LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs scored 27 points in the third quarter and turned a three-point halftime lead into a 19-point advantage at the end of the period to claim an 80-70 win tonight against New Mexico Highlands at the John A. Wilson Complex.
Brittany Hernandez led a balanced offensive attack for the Mountain Lions with 16 points.
The win extended the Mountain Lions' win streak to six games and maintained their second-place position in the RMAC standings. UCCS (12-4, 9-1 RMAC) will face the conference's top team in Colorado State-Pueblo, tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., in Pueblo, Colo.
The Cowgirls shot 47 percent from the field in the first quarter compared to the 33 percent by UCCS, but the Mountain Lions trailed by only three points at 22-19 with an eight-of-10 performance at the free throw line. UCCS closed out the second quarter with an 8-2 run to go into halftime with a 39-36 lead.
The Mountain Lions extended the run to 12-2 with the first four points of the third quarter and put together a 12-0 run late in the quarter to take a 65-43 lead with 1:15 to play in the period. The UCCS defense held New Mexico Highlands to three field goals in the quarter and led 66-47 going into the fourth quarter.
Two of tonight's starters, Hernandez and
Kelly O'Flannigan, didn't play in the fourth quarter, and the other three starters in
Tori Fisher,
Jen Vigil and
Madi Gaibler averaged just more than five minutes of action. The Cowgirls made five three-pointers in the final quarter and gradually chipped into the Mountain Lion lead, but UCCS never let New Mexico Highlands within single digits in the 10-point victory tonight.
Hernandez moved alone into third in UCCS career scoring tonight with her 16 points and has 1,351 in her career. She scored half of her points in the first quarter and finished with 10 or more points for the seventh straight game. Hernandez led both teams with seven rebounds as UCCS out-rebounded Highlands 44-26.
Fisher went six-of-seven from the field for 15 points and Vigil scored 14 points with four three-pointers and a pair of free throws. Gaibler scored a season-high nine points to round out the offensive leaders.
UCCS will double back up Interstate 25 for a Saturday contest against No. 10 CSU-Pueblo. The ThunderWolves (16-0, 10-0 RMAC) defeated MSU Denver 66-49 tonight in Massari Arena.
