Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Senior Tommy Nuno's triple-double lifted the Colorado Mesa men's basketball team to a 96-79 win over the visiting New Mexico Highlands Cowboys on Friday evening in Brownson Arena for Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
 
Nuno's feat is believed to be the first triple-double in program history. The Half Moon Bay, Calif. native finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in nearly 35 minutes of floor time. He completed the triple-double with a defensive rebound with 3:02 to play.
 
Nuno shot 10-for-14 from the field including 1-for-2 from the three-point line and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. His lone three-point basket came at the first half buzzer on a desperation shot with two Cowboy defenders around him.
 
Colorado Mesa led by 10 at the half, 45-35 but Highlands erased the lead and knotted the game at 54-54 with 14:56 to play after Cowboy Raquan Mitchell nailed all three free-throw attempts.
 
Jared Small pushed the lead back out to 10 at 68-58 with a three-pointer with 11:34 to play in the game and the Mavericks never looked back. They led by as many as 22 points with 1:55 to play at 95-73 after a Nuno layin.
 
Nuno and four others finished with double digit points. Georgie Dancer had 19 points while Kolton Peterson and Small each had 12. Newcomer Ethan Richardson finished with 12 points and four rebounds in his debut.
 
Cowboy Sammy Barnes-Thompkins finished with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-26 shooting from the field.
 
Colorado Mesa improved to 9-5 on the season and 5-3 in the RMAC while Highlands falls to 10-3 overall and 5-3 in the conference as well.
 
The Mavericks will take on CSU-Pueblo tomorrow evening in Brownson Arena with tip set for 7:30pm. The ThunderWolves defeated Western Colorado 79-71 on Friday night.