The Mavericks get their first win of the season

Josh Coleman • October 30, 2021

The Mavericks toppled the Wildcats 76-65 in their first matchup in history on day two of the D2CCA Tip-Off Tournament.

Colorado Mesa University (CMU) picked up their first win of the season against the Wildcats.

Redshirt freshman guard Mac Riniker and redshirt freshman forward Trevor Baskin led the Mavericks in scoring with 17 points each. Baskin went two for two from behind the three-point arc and pulled down three rebounds in the game. Riniker went eight for 11 from the floor and added a point from the free-throw line.

Blaise Threatt sets his defender up to run him off a pick against the Grizzlies in the RMAC Tournament. | *The Criterion Stock Photo*

Redshirt freshman Blaise Threatt nearly had a double-double as he scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the game. Threatt went six for eight from the free-throw line and shot 40% from the floor.

Daemen College (DC) opened the game with a three-pointer from Andrew Mason. Mason then stole the ball from redshirt senior guard Georgie Dancer, and Andrew Sischo converted a layup in transition.

Redshirt freshman guard Reece Johnson got the Mavericks on the board first as he got into the paint to convert a layup. The Mavericks then went on 12 to five-run that propelled them into the lead with 14:14 left in the first half.

Ryan Salzberg went one for two from the free-throw line with 13:56 left in the half. Both offenses experienced a scoring drought for the next two minutes and 23 seconds.

Redshirt freshman guard Christopher Speller put the scoring drought to an end with a jumper from inside the paint. Both teams traded baskets and the Wildcats were able to cut the deficit to under two points just one time before the final five minutes of the first half. A three-pointer from Salzberg brought DC within two points and brought the Wildcats within striking distance.

Sean Fasoyiro got a rebound off a missed three from Salzberg and was fouled on the way up by Johnson. Fasoyiro went to the line and made both free throws to tie the game up at 27 with 4:06 left in the first half.

Threatt gave the Mavericks the lead back as he got to the free-throw line and went two for two. Fasoyiro got into the paint to tie the game back up, but Baskin quickly answered with a jumper of his own. Threatt gave CMU a four-point lead as he got into the paint to convert a layup through traffic.

DC came racing right back with a three from Fasoyiro, and Nick MacDonald buried a jump shot to give the Wildcats a one-point lead. Fasoyiro continued his offensive explosion late in the first half as he gave DC a three-point lead as he got into the paint to fight through traffic to make a layup.

Redshirt senior guard Jared Small went two-for-two from the free-throw line with 1:12 left in the first half. MacDonald hit a three-pointer for the final score of the half and put them up by four.

Mac Riniker fights through contact to try to finish in the paint against the Grizzlies in the RMAC Tournament. | *The Criterion Stock Photo*

The Wildcats opened the second half with five straight points to build their lead up to nine points. Riniker answered by getting into the paint to slam a dunk home and spurred a run for the Maverick’s offense.

Riniker got into the paint for two more made baskets to bring CMU within one point and Threatt gave them the lead with two made free throws. Both teams traded two baskets before Baskin converted an and-one play to kickstart another CMU run.

Riniker went to work to get into the paint and fought through traffic to convert a jumper with 9:38 left in the game. Baskin made a three-pointer to put CMU up 57-48 and followed it up with a dunk in transition with 8:51 left in a game.

Both teams traded baskets but the Mavericks continued to build on their lead getting it up to 13 points with 6:52 left in the game. DC scored seven straight points to cut CMU’s lead down to six points.

CMU answered with a run of their own and Small hit a jump shot with 1:56 left in the game. Small’s jumper gave the Mavericks a 14-point lead which was their largest lead of the game.

The Wildcats scored five straight points in a final effort, but Threatt scored the final bucket of the game as he got into the paint to convert a layup.

CMU shot 49.2% from the floor in the game and 51.61% from the floor in the second half to pull out the win.

The Maverick’s next game is Sunday, Oct. 31 at 12:30 p.m. against Minnesota State University Moorhead. It is CMU’s final game of the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic.

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