WICHITA, Kan. – Jen Vigil recorded her fourth career 20-point game and Brittany Hernandez opened the season with a double-double as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs started the Lynn Plett era with a 74-64 win at Newman tonight at Fugate Gymnasium. The Mountain Lions (1-0) shot 53.6 percent from the field and outscored the Jets (0-1) 45-27 in the second half as Plett started his first season as the UCCS Head Coach.
The shooting percentage was the best for UCCS since 58.9 percent against Montana Tech on Nov. 28, 2014, and it was the best against a Division II opponent since 59.1 percent against New Mexico Highlands on Dec. 20, 2013. The Mountain Lions went 18-of-30 in the second half for a 60 percent clip while holding Newman to seven-of-28 in the same stretch for 25 percent.
The Mountain Lions didn't trail until Newman put together a 9-0 run that spanned the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. UCCS regained a five-point advantage at 23-18 with 5:42 to play in the quarter but the Jets finished the half with a 10-run to build a 37-29 advantage.
UCCS outshot the Jets 46-to-44 percent in the first half, but Newman took six more shots and went four-of-nine at the three-point line. The Mountain Lions only took five free throws in the first half compared to the Jets, but Newman shot 36 percent at the line on a five-of-14 performance.
The Mountain Lions opened the third quarter on an 8-3 run, and took the lead at 46-45 on a layup from Tori Fisher with 2:45 to play in the quarter. UCCS scored the last eight points of the period to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter. The Mountain Lions outscored the Jets 21-8 in the third quarter. UCCS held Newman to only four made field goals in the final quarter and scored 24 points to open close out the first game of the season.
Vigil scored 21 points and made five steals on defense as she played in 38 of the 40 minutes tonight. Fisher finished with 16 points with six points off of a pair of three-pointers. She went two-of-two from beyond the arc in the first made three-pointers of her collegiate career.
Hernandez recorded her 20th career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds along with three blocked shots. She moved into No. 10 in UCCS career rebounding records with 519, and is seven away from a tie for ninth.
UCCS will remain in Wichita, for a Saturday game against Oklahoma Christian at noon, MST. The Eagles lost their season-opener 68-61 earlier today to Regis.
