Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Zy Wright scored 24 points, tying his career-high set earlier this week, and the Eagles shot 49 percent from the field, but the UCCS Mountain Lions hit enough shots from beyond the arc to defeat the Eagles 84-79 Saturday in Colorado Springs.
UCCS (6-4, 2-2 RMAC) fired from three-point range at any opportunity, making 12 of 35 attempts, including nine makes in the first half. The home team led by as many as 16 in the second half before CSC closed the game on a 5-0 run to cut the final margin to five points.
Chadron State (5-6, 2-2 RMAC) shot 49.2 percent from the field (32-65), 35.3 percent from three (6-17) and 60 percent from the line (9-15), snapping an eight-game streak where the Eagles were 72 percent or better from the stripe.
Behind Wright, who shot 9-for-16 from the floor and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals in addition to his 24 points, the Eagles received double-figure scoring from Julio Phipps (16 points, 8-11 FG) and John Jenkins (11 points). Wright, Phipps, Jenkins and Darrius Miles all tied with a team-high six rebounds.
The Eagles did have a season-high 19 assists against only 10 turnovers, but were outshone in that category by the home team, who put up 24 assists against just seven giveaways.
UCCS took an early 8-4 lead, but the Eagles went to John Jenkins for back-to-back baskets to tie the score. Wright tallied 11 of CSC’s first 22 points in the first half, including a three-point play to bring the Eagles within two points at 24-22.
The Mountain Lions used an 8-0 run to open up a 10-point lead, but the Eagles answered with a back-cut layup from Jaylen Davis and a three from Darrius Miles. The Eagles continued to go to Miles, with the Texas native hitting a layup and a jumper to make it a three-point game, 36-33, at the under-four media timeout. UCCS responded, outscoring Chadron State 13-5 over the final two-and-a-half minutes to lead 49-40 at halftime.
The home team picked up where they left off at the end of the first half, opening on a 7-0 run before a pair of Wright free throws. The Eagles responded with a 6-0 run on an inbounds alley-oop to Phipps, a jumper by Zach Smith and a Phipps hook shot before the Eagles forced a 10-second violation.
The Mountain Lions used a 15-8 run, including two threes, to open up a double-digit second half lead. As the Eagles pushed into a full-court press in a bid to create turnovers, UCCS used its ball movement and spacing to create several transition baskets.
Trey Ballard hit back-to-back threes to trim the UCCS lead to eight at 80-72 with a minute left, but the Mountain Lions made enough free throws down the stretch to close out the game. Zy Wright scored five points in the final three seconds of the game thanks to a jump shot and a UCCS technical foul that allowed Wright to hit one of two foul shots then make a basket as time expired when the Eagles retained possession.
UCCS had five players finish in double figures, led by Gavin Carter’s 16. William Becker had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.
The Eagles will return home this Monday, December 16 to play Central Christian (NAIA) in a nonconference game at 1 p.m. in the Chicoine Center.