The young Mavericks earned a hard-fought 77-68 double-overtime victory over the Eagles.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) came into the game ranked 22 nationally and they had four players score in double figures. Eight of the 10 Mavericks that played in the contest end up registering a point in the contest.
Sophomore forward Ethan Menzies led CMU in scoring with 22 points and he added eight rebounds through 35 minutes of play.
Each team fought hard in the opening overtime period as both teams shot about 66.7 percent from the floor. Neither team was able to gain a clear edge in the period as the Mavericks and Eagles kept trading buckets back-and-forth.
CMU went up five-points on Chadron State College (CSC) on redshirt freshman Mac Riniker’s made layup as he draws the foul. Riniker went to the free-throw line and converted the and-one opportunity.
Freshman guard Reece Johnson converted a layup 30 seconds later to give CMU their largest lead of the first overtime period. The Eagles converted a layup through traffic and made a three on their next trip down the floor to tie the game up at 65.
CSC’s Teddy Parham Jr’s three-pointer to tie the game up with 52 seconds left in the game was the final basket in the first overtime.
The Mavericks jumped out to a seven-point lead in the second overtime period before the Eagles made a three to bring the game within four points. That three for CSC was their only basket in double overtime, and CMU outscored CSC 12-3, giving the Maverick’s a perfect 4-0 record.
CMU shot 60 percent from the floor and went 6-8 from the free-throw line in the second overtime.
The Eagles held the lead for 12 minutes and 27 seconds behind their three-point shooting as they were six for 14 in the first half. CSC was balanced scoring in the first half as seven of their eight players registered a point, finishing the half with a 33-28 lead.
The Mavericks were able to keep the Eagles lead from reaching double digits in the first half as CSC’s largest lead was eight points.
The second half was a flipped script, as CMU outscored CSC 28-23. The Mavericks shot 43.5 percent from the floor in the second half. Both teams turned the ball over eight times in the second half, but the Mavericks scored 10 points off turnovers compared to CSC’s five.
CMU shot 43.5 percent from the floor in the half, and they were six for nine from the free-throw line.
With 2:55 left in the second half, the Mavericks took a 54-50 lead as Riniker made two free-throws and a layup on his next trip down the floor. CSC’s Marcus Jefferson made a layup to bring the game within two points.
Freshman guard Christopher Speller pushed the lead back to four points before Jefferson made a layup to bring the game back within two points.
With ten seconds left in the second half, Jefferson drove the lane and converted a layup through contact to tie the game up at 56.
CMU had one more chance to win though, senior guard Georgie Dancer had the ball in his hands, received a pick from Menzies. As Dancer comes off the screen, he gets into the lane and puts up a contested layup, but it was no good, sending the game to its first overtime.
Riniker was the second-leading scorer for the Mavericks, finishing with 16 points along with five rebounds. He also had one block and two steals in the game as he made his impact felt on the defensive side of the ball against the Eagles.
The Maverick’s next game will be Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. against Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo.
