Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Colorado Mesa men's basketball led all but one minute and eight seconds in an 82-61 win over the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys on Saturday night at the John A. Wilson Complex.
 
The Mavericks led by 25 at the 4:35 mark of the second half and finished the game with a 48-22 edge on points in the paint. They also had a huge advantage on the rebounds, holding a 43-28 margin and adding 18 second chance points.
 
Colorado Mesa shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) from the floor, including 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from behind the three-point line. They also tied a season-high by hitting on 80 percent (16-of-20) of their free-throws.
 
Ryan Stephan led all scorers with 20 points and three rebounds. He was 7-for-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.
 
Landon Vermeer chipped in 12 points and Clay Kame added a season-high ten points.
 
Jon Orr finished with a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The Maverick defense limited the Cowboys to 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the floor and caused 14 turnovers.
 
Colorado Mesa led by nine at the half, 37-26. Stephan led all scorers with ten points and two rebounds. The Mavericks shot 45.5 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line. They led by as many as 12 in the half.
 
New Mexico Highlands was led by Mannie Cass who finished with 19 points and three rebounds.
 
The Mavericks will take on their RMAC rivals next weekend when they take on Fort Lewis on Friday night before battling the Adams State Grizzlies on Saturday.