CCU took on Colorado Mesa at home on Saturday night, and came away with the victory by a final score of 76-72. Despite a sub-par offensive night by CCU standards, they were able to do enough to come away with the hard fought conference victory.
 
Colorado Christian came out of the gates on fire as they scored the first seven points of the game to take the early lead just a couple of minutes into action. The Cougs were unable to sustain that momentum, as the Mavericks battled back into the game over the course of the next several minutes. A pair of CMU free throws with just under 12 minutes left in the half, gave them their first lead of the game 13-12.
 
The Mavs continued to play strong defense, which was able to keep the normally potent Cougar offensive attack in check. With around seven minutes to play, CMU had extended their lead to nine points as the score sat at 27-18. Then CCU began to find their offensive rhythm, and worked on cutting into the Maverick lead. With three minutes left in the half, the Cougs had trimmed the deficit down to just three points, as they trailed 28-31. Brett Brady was able to tie the game up 31-31, as he converted on an and-one opportunity after being fouled while making a layup. Ty McGee put the Cougars back in the lead with just over a minute left, as his fast break layup put the Cougars in front 36-35. CCU added one more point to their lead, so heading into halftime they were up on Mesa by a score of 39-37.
 
Ty McGee led all scorers in the first half totaling 13. McGee also led the team with five rebounds. Jacob Taylor had a great first half as well, scoring 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the floor, and also grabbing one steal and one block.
 
Both teams came out of the break looking to ramp up the intensity. Each side played aggressively, which led to exchanging baskets on the offensive ends. As the half progressed, the slim CCU lead evaporated, and the Mavericks were able to jump back in front by a score of 55-57 with just over 11 minutes left in the game. Then Brett Brady began to heat up from long distance, and shot the Cougars back into the lead. With just under six minutes left in the game, CCU had taken the lead 69-66. It was a lead that the Cougs would not relinquish. Tough defense, coupled with a strong offensive finish, allowed CCU to run away with it. Jacob Taylor put an exclamation point on the victory in the final seconds, as he delivered a ferocious block which sent the ball sailing into the Maverick bench. When the final buzzer sounded, the Cougs had wrapped up their 11^th victory of the season by a final score of 76-72.
 
Ty McGee was able to collect his second double-double of the year, as he led the team in points with 19, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Jacob Taylor finished the game with 19 points, as did Brett Brady. Brady also collected seven rebounds in the game. Rounding out the Cougars in double figures was Dimitri Saliba who finished with 10 points. Saliba also led the team with five assists.
 
With the win, the CCU record now sits at 11-6 overall, and 8-3 in conference play. It will be a short turnaround for the team, as their next contest is on Tuesday night, as they will take on CSU-Pueblo at the CCU Event Center in Lakewood. The game will be broadcast on Comcast, so the tip is scheduled for 7PM MST.