ESPANOLA, N.M. – McMurry University men's basketball pushed the No. 1 team in the NAIA national poll – California State University San Marcos – to the brink, before eventually succumbing by an 84-79 score at the Northern New Mexico University Classic. The War Hawks (5-15) lead by 10 points with a little over six minutes left in the game, but could not hold off the top-ranked Cougars (23-2).
San Marcos' largest lead was 11 points with 13 minutes elapsed in the game. But a feisty McM squad would not go away. The War Hawks forged eight ties and there were also 13 lead changes in the contest. McMurry held the upper hand for better than 18 minutes of play, while CSUSM lead for just over 17 minutes (with the score tied 4 ½ minutes).
McM senior
Connor Robinson continued to demonstrate his ability to shine versus all comers, torching the Cougars for 35 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Robinson made good on 11-of-15 from the field, including one three-point basket, and went 12-for-14 from the free throw stripe.
Robinson raised his season averages to 24.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. It was his 14th time leading McMurry in scoring this season and 14th-consecutive double-figure scoring game (16 overall), as well as his sixth game with 30-plus points scored. Combined with his 12 boards, Robinson also registered his ninth double-double of the season.
Four of the War Hawks' five starters tallied in double figures. Joining Robinson were
LaRandall Scroggins with 15 points,
Hondo Webb with 13 and
Thierry Tchenko with 12. Scroggins and Webb grabbed six and four rebounds, respectively.
The McMurry team shot a blistering 59.6 percent (28-47) from the floor, while the Cougars hit nearly 42 percent (27-65). The difference proved to be from long range, as CSUSM drained 16 treys (compared to three made for McM from beyond the arc).
The War Hawks held their last lead of the game at 72-71 after a Robinson jumper with 2:24 left to play. A 7-0 run by the Cougars put McM down by six, 78-72 with 1:32 to play. Two Robinson free throws and a Webb short jumper brought the War Hawks to within a single possession, 78-76, with less than a minute to play.
But a three-ball by CSUSM's Taran Brown with just 22 seconds left upped the Cougars' lead to five and effectively sealed the McMurry fate.
