DENVER – University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior forward Brittany Hernandez recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds, but the Mountain Lions struggled shooting from the field in an 82-66 loss at MSU Denver tonight at the Auraria Event Center. The result ended a five-game winning streak for UCCS (18-8, 15-5 RMAC) and put the Mountain Lions in a tie for second in the RMAC standings with two games left in the regular season.

Tori Fisher put UCCS up 7-6 halfway through the first quarter, but the Roadrunners put together a 15-0 run to build a 21-7 lead in the next five minutes. Jennah Knafelc ended the scoring drought with a jumper in the paint with 12 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 21-9 game at the end of the period.

A three-pointer from Kristen Vigil two minutes in the second quarter sparked a 13-4 run for the Mountain Lions that cut the Roadrunner lead down to 29-24 with 2:43 left in the half. Madi Gabiler and Vigil scored on back-to-back possessions to close out the quarter to make it a 34-30 lead for MSU Denver at halftime.

The Mountain Lions scored five of the first seven points of the third quarter to pull within a point at 36-35 two minutes into the period. The Roadrunners responded with an 8-1 rally to build a 44-36 lead, but UCCS pulled back within four points at 48-44 after a three-pointer from Knafelc with 4:36 left in the quarter. MSU Denver closed out the quarter on a 15-4 run and took a 63-48 advantage into the fourth quarter. UCCS pulled as close as 11 points with 4:29 to play, but couldn't bring the game back within single digits in the 16-point setback tonight.

Hernandez finished with her second straight double-double and improved her UCCS career rebounding record to an even 700. She made two blocked shots in her best performance since Jan. 6. Vigil led the bench with 11 points and went four-of-six from the field with a three-pointer and two free throws. Knafelc scored 10 points with half of her points at the free throw line.

UCCS shot 38 percent overall and 35 percent from the three-point line, compared to MSU Denver's 48 percent and 56 percent, respectively. The Mountain Lions also went 14-of-21 at the free throw line compared to 25-29 by the Roadrunners.?

UCCS moved into a tie for second in the RMAC standings, but moved into the No. 3 seed against Colorado Mesa based on the head-to-head result in the team's only meeting in January. The Mountain Lions will be back in the Denver metro area next weekend for a Friday game at Colorado Mines and a Saturday game at Colorado Christian, in the final games of the regular season.