GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Connor Nichols scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists as the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks had five players in double-figures, which was not quite enough as the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys escaped Brownson Arena with a 99-96 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference overtime win on Saturday night.
 
The Cowboys, who were led by 26 points from Jacob Holland, improved to 8-4 overall and to 4-2 in the RMAC with their third victory in four road games.   The Mavericks fell to 6-6 and to 2-4 in the loop.
 
Emilio Acedo, who tallied 19 points for the Mavericks, had sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer after he stripped the ball out of Holland's hands after a long pass by Brandon Hoffer.  He then turned around and nailed the shot that tied the game at 86, completing the Mavericks' second comeback of the second half.
 
The Cowboys then built a 6-point, 94-88 lead mid-way through the overtime before another Acedo 3-pointer and a fine Trent Clay drive to the bucket highlighted a 7-1 Maverick run that tied the game at 95 with less than a minute left.
 
However, the Cowboys had an answer as Deion Bauman made a jumper with 22 seconds left to put the visitors up 97-95 before hitting two of their four free throws down the stretch to ice the win.
 
Highlands had led by as many as 14 with 10:57 left in regulation before five straight Nichols points and a 3-pointer by Hoffer cut that lead to just six (70-64) with 8:30 to go.
 
The Cowboys still led by nine with 6:27 left before another 15-4 run by the Mavericks, capped by a CJ Davis trey with 1:23 left, gave CMU a 81-79 lead.  However, Nmandi Okoro made two free throws on the other end to tie the game and two more with 16.8 seconds left after two Cowboy offensive rebounds, giving the visitors an 83-81 lead.
 
The Cowboys then hit another free throw with 2.4 seconds left in regulation before Acedo's clutch play.
 
The Mavericks shot 50.0 percent (33-66) from the field throughout the game and were 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) from beyond the arc.  They also made 23 of 30 (76.7 percent) of their free throws and tallied an impressive total of 27 assists.
 
NMHU was 54.3 percent (19-35) from the field in the first half but made just 31.0 percent (9-29) of their field goal attempts in the second half.  They then hit 4 of 7 (57.1 percent) in the overtime period.
 
The Cowboys grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and had a 43-37 edge on the glass.  Chris Lewis had five offensive and 13 total boards to lead the way.  He also had 17 points to record the game's only double-double.
 
Hoffer, who had 15 points and eight assists, Davis and Damon Dubots joined Nichols and Acedo in double-figures.  Davis and Dubots scored 14 points apiece.
 
The Mavericks now have close to two weeks off for the holiday break.  They resume their season with an exhibition game at the University of Denver on Dec. 28 before returning home to face MSU-Denver in an RMAC encounter on Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m.