By Con Marshall BOX SCORE
The Chadron State College men’s basketball team missed its first four field goal attempts to fall behind 7-0, but tallied 11 of the next 13 points and led nearly all the rest of the way while defeating homestanding Colorado-Colorado Springs 93-87 in a crucial Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game Friday night.
The win was just the second of the season on the road for the Eagles who are now 10-8 overall and 7-5 in the RMAC while hanging on to 4th place in the standings. The Mountain Lions are 9-10 and 5-8.
The Eagles, who shot a season-high 59.7% from the field, took the lead for keeps at 23-21 with 8 minutes left before halftime on the first of 3 baskets—2 of them putbacks and the other a dunk—in just barely over a minute by center Porter Anderson.
The 6-7 senior was playing for the first time in six weeks after recovering from a hip injury. Anderson, the Chadron State homecoming king last fall, also scored his team’s final 3 baskets of the 1st half when the Eagles had a 42-31 intermission lead.
The Mountain Lions opened the second half like a house afire, cutting the Eagles’ margin to 60-57 with 11:30 left on the clock, but CSC senior forward Josh Robinson scored the game’s next 3 field goals and also poured in 3 more baskets in a 30-second flurry a few minutes later to put the visitors ahead 80-65 with 5 minutes remaining.
The Colorado team did not fold. With freshman standout Xavier Martinez leading the way, the Lions cut the Eagles’ lead to 83-76 with 2 minutes remaining before alternate guard Jalen Patterson nailed a 3-pointer to give the visitors renewed momentum.
The Eagles were 37 of 62 from the field, including 7 of 16 on 3-pointers. Colorado Springs shot 50.8% (33 of 65) and was five of 19 from afar. Robinson paced the Eagles with 22 points while guard Bryce Latimer tallied 17, all but 4 of them in the 2nd half. Both Anderson and Patterson added 12 points and Dalton Peterson 11.
Martinez’s 27 points led the Mountain Lions. Hannes Saar was next with 19, followed by Noah Baca with 13 and David Jabedo with 12.
The Eagles will play the Regis Rangers in Denver on Saturday evening. Regis edged Colorado Christian 71-70 Friday night.
Chadron State—Josh Robinson 22, Bryce Latimer 17, Porter Anderson 12, Jalen Paterson 12, Dalton Peterson 11, Jarrett Taylor 6, Julio Phipps 4, Caden Sclafani 4, Raul Nunez 3, Martin Poznanovic 2.
Totals: 37-62 (7-16) 12-20 93 points, 34 rebounds, 13 turnovers, 12 assists.
Colorado Springs—Xavier Martinez 27, Hannes Saar 19, Noah Baca 13, David Jabedo 12, Jesse Iweze 7, Sharef Jaudon 4, James Ellis 3, Kyle Cabs 1. Totals: 33-65 (5-19) 15-20 86 points, 30 rebounds, 11 turnovers, 13 assists.
Chadron State 42 51 —93
Colo-Colorado Springs 31 55 —86
3-pointers: CSC—Patterson 3, Peterson 3, Taylor 1. UCCS—Martinez 2, Jabedo 1, Ellis 1, Iweze 1.