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Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Elijah Holifield
Jay Hemphill, WNMU
95
Winner Lubbock Christian LCU 18-9,15-7 Lone Star
83
Western N.M. WNMU 8-20,6-14 Lone Star
Winner
Lubbock Christian LCU
18-9,15-7 Lone Star
95
Final
83
Western N.M. WNMU
8-20,6-14 Lone Star
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Lubbock Christian LCU 40 55 95
Western N.M. WNMU 47 36 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Mustangs Historic Season Comes to An End at the Hands of LCU

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Just one game left in the regular season, and the chance to make the conference tournament with a win, the Mustang Men's Basketball team fell just short to the visiting Chaps of Lubbock Chrisitian, 95-83. CJ Vanbeekum (Phoenix, AZ/Paradise) and Malik Sanders (Durham, NC/Smithfield-Selma ) chipped in 22 points a piece to lead the team's offense.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Elijah Holifield (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) – 16 PTS | 7-17 FG | 2-8 3FG | 5 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK  
CJ Vanbeekum (Phoenix, AZ/Paradise) – 22 PTS | 7-9 FG | 3-4 3FG | 5-10 FT | 5 REB | 4 STL
Malik Sanders (Durham, NC/Smithfield-Selma ) – 22 PTS | 5-6 FG | 5-5 3FG | 7-8 FT | 6 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LC claimed the first two baskets to go up by 5 barely even a minute in. Senior George Mosialos (Larissa, Greece/Nikos Mpakogiannis) got his senior game rolling beyond the arc, giving the Mustangs their first score of the game. After falling behind, WNMU used a 7-0 scoring run to pull within one.
After a couple of ties, Malik Sanders (Durham, NC/Smithfield-Selma ) connected from deep while drawing the foul to put his team in front. The lead continued to build, thanks to a steal and the fast break layup from Tony Avalos (Las Cruces, NM/Onate) on the inbound pass. WNMU led by as many as 15 in the first half, but LC would get a shot of just before the buzzer to pull within 7 at the half.
The Mustangs maintained a reasonable distance for most of the second half, ahead by seven with 10 minutes to play.
Around the four minute mark is when the game took a turn, as the Mustangs hottest shooters fouled out. The teams traded free throws for the rest of the game, with the Chaps pulling ahead by nine at the minute mark. Quiet in the final seconds, the Chaps comeback was complete, 95-83 spoiling the Mustangs senior day, and their chance to make the conference tournament.
LC shot over fifty percent in all categories to aid in their second half comeback, while the Mustangs shooting percentage shrank in the second half.
The Mustangs finish the 2019-2020 season with an 8-20 record, marking their best finish since 2013, and best finish since joining the Lone Star Conference.
 
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