GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Facing the No. 25 team on the road and a 15-point second half deficit, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team threatened to upset the Mavericks on their home court, but fell just short Friday night, 58-53.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: UCCS 53, No. 25 Colorado Mesa 58
- Records: UCCS (5-4, 2-1 RMAC) | CMU (8-2, 2-1 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Brownson Arena | Grand Junction, Colo.
- All-Time Series: UCCS is 12-42 all-time against Colorado Mesa, and 2-17 when facing the Mavs on their home court.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Friday night's action started slowly for both teams as each squad struggled offensively. Krystina Hagood posted back-to-back steals and found success on her second steal and netted the break away layup for the first points of the game nearly three minutes from the tip. CMU knotted the game on the next trip down the court. With the score tied at 2-2 at the first media timeout, Amyah Moore Allen put UCCS back on top when she drove from the left wing and nailed a pull-up jump from the middle of the lane. Mya Wilson followed with her first points of the night on a three-pointer that ended a three-minute scoring drought for UCCS and gave them a 7-4 advantage. With just over a minute left in the opening stanza, CMU tied the game for the second time of the quarter, but Hagood had the last say when she made a scoop shot at the buzzer for a 9-7 lead after 10 minutes of action.
- The Mountain Lions defense forced CMU to turn the ball over seven times while holding them to just 2-of-13 field goals.
- The home team started the second quarter scoring the first five points before Rylie Ottmann swished a three-pointer from the right side to tie the game at 12-all. A 5-1 run by the Mavericks was halted when Wilson made a bounce pass to Maison White under the basket, bringing the Mountain Lions with two points, 17-15. The gold and maroon outscored the black and gold, 10-3 in the final minutes of the second period, highlighted by a three-pointer with 30 seconds left and three made free throws at the end of the half as the home team took a 27-18 lead into the locker room at intermission.
- Starting the second half with a nine-point deficit, the Mavericks increased their lead to 15-points four minutes into the half, but the Mountain Lions started to claw their way back. Rylie Ottman snagged a defensive rebound and found White for a fastbreak layup followed instantly by a UCCS timeout. Coming out of the timeout, White grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back for two. Breelyn Robinson then pulled down a defensive rebound and connected with Moore Allen to cap off a 6-0 UCCS run. The Mountain Lions, who outscored CMU in the third period, 13-11, held the Mavericks without a field goal and only three free throws in the final 6:12 of the stanza, bring the deficit down to seven points, 38-31, after three full quarters.
- Facing a double-digit hole again, the Mountain Lions kept fighting and went on another key run. Moore Allen started the comeback with two made free throws followed by an Ottmann three pointer and a layup from White to end a 7-0 stretch. UCCS would get within three points of the Mavericks after one of Moore Allen's steals and a driving fastbreak layup with 2:51 left in regulation to cut into CMU's lead, 46-43. With six ticks left on the clock and trailing 56-51, Robinson grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back for two, but time ran out as the Mavericks finished the game with a fastbreak layup and a 58-53 decision.
GAME STATISTICS
- Moore Allen came off the bench to lead the Mountain Lions offense with 13 points on 4-of-11 field goals and 5-of-8 free throws. She added three steals and three rebounds while dishing out an assist.
- White added another double-double to her season total with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Defensively she stole the ball twice and blocked one shot.
- Hagood was good on all four free throw attempts and made 3-of-9 from the floor for 10 points and chipped in three steals and three rebounds.
- Ottmann accounted for two of the Mountain Lions' four three pointers, finishing the game with eight points and five rebounds.
- The Mountain Lions hit on 35.8 percent from the floor (19-of-53) but struggled from the charity stripe, converting on only 11-of-23 attempts (47.8 percent).
- The Mavericks Josee Steadman led both teams with 16 points.
- UCCS held the second leading scorer in the RMAC – Olivia Reed (18.2 points per game) to just eight points tonight. Reed, who is also leading the league in rebounding (12.2 per game) came down with eight boards tonight.
- UCCS out-scored CMU off turnovers (13-6), in the paint (30-12), second chance points (10-7) and points off the bench (23-22).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Tonight's game in Grand Junction marks the Mountain Lions first of five straight road games.
- White notched her fifth double-double of the season (20 career double-doubles), and her third straight.
- Robinson and Ottmann both tied their career high for most rebounds in a game (five).
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will head to Salt Lake City, Utah tomorrow night to face Westminster University at 5 p.m.
SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
