GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- The Chadron State College men got off to a rough patch in the first 10 minutes of the game tonight at Colorado Mesa, giving up a 20-1 run which they could not surmount. Five scorers for CMU tossed in double-digits for an 88-66 victory which improved the Mavericks to 18-8 (14-6 RMAC) while dropping CSC to 6-18 (4-16 RMAC).

Ordinarily a great ball-control team, the Eagles lost five turnovers in that early span of seven minutes. They finished with 11 errors, with CMU capitalizing for 16 points off of miscues. Seven came along in the first half.

In a bright spot, junior guard Billy Johnson matched his season high of 23 points, busying himself with nine field goals out of 17 attemps. Johnson's contribution included three free throws and a pair of three-pointers, but overall the Eagles' shooting woes continued, especially at the three-point arc where they were good on only 28.6% of their shots.

Senior post Ryan Stephan led five home scorers in double figures, getting 22 points and 11 boards. Seven different Mavericks shot at least 50 percent from the field to keep the offense flowing.

The Eagles travel to Westminster for tomorrow evening's game following the women. The Eagles return to Salt Lake City for the second time in four years, after having played in a Thanksgiving tournament there in 2012. Their game with Westminster was won by the Griffins, 94-69.