SILVER CITY, N.M. — Western New Mexico (1-0) defeated Adams St. (0-1) 96-72 on Monday night, using a first-half 13-0 run to move from a five-point deficit to an eight-point lead. Western New Mexico finished with 52 points in the paint, 45 bench points, 10 blocks and 11 steals.
Western New Mexico paired 36-for-66 shooting with 11 steals and 10 blocks, while Adams St. finished 27-for-76 with 18 turnovers. Western New Mexico turned those possessions into a 21-9 advantage in points off turnovers and also held margins in paint points (52-38), fast-break points (27-19) and bench scoring (45-31).
Western New Mexico answered an early 8-3 deficit with a 13-0 first-half run, holding Adams St. without a point for eight straight possessions during that stretch. Western New Mexico later hit three 3-pointers in a burst, with
Jeremy Pierro (Fresno, CA/East High School) making one and
Keylon Dorsey (Houston, TX/Eisenhower High School) adding two, while also producing 26 points in the paint. Western New Mexico shot 18 of 31 from the field, went 18 of 22 at the line and went to halftime ahead 57-33.
In the second half, Western New Mexico kept Adams St. from getting closer than 20 points, answering an early push with
Keylon Dorsey's (Houston, TX/Eisenhower High School) 3-pointer and additional baskets from
Tanner Poeschl (Fountain Hills, AZ/Skyline High School),
NoNo Brown (Gilbert, AZ/Perry High School) and
Andre Harris (Mesa, AZ/Hillcrest Prep) to move the score to 70-42 with 14:14 left. Western New Mexico shot 18 of 35 in the half, forced eight turnovers and recorded seven blocks. The teams each scored 39 after halftime, leaving Western New Mexico with a 96-72 win.
Head Coach
Mark Bunker on the season-opening victory:
"I am happy with how we played tonight. We did well against a very strong RMAC team, and it was great to see the town come out and support our group. When we have fans and a crowd like that it truly creates a great atmosphere and home court advantage. Our guys did well to share the ball and we showed how deep our bench is tonight. There are quite a few things that we need to clean up with rebounding and transition defense, but it's always good to win the home opener", said Head Coach
Mark Bunker.
Harris scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and added three assists and two blocks. Poeschl finished with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and added four rebounds and two blocks.
NoNo Brown (Gilbert, AZ/Perry High School) posted 10 points, four steals and four assists without a turnover. Dorsey made three 3-pointers and finished with 10 points, two blocks and a steal.
Ta'Veus Randle scored 13 points and added four rebounds. Rondell Lewis lll finished with 12 points and recorded three blocks. Luke Schmeeckle posted three steals and added five points without a turnover. Emilek Jallow collected six rebounds, including three offensive boards, and added seven points.
Western New Mexico is 1-0 overall. Adams St. is 0-1 overall.
Up next, the Western New Mexico men's basketball team will play against Fort Lewis College on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, at 3 p.m. at John A. Wilson Complex in Las Vegas, N.M.
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Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit
www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (X, TikTok & Instagram).
