Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa men's basketball team hit three straight 3-pointers in the opening four minutes and maintained its lead the remainder of the game en route to its 74-61 win over Chadron State College in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams Friday.
 
All nine Mesa players who saw time in the game scored. Ryan Stephen scored a game-high 25 points and added eight rebounds and three blocks, Landon Vermeer scored 12 and Carlos Perez finished with 10 as the Mavericks improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
 
The Eagles (3-2, 1-0 RMAC) cut Mesa's lead to four points on a couple occasions but the Mavs always answered with a bucket of their own. The Eagles' last chance came when Kendrick Holliman sank a pair of foul shots to cut the Mavs' lead to 61-55 with just under five minutes to play. However, Mesa hit six of eight free throws and added a hoop to push its lead to 69-56 with two minutes to play.
 
Three Eagles scored in double figures, led by Christopher Smith's 13. Evan Brooks added 12 and Zac Bargen scored 10 and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
 
Chadron State shot well from 3-point range, hitting nine of 20, and finished with more made field goals than Mesa – 20 compared to 19 – but the Mavericks countered by connecting on 32 of 40 attempts from the charity stripe. The Eagles were just 12 of 19.
 
Chadron State will play at Western State today. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
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