Box Score
 
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Eimer Lopez scored a career-high 34 points and added nine rebounds for the Colorado Mesa men's basketball team in their 95-77 overtime win against Western New Mexico in the first round of the RMAC Tournament on Friday night (March 1).
 
Colorado Mesa advanced to the semifinals in the RMAC Tournament where it will face Colorado Mines in Durango Friday (March 4).
 
The Mavericks got off to a slow start and found themselves down 11-6 to the Cowboys early on, but a jumper by Connor Nichols spurred a 10-0 run for the Mavs to give them a 16-11 lead.
 
The lead didn't stay with either team for very long in the first half. There were three lead changes and three ties.
 
At the end of the half CMU led 35-30. Mesa shot 40-percent (12-30) over the first 20 minutes compared to 29-percent (9-31) for Highlands.
 
The second half was also back-and-forth with nine lead changes and five ties. Connor Nichols tied the game 69-69 with just under two minutes left in the game, and then Eimer Lopez made a layup to put CMU up 71-69.
 
The Cowboys responded with a three to go up by two. With six seconds remaining Eimer Lopez tied the game up at 73-73 to go into overtime.
 
Ryan Stephan opened overtime with a three and the Mavs never looked back out-scoring the Cowboys 22-4 in the extra frame.
 
The Mavericks finished the game shooting 42.5-percent (31-73) from the field and 81.3-percent (26-32) from the free throw line. The Mavs held the Cowboys to 38-percent (27-71) from the field and 62.5-percent (15-24) from the free throw line.
 
Ryan Stephan scored 18 points, going 8-8 from the free throw line and grabbed 12 rebounds, while CJ Davis added 14 points and six rebounds.
 
Jonathon Mines led the Cowboys with 27 points.
 
CMU turned the ball over eight times and created 15 NMHU turnovers.