During the week of Thanksgiving, the UCCS Men’s Basketball team won three of four games. Several of these games were blowouts, despite one loss.
Nov. 21 University of Maine at Fort Kent at UCCS
The first of the four games began with their season home opener where they took hold of the match against the University of Maine at Fort Kent Nov. 21, winning 100-40.
The team came out scoring first with freshman guard Jezza McKenzie leading the charge. UCCS took the lead at the 18:29 mark and never let up, shooting almost 60% from the field in the first half.
In the second quarter, junior guard Jon’il Fugett led UCCS with 10 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field and landing two shots from beyond the arc. The score was run up as UCCS continued to dominate, leading to a 13-0 run and 51-21 lead to enter the second half.
Nothing changed in the second half as UCCS put up another 49 points and held Fort Kent to 19 in the second half. McKenzie shot 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from outside the field. The Mountain Lions shot 52.8% from the field, 41.9% from three-point line and 91.7% from the free throw line.
Nov. 24 SAGU American Indian College at UCCS
UCCS held on to the momentum from the win and tied the record for most points scored in a single game when they defeated Southwestern Assemblies of God University American Indian College 118-67 on Nov. 24.
UCCS mounted a comfortable lead at half by jumping out on top in the first half 55-31. The team was 66.7% in shooting (24-of-36). Redshirt senior guard/forward Geoff Kelly was 7-of-7 for a perfect shooting percentage as sophomore guard/forward Alijah Comithier was 6-of-8.
The second three-pointer of the game from Kelly got UCCS rolling in the second half. Comithier followed the shot up with another three-pointer, increasing UCCS’ lead to 30 points.
Later in the period, UCCS went on a 16-0 run and put the game away.
Nov. 26 Kansas Christian College vs. UCCS
On Nov. 26, the Mountain Lions continued with another breakout win against Kansas Christian College with a score of 97-58 in CSU Pueblo’s Thanksgiving Classic.
The first half started off back and forth with six lead changes. The Mountain Lions separated themselves at 6:26 after a 13-0 run that included three of UCCS’ four three-pointers. Kelly drained a three and Fugett followed with back-to-back three-pointers as UCCS took the lead again.
KCC responded by scoring four points. A three pointer by McKenzie with 30 seconds left helped UCCS end the first half 38-26.
Comithier led UCCS at the beginning of the second half after scoring the first seven points. McKenzie and Fugett followed and scored consecutive three-pointers. UCCS outscored the KCC 20-6 for a four-minute span, registering the largest lead of the game.
Redshirt freshman Noah Baca drained a three and made a layup in the last minute of the match, putting the game away 97-58.
Nov. 27 Texas A&M International vs. UCCS
The team followed the next day on Nov. 27 with their first loss of the season, 77-72, against Texas A&M International in the second day of the Thanksgiving Classic.
The game was close throughout and featured 10 lead changes and nine game ties. Texas A&M established a first half lead, 34-30, taking advantage of 17 turnovers by the Mountain Lions.
Fugett scored 12 of UCCS’ 30 half points and made the only three for the team in the first half.
The game continued to stay close in the second half after Comithier notched 20-points in the half. There were eight ties in the half with the final occurring at the 2:54 mark. Texas then scored four points, breaking the tie and never breaking the lead for the rest of the match.
UCCS Men’s Basketball played their first conference match to take on CSU Pueblo on Friday, Dec. 3.
