SALT LAKE CITY – University of Colorado Colorado Springs freshman guard
Lauren Bennett scored a game-high 17 points and
Brittany Hernandez recorded her second double-double of the season as the Mountain Lions (6-3, 2-1 RMAC) earned a 69-58 victory at Westminster (4-3, 2-1 RMAC) tonight at Behnken Field House. Hernandez finished with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Westminster scored the final six points of the first quarter to take a 20-13 lead against the Mountain Lion and the Griffins remained in the lead at halftime with a 31-30 advantage. UCCS forced six turnovers and committed only two in the first half, but Westminster shot 39 percent from the field compared to 29 percent by the Mountain Lions for the lead.
UCCS finished the third quarter with a nine-point rally, with five points from Bennett during the run, to open a 49-44 advantage and the largest lead since early in the game. The Mountain Lions went through the third quarter with a perfect free throw mark for the second time this weekend. UCCS continued to slowly expand the lead in the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run early in the period and scored five of the final six points in the game.
Bennett went four-of-nine at the three-point line and six-of-13 overall for her 17 points off the bench. She added two blocked shots and two steals on defense for the Mountain Lions. Hernandez shot 50 percent with six-of-12 shooting and made seven of her rebounds on the defensive side.
Shannon Kelly added 10 points with seven rebounds and two steals for UCCS.
The Mountain Lions turned the ball over only six times, the lowest mark since Feb. 17, 2012, against Chadron State. UCCS also forced 14 turnovers with the help of 10 steals and recorded double-digit steals for the eighth time this season.
The Mountain Lions will return home next weekend before the start of the holiday break with a Dec. 18, game against Regis and a Dec. 19, game against Chadron State. Both games will begin at 5:30 p.m., at the Gallogly Events Center.
