PUEBLO, Colo. – The 11^th ranked team in NAIA, Wayland Baptist University, handed the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team a 73-65 setback Friday afternoon in Pueblo, Colo.  The neutral site game was the first game of the CSU Pueblo Thanksgiving Classic, held in Massari Arena.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• Final: UCCS 65, Wayland Baptist 73
• Records: UCCS (1-4, 0-0 RMAC) | WBU (5-2, 1-1 SAC)
• Facility | Location:  Massari Arena | Pueblo, Colo.
• All-Time Series: Since the all-time series started in 1998, the Flying Queens are 4-0 against UCCS.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Wayland Baptist won the jump ball and missed their first three field goal attempts, thanks in part by two blocks from Amyah Moore Allen and Maison White.  The Flying Queens were able to convert on their second trip down the court to take a 2-0 lead.  Sophie Abela drained two free throws to knot the game at 2-2 before WBU rattled off three straight buckets for an 8-2 lead.  Moore Allen added two free throws to bring UCCS within four points, 8-4, but Wayland Baptist slowly grew their lead using a 13-5 run over a seven-minute span as they snagged a 21-11 lead over the Mountain Lions after one quarter of action.
• Defense sparked a comeback in the second quarter as UCCS outscored the Queens, 18-13.  WBU hit a trey to open the second stanza before Moore Allen and WBU traded baskets.  Down 26-13, Alexa Dominguez started a 6-2 run after taking advantage of a WBU turnover that she converted into a jump shot, followed by four straight points from Moore Allen to bring UCCS within nine points, 28-19.  The Mountain Lions turned on the heat on the defensive end of the court to end the half, converting three straight steals into fast break layups.  Down 32-21 with 3:22 left in the half, Breelyn Robinson stole the ball that led to a Sydney Nilles fastbreak layup.  Talia DePetrillo got into the action with two straight steals that led to two fastbreak layups from Gracie Haneborg to cap an 8-0 run. With time expiring, WBU hit a jumper to end the half and take a 34-29 lead into the locker room.  The Mountain Lions tallied six steals and transferred them into 12 points in the second quarter as Nilles and Moore Allen combined for 6-of-9 from the field and six points each.
• Wayland Baptist came out of halftime to score six of the first eight points in the second half to gain a 40-31 lead.  Nilles found White at the 7:13 mark before nearly a two-minute scoring drought on four possessions was ended by a bucket from Farres, cutting into WBU's lead, 40-35.  Houston Taylor of WBU kept the lead in favor of the Queens but two free throws from Robinson followed by a defensive rebound from Farres that led to basket from Dominguez brought UCCS within one possession of the Flying Queens, 42-39.  A 5-0 run to end the third stanza gave the Queens a 47-39 lead as they outscored UCCS, 13-10.
• The Flying Queens opened the final stanza with a steal on UCCS' opening possession and turned it into a bucket, but the Mountain Lions responded with six straight points.  White pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back for a quick two points, and then added a layup on UCCS' next trip down the court.  Two more free throws from Farres capped off a 6-0 run that brought UCCS within four points, 49-45, with 8:03 left in regulation.  The four-point deficit was the closest UCCS would get to WBU as the Flying Queens were able to keep their distance from a UCCS comeback to take the neutral site win, 73-65.

 
GAME STATISTICS

• Nilles scored a team high 13 points to lead UCCS in scoring for the first time this season.  Nilles sank 6-of-8 field goals and added four steals, three rebounds and two dimes.
• Moore Allen added double digit points after making 4-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe for 11 points.  She blocked two shots and pulled in four rebounds.
• Five of Abela's nine points came from the free throw line where she made 5-of-8.
• Domingeuz came off the bench to register six points, three rebounds and a steal, while Farres grabbed a team high six rebounds to go with four points and a blocked shot.
• The Mountain Lions shot 43.6 percent from the field (24-of-55) and 69.6 percent from the free throw line (16-of-23).  After seven misses from long range, Nilles drained the Mountain Lions lone three-pointer with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.
• Both teams netted 40 points each in the paint, but the Mountain Lions doubled WBU on fast break points, 20-10.  UCCS also scored 17 points off of 19 turnovers by the Flying Queens.
• Wayland Baptist was led in scoring by Kaitlyn Edgemon's 26 points.
• WBU missed on just four free throw attempts, making 21-of-25 for 84 percent. 

           
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• UCCS has recorded at least four blocks in all five games this season.
• Nilles posted her best game of the season, scoring a season high 13 points and recording a career high six made field goals and four steals.
• Nilles' 6-of-8 field goal shooting (.750) is the second-best mark by a Mountain Lion this season, and her four steals are the second most in a game by a UCCS player.
• Robinson's three assists and two steals against the Flying Queens were career highs, while Abela's eight free throw attempts were the most in her career.

 
UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions will take on Emporia State University of the MIAA on Saturday at 1 p.m. in their second game of the CSU Pueblo Thanksgiving Classic.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. Read Full Article