Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
LAS VEGAS, N.M. – In a game that needed all 40 minutes of regulation, all five minutes of overtime and several minutes of a video review to decide, Chadron State men’s basketball lost at the buzzer to New Mexico Highlands, falling 97-96 in overtime Saturday evening.
After Jalen Thomas’s turn-around jumper gave Chadron a 96-94 lead with 23 seconds remaining in overtime, Highlands kept the final play alive with an offensive rebound after a miss and kicked out to Kyrie Thomas, who released a three-pointer just as the horn sounded that went through the net.
The basket counted on the floor, but officials spent several minutes at the replay monitor trying to verify if Thomas released the shot before the buzzer. As the game hung in the balance, the crew upheld their original call to set off wild celebrations in the John A. Wilson Complex.
The Eagles came up short despite a career-high 34 points from Zy Wright, who finished a magnificent 11-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-7 from three and 8-for-9 from the line. Jalen Thomas added 22 points and finished just shy of a double-double with nine assists.
With the loss, Chadron State drops to 7-9 overall and 3-5 in RMAC play. New Mexico Highlands, which had lost seven of eight prior to the last-second win, improved to 8-8 overall and 1-7 in the RMAC.
The result marks the second consecutive matchup that New Mexico Highlands defeated Chadron State in overtime, as the Cowboys won 90-82 in OT in Chadron last season. It is also the second time this year that Chadron State has lost at the buzzer, with Texas A&M-Kingsville previously beating the Eagles 73-71 at the last second, also in overtime.
Chadron State held the lead for 63.7 percent of the game, but the two teams battled back-and-forth down the stretch of regulation and for the entire overtime period, with seven ties and 12 lead changes overall.
The Eagles led by three points at halftime and as many as 13 with six minutes to play, but the Cowboys closed the gap with a 10-0 run to make it 75-72 with three-and-a-half minutes to go.
Wright, who had 17 points in the first half, continued to be a go-to option down the stretch for Chris Francis’s squad, hitting a layup plus the and-one free throw to give CSC an 80-76 lead and become the first Eagle with a 30-point game this season.
Highlands instantly flipped the script, however, hitting a three, generating a turnover and driving for a fastbreak layup to take an 81-80 lead. Jalen Thomas answered with an and-one layup to put CSC up 83-82, but Kyrie Thomas hit what turned out to be the first of two huge three-pointers to give the Cowboys an 85-83 lead with under a minute left.
Kyrie Thomas finished only 2-for-14 from the field in the game, but both his makes were three-pointers to give NMHU the lead with under 45 seconds in either regulation or overtime.
Wright sent the game to an extra period with a driving layup with 19 seconds to go, and Highlands missed a three at the regulation buzzer. The Eagles jumped out to a five-point lead early in overtime courtesy of a Jalen Thomas basket and Trey Ballard three, but again, the Cowboys clawed back.
With the score tied at 92-92, Jalen Thomas hit baskets on CSC’s final two trips down the floor, but the Cowboys answered with first a game-tying basket and then the game-winning buzzer beater.
The Eagles shot 58 percent from the field, 45.8 percent from three (11-24) and 81.3 percent from the line (13-16). New Mexico Highlands shot 43 percent from the field, 34 percent from deep and 86 percent from the stripe. The Cowboys outrebounded CSC 40-30 and the Eagles were plagued by 18 turnovers, five more than the home team.
Chadron State will be back in the Chicoine Center next weekend to take on Westminster and Colorado Mesa. CSC’s game with Westminster will tip off Thursday evening at 7 p.m.