Grand Junction, CO – Looking to bounce back after dropping their season opener, the Cougars took on fifth ranked DBU in the D2 Conference Classic. A stellar Cougar offense pushed the Patriots to the limit, CCU narrowly falling 80-86 at the hands of the Patriots late in the second half.
The first half started hot for the Cougars, immediately kickstarting the offense onto the front foot. Zach Reed opened the scoring early from deep, followed by several buckets from
Joel Speckman and another three pointer from
Porter Bazil.
Gavin Carter and
PJ Chambers combined for another quick pair of buckets to push the Cougars up early with a 13-4 lead.
DBU began to work its way back into the game, but the Cougars continued to answer. Speckman provided a strong presence inside, while Reed, Bazil, and
Jared Lloyd Jr. each contributed from the perimeter.
Jimmy House closed out the half with a three, helping Colorado Christian take a 46-39 advantage into the break.
The Patriots came out of halftime looking to cut into the deficit, opening the second half with a quick scoring push. Speckman continued to lead the Cougar offense, finishing inside before Carter added a pair of baskets. Reed connected from beyond the arc, keeping the Cougars double digit lead, staying 11 in front with 16 to go.
DBU continued to chip away, finding immense success as the charity stripe, scoring 11 strait points from the line. Eventually cutting the lead to just 2 points,
Gavin Carter answered for the Cougars, converting a huge 3 point play with the clock winding down.
A quick bucket and three pointer would knot the game at 61 a piece, just under 9 minutes left on the clock. From there, the two teams traded baskets in a back-and-forth finish. Lloyd Jr. scored inside, Speckman converted a pair of free throws, and Bazil added two more at the line to keep the Cougars in front. DBU continued to answer, tying the game at 68 and again at 70 before taking the lead late.
Roberts knocked down a three to put the Patriots ahead, followed by a basket and free throw to extend the advantage. Reed answered with a three to bring the Cougars within two, but DBU found another basket from AJ Borden to create separation. Carter added a late layup, but the Patriots converted at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the 86-80 victory. A narrow escape for the Patriots, DBU completed the late comeback to survive the hot start from Colorado Christian.
Speckman led the Cougars with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, adding 7 rebounds on the night. Bazil finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Carter added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Chambers also reached double figures with 10 points off the bench. Lloyd Jr. paced the Cougars with 8 assists, as Colorado Christian finished the night shooting 57.7 percent from the field and recording 21 assists.
A strong showing from the Cougars, they will take on St. Edwards tomorrow, November 14th, another strong opponent. Tip-off is set for 5pm MST in Grand Junction, CO.
