Chadron State College men’s basketball lost 97-91 to New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on a Saturday night away game.

Highlands guard Gerad Davis scored 31 points in the Cowboys’ win, making 8-of-16 field goals and dropping in 15 of 16 free throws to lead his team.

NMHU was 54.2 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the foul line to clinch the win.

“The outcome of the game came down to the 12-minute mark,” said CSC Head Men’s Basketball Coach Houston Reed. “Things got chaotic. Three to five minutes shifted the game and changed the atmosphere. You have to be able control that part of the game when you’re on the road.”

“It’s rare you out-rebound your opponent by 14 and you end up losing by six,” said Reed. “It comes down to those turnovers late in the game.”

Diontae Champion led the Eagles with 19 points while Walker Andrew and Jeremy Ruffin each contributed six rebounds.

With the loss, the Eagles held close with the Adams State Grizzlies for the eighth and final Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament bid. ASU lost at Colorado Mesa to match CSC’s 10-11 conference mark. CSC owns a head-to-head tiebreaker with Adams.

Chadron State is now 12-15 overall. The Eagles travel to MSU Denver on Friday for a most-important season finale.