LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The final score wasn't indicative of how the game was played. Within six points with eight minutes to play in the game, New Mexico Highlands University was able to pull away from the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team to claim the 84-64 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon.

Despite never holding a lead, WNMU (0-6, 0-1 RMAC) fought back to tie a pair of times and was within striking distance late in the contest.

NMHU (2-5, 1-0 RMAC) looked to be running away with it following a pair from the foul line by Steven Loucks (Yuma, AZ/Cibola) tied the game for the first time at two, the Cowboys went on a 15-4 run to open a 17-6 advantage.

The Mustangs responded with Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy ) triggering WNMU's 9-2 run over the next several minutes to get right back into the game. Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air ) added a three and then McCray posted a layup and later a free throw to end the run and leave the Mustangs down just four at 19-15 at the midway point of the opening half.

Loucks wound up being the person to tie the game both times with his layup at the 5:03 mark knotting the game at 24. NMHU outscored the Mustangs by five over the remainder of the half to take at 39-34 lead at halftime.

WNMU held a 10-8 points in the paint and 18-7 points off the bench advantages through the first 20 minutes.

Loucks and Makhtar Fall (Morocco/Ecole Al Jabr) had WNMU within just three a few minutes into the second stanza as Loucks hit a layup and Fall then posted two from the line and then a layup.
The lead shrunk to two a pair of times, first off free throws by Loucks and then a trey by Adam Kesler (Silver City, NM/Silver) at the 14:58 mark had NMHU clinging to a 49-47 lead.

A McCray free throw with 11:23 to play trimmed the lead back to three, but that would be as close as the Mustangs could get the rest of the way.

After NMHU had the lead as high as eight, a McCray layup with eight minutes to play would make it a six-point game before the Cowboys exploded going on a 21-7 run to close the game and take the victory.

NMHU shot a solid 43.8 percent (28-64) from the field and went 10-28 (35.7) from three-point range. WNMU made 18-54 (33.3) and connected on six three-pointers. WNMU held the edge at the foul line (22-18) and made almost 76 percent from the charity stripe (22-29).

Loucks and Enriquez led the way for WNMU in scoring with each tallying 15 points. McCray also reached double-figures with 11 points. Loucks and Fall led the team in rebounds with five apiece.

Ron Lawton and Jonathon Mines led NMHU and all-scorers going for 20 points apiece.

WNMU will now return home this coming Friday when they will play Colorado State University-Pueblo beginning at 7:30 p.m.