Sports Reporter
After uninspiring first-half play, the CMU men’s basketball team (4-2, 2-0 RMAC) battled back in the second half to win both games on the weekend at home. The Mavs defeated Chadron State 76-70, and finished the weekend with a 79-53 win over Neb.-Kearney.
Friday night pinned the Mavs against RMAC foe Chadron State, as the home team was able to come out on top in front of a packed Brownson Arena.
After a slow start in the first half and each team committing over 10 fouls, the Mavericks were able to bounce back and go into halftime with a 28-26 lead over the Eagles.
“That’s two games in a row now that we’ve just played really poorly,” coach Jim Heaps said. “It’s just shot selection in the first half.”
The Mavs shot 27 percent from the field in the first half but were able to improve, shooting 65 percent after the intermission.
At the half, Colton Burgon led the Mavs with eight points and five rebounds.
The Mavs came out on fire in the second half, going on a 14-4 run in the first five and a half minutes, with Michael Bear scoring 10 of the 14 points in that span.
“In the second half we were the ones hitting shots,” Bear said. “We got good stops and that led to a run.”
The Eagles were able to cut the lead down to as little as five points with just over a minute to go, but the Mavericks were able to hold on to the lead thanks to clutch shooting from the free throw line.
Bear led the Mavs with 26 points and six rebounds, followed by Mike Melillo, who had 15 points and eight boards.
The next night the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney paid a visit to Brownson Arena, hoping to shut down the balanced attack of the Mavs. Once again, CMU started slow as the full court press of the Lopers seemed to rattle the Mavs for most of the first half.
“We talked about it going in, they’re going to junk us,” Heaps said. “They always junk us.”
Despite only scoring 26 points in the first half, the Mavs had the lead going into halftime 26-20, thanks largely in part to their defense as they held Nebraska-Kearney to 27 percent shooting from the field.
Colton Burgon led all scorers at the half with 12 points and four rebounds, and three other Mavs had four points and two rebounds.
The Mavericks found their rhythm the second half, going on a 24-6 scoring run in the first eight minutes with 11 straight points by Colton Burgon, who finished with a game high 27 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
“We came out and got some easy shots,” Burgon said. “I’m just happy to get the win.”
CMU outscored the Lopers 53-33 in the second half, shooting 73 percent while holding Nebraska-Kearney to only 28 percent. Mike Melillo and Jeff Hart both finished with ten points as Hart had a game-high five assists.
The Mavs are on the road next weekend, facing Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands in RMAC matchups.
rromero@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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