The Mavericks advance after the Mountain Lions game-tying shot bounced off the right side of the rim.
Senior guard Michael Skinner hit two free-throws to put the Mavericks up by three with 2.3 seconds left in the game. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) guard Alijah Comithier in mid-air got a good pass to Geoff Kelly who had to shoot an off-balance shot that fell short bringing their season to the Mountain Lions season to an end.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) moves on to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament Semi-Finals with a 69-66 win. The Mavericks started scored all 69 points in the game, with junior center Ethan Richardson leading the team with 18 points.
The Mavericks were a perfect 17 of 17 from the free-throw line with eight of those makes coming in the second half to seal the game.
RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Padiet Wang for UCCS disrupted the Mavericks offense with three steals and a block. Wang had a double-double in the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“They really did a good job guarding us and they made it tough on us all night long, we did have a difficult time finding perimeter guys open and we didn’t look to shoot it enough as we need to,” CMU Head Coach Mike DeGeorge said. “I think particularly Mike and Tommy need to be ready to make those shots when teams are doubling down on Ethan.”
The second half was fought like there were lives on the lines, not seasons. Both teams kept trading punches with UCCS leading for the seven of the ten final minutes, but with 3:23 Richardson’s layup gave CMU the lead. The Mountain Lions didn’t give up easy though with Wang’s layup with 1:37 left giving them the lead back for a brief time.
“You can just tell in the huddle, close-game everyone just takes that next level to try to get the win. Just pick up their energy on offense and defense and just do whatever they can to get the win,” senior guard Tommy Nuno said.
Senior guard Tommy Nuno’s jumper gave CMU the lead back with Skinner’s free-throws sealing the game for the Mavericks.
Richardson controlled the paint in the first half as he scored 11 of his 18 points helping lead his team to a 35-29 lead at halftime. The Mavericks had 20 points in the paint to get the Mountain Lions in foul trouble and force their big men to sit for an extended period.
Skinner was the second-leading scorer for CMU with 16 points while adding nine rebounds.
The Maverick’s next game is Friday, Mar. 6 at 7 P.M. against number one-seeded Dixie State University in the RMAC Semi-Final game in St. George, Utah.
