Mountain Lions Give No. 8 CMU All they Handle in Loss

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (9-4 / RMAC 6-3) gave No. 8 nationally ranked Colorado Mesa University (14-0 / RMAC 10-0) everything they could handle in a 55-56 loss at the Gallogly Events Center.

Much like the local National Football League team, the Denver Broncos, there was heartbreak in Colorado this Friday evening. And like the Broncos loss, the Mountain Lions loss went down to the wire and was a Jessika Kienitz bassline jump shot away from having a different outcome.

Poor shooting plagued both teams in the first-half with CMU and UCCS shooting 29.6 percent and 36.4 percent respectively. Despite UCCS being more accurate, turnovers gave the Mavericks more opportunities in the first-half as the Mountain Lions committed 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes to make up the difference on the scored board.

A deep 3-pointer by Lauren Wolfinger to close out the first-half made the score 32-25 and gave Wolfinger a team-high nine points at the break.

UCCS never led the entire game but cut the gap to one after Abby Kirchoff hit a runner in the lane with 58 seconds remaining.

The Mavericks then had a chance to make things tough on the Mountain Lions when Sharaya Selsor stepped to the line for a one and one opportunity. Selsor, however, missed the front end of the trip to the free throw line giving UCCS one last chance to knock off the unbeaten Mavericks.

Kienitz who had just checked in for a fouled out Lauren Wolfinger brought the ball up the right side of the court before running into a pair of Colorado Mesa defenders who ultimately forced Kienitz into a tough shot that missed wide left.

Wolfinger was the high-point player for UCCS with 15 points before fouling out. Kirchoff had 14 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.

Selsor finished the game with 15 points to lead all Maverick scorers.