Lubbock, Texas – Victory is SWEET! For the first time in program history, Colorado Mesa Men's Basketball is Sweet 16 bound, after claiming a 63-62 win over top-seed Lubbock Christian in Sunday's NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
Decided by a single point, the Mavericks held a slight 43.6 field goal percentage over the hosts, who finished 42.6 (20-47) from the floor. The Mavs tallied nine 3-pointers to the Chaps five, for 34.6 percent beyond the arc. Defense was key, as LCU was held nearly 17 points under their season average, the Mavs with a 32-30 edge in rebounds, 5-1 in blocks.
Trevor Baskin led the way with 18-points including the go-ahead alley-oop from
Georgie Dancer with 29 seconds remaining.
Jared Small cashed in a pair of free throws to help secure the final score in favor of the Mavs. He finished the night with 15 points.
Blaise Threatt finished with a double-double behind 13 points and 10 rebounds. Baskin pulled down nine on the night.
Colorado Mesa knocked in the first two baskets of the night, the team's going back and forth throughout the first period. With six seconds remaining,
Christopher Speller crashed in off a jumper, grabbing the offensive rebound and laying it in for the final basket and 32-31 lead going into the half.
Up by as many as 12 in the second half, Lubbock Christian would take a 60-59 lead with just under a minute to play. The following possession was the alley-oop to Baskin, followed by the clutch free-throws from Small. Lopsided in that category, 25-9 in favor of LCU, Small finished 4-4 on the night at the charity stripe.
With a 3-point lead,
Reece Johnson was called for a shooting foul on the opposite end just before the buzzer sending the Chaps, Rowan McKenzie to the line with a chance to tie. He would go 2-3, giving the Mavs the ball in the final seconds.
A last second heave from the opposite end wouldn't be enough for LCU. D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year, Parker Hicks led all scorers with 21 points, adding eight rebounds and three steals.
It will be an all-RMAC championship come Tuesday, setting up a third meeting with No. 3 seed Black Hills State who denied West Texas A&M a spot in the championship, 91-77 in the earlier semifinal. The two split meetings during the regular season, each claiming wins on the other's home court. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST at the Rip Griffin Center.
