The Colorado State University Pueblo men’s basketball team finished its final road trip with a win against the Fort Lewis Skyhawks, 102-98, on Feb. 20 and fell short to the Adams State Grizzlies in overtime, 115-110.
The Pack will finish the year 3-9 on the road overall and 3-9 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. The ThunderWolves enter the final week of the season 11-15 overall, with a 6-12 record in RMAC play. The Pack has been eliminated from playoff contention as it sits at 12th place in the RMAC.
The ThunderWolves scored 212 combined points against the Grizzlies and Skyhawks. This marked only the third and fourth times the ThunderWolves hit the 100-point mark this season, since their non-conference matchup against Barclay College last November when they scored 109 points.
The ThunderWolves’ offense started clicking in Durango right away where they shot 62 percent in the first half, including 66 percent from beyond the arc. The Pack dominated at the free throw line, shooting an impressive 35-36.
ThunderWolves Coach Matt Hammer got great contribution from his bench, which scored 40 points. The Pack also tallied 30 points in the paint and another 15 points off of turnovers to seal the road victory.
Junior forward Victor Lado led CSU Pueblo in scoring with 19 points and tallied two blocks. Senior guard Brevin Walter put together a strong performance with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting a 10-10 from the free throw line. Armon Muldrew led the Pack with eight rebounds and 17 points. Kesean Bazile finished in double figures with 14 points. Senior forward De’Shaun Cooper scored 16 points.
The Pack’s impressive offensive weekend carried into Alamosa, but they came up short against the Adams State Grizzlies in overtime. Last time these teams met, the ThunderWolves beat the Grizzlies in overtime, 92-88, at Massari on Jan. 23. The Grizzlies sit at ninth place in the RMAC making them the first team outside the playoff picture two games back of Chadron State who holds the final playoff spot with a 9-9 conference record.
The ThunderWolves shot an impressive 53 percent from the field in the matchup, including 34 percent from 3-point range. CSU Pueblo scored 100 or more points in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Brevin Walter had one of his best games of the year tallying 29 points and seven rebounds on 11-19 shooting in 42 minutes of game time. Four other ThunderWolves finished the game with double figures in the scoring column including Victor Lado, who tallied 20 points and a team-high two blocks in the loss. Jaden Kennis contributed with 19 points and five rebounds. CSU Pueblo finished the game with 37 points off the bench with Lado and Johnson combining for 31 bench points.
With the Pack down 94-91 in the final seconds, Muldrew drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and forced overtime after making three crucial free throws for the ThunderWolves. However, CSU Pueblo was outscored 21-16 in overtime with Adams State hitting four out of six shots to give them the victory.
The ThunderWolves will wrap up the season this week with matchups against MSU Denver tonight (Feb. 27), and No. 5 nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines on Saturday (March 1), which has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the RMAC tournament with a staggering 17-1 record in the RMAC. MSU Denver is tied for the second seed with Regis with a 13-5 RMAC record. Seven out of eight of the tournament spots have been locked up, with Chadron State needing just one more win to lock up the eighth position.
The Pack will recognize their seniors on Saturday before the game at 6 p.m. Cooper, Muldrew, and Walter will play their final games on Saturday. The three combined for 51 points against the Skyhawks and 48 points against the Grizzlies.
