Just when you thought Mesa State basketball couldn’t be beaten, the loss of senior Jase Herl showed us all that the mighty can fall. After losing their first conference game of the season Feb. 13, the Mavs continued their losing streak after losing to Adams State College on Friday night and Fort Lewis College on Saturday night. They lost the two games by a combined four points.
“The weekend was tough because we know we didn’t come out to play hard both nights,” senior Michael Dominguez said. “We played hard at times, but didn’t sustain that effort the whole time and we didn’t get the stops we needed to have at the end.”
The Mavs couldn’t put away Adams State, losing 87-84. Dominguez had another big game with 37 points, six rebounds and five assists. Brian Kenshalo and Lance Fite also contributed with double-figure points as well. It was last-minute free throws that decided the game as Adams State was able to knock them down in the clutch moments.
The game against Fort Lewis used every second of the clock to determine the winner of the game as the Mavs battled the revenge-thirsty Skyhawks. The Mavs were down by as many as 13 in the second half, but with a 22-8 run they even took the lead. As the game went back and forth, the Skyhawks put the nail in the coffin when they hit the go ahead shot with four seconds to go in the game, beating the Mavs 79-78. Fite led the Mavs with 17 points and eight rebounds. With a three game losing streak, people are beginning to question the Mavericks’ chances at winning the RMAC Tournament.
“We still feel alright about winning the RMAC,” Dominguez said. “We can win the season title this coming weekend at home and we can gain some confidence back heading into the tournament.”
The season comes down to the final two games this weekend at home. The Mavs host CSU-Pueblo on Friday and New Mexico Highlands University the very next night. They aren’t just ordinary games. The Mavs can make a little history as they try to win the RMAC season title in front of the home crowd. They came away with victories against the two teams already this season and look to sweep the season series against both teams. With a chance to watch a piece of Mesa State history, the team is inviting Mesa State fans to come out loud and proud Friday and Saturday nights.
“We want everyone there for these last two home games,” Dominguez said. “These teams’ fans gave us a really hard time and we want our fans to be in full force Friday and Saturday night.”