GUNNISON, Colo. – Trailing by 10 points with three minutes left in regulation, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team stormed back at Western Colorado University Saturday afternoon and came within one point, 54-53, but the Mountaineers were able to stave off the Mountain Lions and win the last game of 2022, 57-53.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final: UCCS 53, Western Colorado 57
- Records: UCCS (3-9, 2-4 RMAC) | WCU (4-7, 3-3 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Paul Wright Gym | Gunnison, Colo.
- All-Time Series: UCCS is 29-19 all-time against the Mountaineers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountain Lions won the jump ball but missed a layup and turned the ball over before Gracie Haneborg nailed a jumper from the left elbow to put UCCS on the board and tie the game at 2-2. A full-court press by the Mountain Lions forced a WCU turnover that led to a three-pointer from Breelyn Robinson to give UCCS their first lead of the game, 5-2. The Mountaineers responded with a 7-0 run to go up by four points, 9-5, but Maison White used the backboard for a bank shot down low to snap the scoring spree with 4:29 left in the first quarter. White's jumper in the paint was the last field goal by either team as the Mountaineers posted an 11-7 lead after one quarter.
- After going 0-for-4 from the free throw line in the first stanza, Sophie Abela made her first of two free throw attempts for the first point of the second quarter. When WCU matched UCCS with their first free throw of the second quarter, White went down the court for a layup as more than three minutes of action went before a field goal was made. Trailing 14-10, Haneborg drew a shooting foul after driving the right baseline and sank both free throws. Two possessions later and still down by four, 16-12, Haneborg picked the ball from a driving Mountaineer and went to the hoop, again drawing another shooting foul and made both free throws. Haneborg's free throws were the only points in the middle of a 12-2 run by Western Colorado as the home team extended their lead to 12 points, 28-16, with two minutes left in the half. The Mountain Lions ended the half strong, outscoring WCU, 7-2. An intentional foul by the Mountaineers resulted in Nation making both free throws before she drained a three-pointer with 53 ticks left in the half. Nation snagged a defensive rebound on the Mountaineers last possession and put a shot up from the free throw line. The shot went off the left side of the back board where Haneborg scooped it up and put back in for two as time expired to bring UCCS with seven points of WCU, 28-21.
- WCU came out of the locker room at halftime to score the first five points behind a layup from Emery Wagstaff, who then found Rachel Cockman for a quick three-pointer. Robinson helped UCCS score their first points of the half after snagging a defensive rebound to bring the ball down the court for the Mountain Lions. Haneborg swung the ball to Sydney Nilles standing on the left side of the three-point line for a trey. Abela added two more points with a layup to cap a five-point run by the Mountain Lions. UCCS fought to within four points of WCU as Ines Latapia netted a layup before White scored three points with a free throw and layup, bringing UCCS withing four points, 35-31. WCU built on their lead in the final three minutes, going 4-of-6 from the floor including two three-pointers to take an eight-point lead after three quarters, 45-37.
- Western Colorado took a 10-point lead after hitting a bucket to start the final stanza, 47-37. Both teams swapped baskets on five consecutive possessions as Emily Hovasse, Latapia and White each made a bucket to bring UCCS within eight points, 51-43. Down by 10 points again, 54-44, Haneborg sparked a massive run by the Mountain Lions, scoring five straight points. After making a layup, Haneborg stole the ball and made a fast-break layup while drawing a foul and converting the three-point play. On the defensive end of the court, White reigned in a rebound and then picked up an offensive rebound off Abela's missed layup attempt and put it back in for two, bringing UCCS within three points, 54-51, with less than two minutes left in regulation. Back on the offensive attack, Abela made a cross court pass to the left side to Haneborg who drove the lane for two points, forcing WCU to call a timeout as the home team's lead was down to one point, 54-53. The Mountain Lions had a chance to take the lead with 30 seconds left, but two missed free throw attempts forced UCCS to foul the Mountaineers three times in the final seconds as WCU made 3-of-4 free throws to seal the game, 57-53.
GAME STATISTICS
- Haneborg scored a game high 17 points, matching WCU's Cockman and Wagstaff. Haneborg made 5-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. All six of her rebounds were on the offensive end of the court.
- White chipped in 13 points and 15 rebounds. Ten of her rebounds were on the defensive glass.
- Robinson, Nilles and Nation each hit a bucket from downtown. Robinson and Nilles lead the Mountain Lions with five made three-pointers.
- UCCS finished the game shooting 28.6 percent from the floor (18-of-63), 17.6 percent from behind the arc (3-of-17) and 58.3 percent from the charity stripe (14-of-24).
- The Mountain Lions out-rebounded WCU by eight, 45-37, and scored 11 second chance points.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Robinson made her first career start this afternoon and notched a career high three steals.
- White's 15 rebounds are a career high.
- White recorded her sixth double-double of the season and her fourth straight.
- The 17 three-point field goal attempts are the most attempted this season by UCCS.
- The Mountain Lions 24 free throw attempts, 45 rebounds and three made three-pointers are the second most in 2022-23.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will play host to Chadron State College on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
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.
