Mustangs Stay Right With Division I UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Western New Mexico University men's basketball team gave Division I UC Riverside a stiff challenge, posting a lead midway through the first half and kept things close throughout before the Highlanders held on for the 75-57 exhibition victory Wednesday night.

The game counted as an exhibition for WNMU, while the game counted as a regular season contest for UC Riverside, as they picked up their second win of the season to improve to 2-2.

Juniors Jon-Reese Woodson (Corpus Christi, TX/Carroll) and Haneef Vaughn-Wilson (Philadelphia, PA/Constitution) paced the Mustangs with Woodson collecting a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. He also added a block. Vaughn-Wilson tallied 12 points and three rebounds, along with four steals. Junior Davis Wade (Jackson, MS/Will C Wood) almost reached double-figures with eight points.

The Highlanders moved out to a quick 11-4 lead five minutes in before the Mustangs began to fight their way back in. Junior Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air) started the run with a foul shot and after Woodson hit a layup, Enriquez had the deficit down to three at 13-10 after he dialed long distance. Sophomore Eddie Giron (Monterrey, Mexico/Harmony Science Academy) and Wade hit back-to-back shots to boost WNMU to their first lead at 14-13 midway through the opening half.

Wade and Giron struck again when the two hit a pair of layups a few minutes later that had WNMU with their largest lead of the game at 18-15.

Junior Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy) kept the advantage at three when UC Riverside caught fire going on a quick 7-0 run for a 23-19 lead with 5:41 to play. Senior Latrell Spivey (Phoenix, AZ/Westview) ended the run with a layup a minute later to get back to within two before the Highlanders used a 6-0 run to move ahead 29-21.

WNMU got back to within four before UC Riverside ended up taking a 33-26 lead into the half.

Vaughn-Wilson kept WNMU to within five on a pair of occasions early in the second half when UC Riverside used a 9-0 run to jump the lead into double-figures at 44-30.

Woodson and Giron accounted for five straight points to help WNMU get the deficit back to nine with 13 minutes to play and later back to within nine with six minutes to play, but that would be as close as they could get the rest of the way with the Highlanders claiming the win.

Murray and Larsson led UC Riverside with 14 points apiece, while Sylvester also reached double-figures with 12 points. Sylvester and Rosser tied for the lead in rebounds with eight apiece.

WNMU made 19-63 (30) from the field, 3-14 (21) from three and 16-23 (70) at the foul line. UC Riverside countered making 28-65 (43), 4-21 (19) from three and 15-22 (68) from the foul line.

WNMU held the edge in rebounding (45-43), while the Highlanders led in bench points (18-15), blocks (8-1), steals (12-7) and points off turnovers (23-12).

WNMU will play their home opener this coming Monday at 6p.m. against Texas A&M International.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Jordan Enriquez: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#32 Eddie Giron: G; 6' 5"; Junior

#23 Willie McCray: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#5 Davis Wade: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#10 Jon-Reese Woodson: F; 6' 9"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#15 Jordan Enriquez
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#32 Eddie Giron
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G

#23 Willie McCray
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#5 Davis Wade
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#10 Jon-Reese Woodson
: 6' 9"; Senior
: F