PUEBLO, Colo. – The Black Hills State University men's basketball team nearly stole its first road victory of the season but fell in heart-breaking fashion 65-64 to Colorado State University – Pueblo Friday night.

Black Hills State took its first lead of the game with 2:52 remaining when Zach McLemore sank a 3-point basket. Nelson Kahler for CSUP answered with a layup that was responded to with a Patrick Mendes old-fashioned 3-point play.

With Mendes' made free throw, the Yellow Jackets led 62-59 with 2:02 remaining in the game.

The two squads again traded buckets on back-to-back-to-back trips down the floor, with Kahler pulling CSUP within a point at 64-63. After both teams were unable to convert on each squads ensuing possession, Rico Spikes grabbed the rebound off his own missed layup and put it back in for the game-winning basket with 11 seconds on the clock.

The Yellow Jackets were unable to get a good look at their own go-ahead and game-winning basket as time expired.

Black Hills State falls to 5-8 on the season and 2-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference while the ThunderWolves remain in second place in the RMAC at 6-1 in the loop and 8-4 overall.

The Yellow Jackets fell behind 18-6 in the opening 10 minutes of action but utilized a 13-3 run to pull within two points at 21-19 with 7:12 remaining. The quick run began with a Fraser Malcom jumper and 3-point basket, followed by a second-chance basket from Mac Mueller. Mueller grabbed the offensive board and put it back up to reel in the score to 18-13.

After a 3-point basket from CSUP's Josh Smith, Muller added two more points with a layup, Patrick Mendes scored on a layup of his own and the run ended with a pair of Mueller free throws.

With the score 26-21 ThunderWolves for nearly three minutes, CSU-Pueblo ended the first half on a 9-3 run of their own to enter the intermission with a 35-24 lead.

The Yellow Jackets shot a blistering 66.7 percent from the field in the second half to make a run at the ThunderWolves, including 6-of-10 from 3-point land, but ultimately ran short.

Black Hills State trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half but continued to chip away at the lead until McLemore's trey just under three minutes to play.

Malcolm led the way with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. McLemore added 14 points with Mendes and Jonas Anderson each adding 11 points apiece. Mueller totaled eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Spikes led the ThunderWolves with 16 points as Josh Smith added 12 points, Stevan Radakovic 11 points and Kahler 10 points.

The Yellow Jackets play their final game of 2016 tomorrow evening with a New Year's Eve affair with Colorado Christian. The Cougars defeated BHSU 66-61 in a thriller earlier this month in Spearfish. Tipoff for tomorrow is slated for 5 p.m.