LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Forty-three of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball 68 points scored tonight came from the bench as the Mountain Lions held on to a 68-63 win at New Mexico Highlands University.  The win improves UCCS to 8-17 overall and 7-12 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  NMHU falls 1-23 on the year and winless in 19 conference games.
 
Both teams came out firing in the first quarter to net 17 points each.  The Cowgirls took a three-point lead into the locker room at halftime, 34-31.
 
Free throws were critical in the second half as UCCS scored 19 of their 37 second half points from the line.  The Mountain Lions went 5-for-6 in the first half from the charity stripe and hit 19-of-24 in the second half, finishing the game with a solid 80 percent free throw shooting mark (24-of-30).
 
Makenna Baker helped the Mountain Lions claw out of an eight-point deficit in the second half when she made two free throws to give UCCS a 52-50 lead with 8:55 left in the game.  Abby Feickert's two made free throws gave the Mountain Lions 60-58 lead they would not relinquish in the final 5:02.
 
Bo Shaffer helped seal the win for UCCS when she came off the bench to score eight points with five steals.  In the last 24 seconds of the game, Shaffer made two free throws and stole the ball twice, including a steal with nine ticks remaining.
 
Madison Lord and Baker combined for 27 of UCCS' 43 bench points. Lord scored a team high 16 points after making 8-of-11 from the floor.  She added seven rebounds, one block and a steal.  Seven of Baker's 11 points came from free throws. 
 
Madi Gaibler dished out a team high three assists to go with three steals and nine points.  Shaffer and Tatum Tellin were flawless from the line, making all four and six attempts, respectively.
 
UCCS edged the Cowgirls on the glass, 32-29, but posted 14 steals while forcing NMHU to commit 22 turnovers.
 
NMHU's Jordyn Lewis led all players with 25 points.  Lewis made six three-pointers and delivered four assists.
 
The Mountain Lions will play their final three games of the regular season at home, beginning Feb. 21-22 against South Dakota School of Mines and Black Hills State University.