the ThunderWolves the three-point win.

Kesler led all-scorers with 21 points, making 6-11, including a 4-6 effort from three and 5-5 from the free throw line. McCray also reached double-figures with 19 points, going 10-10 from the charity stripe. Range grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while WNMU had four blocks as a team with two by Daniel Van Den Kerkhof (New Zealand).

Nelson Kahler led CSU-Pueblo with 17 points, as three others also reached double-digits in scoring in Syrus McDonald (14), Golden (13) and Lear (12).

CSU-Pueblo made 26-61 (42.6) from the field, while WNMU made 23-61 (37.7). CSU-Pueblo also held the edge in three-pointers (11-7), while WNMU had a 24-17 advantage at the foul line. The Mustang bench shined throughout the night outscoring CSU-Pueblo's bench 54-18.

WNMU will return to action tomorrow night against Western State Colorado University beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Mountaineers lost to New Mexico Highlands, 98-74, earlier tonight.