Mountain Lions turn tables to score come-from-behind victory

SILVER CITY, N.M. â€" Just four days after blowing a lead with four minutes remaining, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs turned the tables to grab a 70-64 victory over the Western New Mexico Mustangs Saturday evening in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

Tuesday, the Mountain Lions were beaten by Colorado College despite leading by nine points with 4:18 remaining. Saturday at Mustang Fieldhouse, it was UCCS that found itself trailing 59-52 with just 4:20 remaining.

Jazzmin Awa-Williams cut the deficit to four with a 3-point play, and Janean Jubic made it one with a 3-point shot. After Brandi Harris hit a short jumper to put the Mustangs up by three, Nancy Hoist answered with a layup. That was followed by a 3-pointer by Jessica Lynch with 1:44 remaining that gave the Mountain Lions their first lead at 63-61.

The lead was still two with 42 seconds left when two free throws each by Jubic and Awa-Williams accounted for the final margin.

“It was really great to see our girls learn from the two close games weâ€^TMve had and close the gap when we were trailing by seven,” said UCCS coach Jessika Caldwell. “They made the free throws down the stretch, which is something we havenâ€^TMt been doing. It was great to see them step up and make them when they mattered most.”

The Mountain Lions went 7-for-8 from the foul line in the gameâ€^TMs final minute after having gone just 6-for-12 to that point.

Awa-Williams led UCCS (3-5) with 18 points and seven rebounds despite playing only 18 minutes. Hoist and Mallory Lowe added 12 and 11 points respectively, while Hoist, Lowe and Payden Ackerman each had six rebounds.

Audra Major, who came into the game averaging an RMAC-best 21.9 points per game, led Western New Mexico (2-6) with 24 points but even that would have to be considered a victory for UCCS. The junior from Socorro, N.M., also came into the game shooting a conference-high 65.9 percent from the field but made just seven of her 16 field goal attempts Saturday.

Major also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Mountain Lions shot 45 percent from the field and are now 23-9 in games in which theyâ€^TMve shot 40 percent or better since Jessika Caldwell became the teamâ€^TMs coach prior to the 2005-06 season.