Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Malik Sanders
65
Winner Okla. Christian OC 8-12,7-9 Lone Star
63
Western N.M. WNMU 6-17,4-10 Lone Star
Winner
Okla. Christian OC
8-12,7-9 Lone Star
65
Final
63
Western N.M. WNMU
6-17,4-10 Lone Star
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Okla. Christian OC 41 24 65
Western N.M. WNMU 26 37 63

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

MBB Comeback Falls Short Against OCU

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Looking to make it three in a row, the Mustangs had the tall task of taking on the LSC's leading defense in Oklahoma Christian Saturday afternoon on Drag's Court. After trailing for most of the first half, WNMU's sparked a second half comeback but fell short in the final seconds.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Rodney Simon (Boston, MA/Randolph ) – 14 PTS | 6-11 FG | 2-3 FT | 6 REB
Tony Avalos (Las Cruces, NM/Onate) - 12 PTS | 5-9 FG | 1-1 3FG | 3 REB | 8 AST
Elijah Holifield (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) – 12 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Up against the conference's toughest defense, it was actually the offense of the visiting Oklahoma Christian Eagles that stunned the Mustangs early on.  OCU's Aubrey Johnson could not miss behind the arc, singing three, three pointers in just a minute of play giving his team a 10 point edge in just over five minutes of play.

With yet another three pointer, OCU took their largest lead of the half at 15 around the 7:30 mark in the first half. After a series of failed attempts, Elijah Holifield (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) found the net sparking a 7-2 run to pull within a dozen.

Five minutes into the second half, the duo of Elijah Holifield (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) and Malik Sanders (Durham, NC/Smithfield-Selma ) combined for a pair of three pointers, putting their team back within single digits. Giving OCU a taste of their own medicine, WNMU turned up their defensive efforts keeping their opponents scoring to a minimum. Contribution from a number of different Mustangs, WNMU tallied 16 unanswered points to take a 46-45 lead half way through the second half.

For the rest of the time, each teams took their turn making baskets. As the seconds ticked down, Cj Vanbeekum connected outside the arc to put his team within a basket. With ten seconds remaining, Tony Avalos (Las Cruces, NM/Onate) charged to the basket sinking his jumper giving his team a chance.
After a missed free throw by OCU, Malik Sanders (Durham, NC/Smithfield-Selma ) took his chance driving toward the basket in an effort to send the game into overtime. The shot attempt rattled around but couldn't fall through, as OCU escaped with the 65-63 win.

WNMU limited themselves to just six turnovers, while forcing 15. Although the paint presence early on by OCU was a threat, WNMU ended up outscoring them by 10 with points in the paint and scored 20 points of their opponent's turnovers.

UP NEXT:
The Mustang men's basketball team will take their final road trip of the season next week, heading to San Antonio and Austin, Texas to face off with St. Mary's and St. Edward's.
 
 
Print Friendly Version