COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team entered the fourth quarter down seven to Fort Lewis College, but with the help of some lockdown defense, the Mountain Lions outscored the Skyhawks 21-11 in the final frame to win 74-71.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final: UCCS 74, FLC 71
- Records: UCCS (10-7, 6-4 RMAC) | FLC (5-13, 2-8 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Gallogly Events Center | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: Despite the win, FLC has a 30-28 advantage over UCCS since 1989.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams came out of the gate with hot shooting. The Mountain Lions led 7-0 to start, but FLC erased that deficit, leading 10-9 at the 5:43 mark in the first quarter. A Gia Bradley three-pointer, followed by a jumper by Amyah Moore Allen and multiple UCCS free throws, helped the Mountain Lions command a 20-18 lead by the end of the first frame. The Skyhawks let it fly from deep in the opening quarter, shooting 4-of-8 on three-pointers.
- The second quarter started as a defensive battle and saw FLC scratch their way to a 29-25 lead at the 4:39 mark. Rylie Ottmann responded on the next possession with a three-pointer, and later, Krystina Hagood hit a three-ball to retake the lead (33-31) with three and a half minutes remaining in the first half. UCCS grew their lead to four (40-36) but froze offensively, allowing the Skyhawks to close the final two minutes on a 5-0 run, leading 41-40 at the break. Three-point shooting was FLC's advantage in the first half, contributing to their slim margin. The Skyhawks shot 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc compared to the Mountain Lions, who went 4-of-11 (36.4 percent).
- Fort Lewis came out and stayed in control in the second half, increasing its lead to six (48-42). UCCS brought itself back within one point (52-51) after an Amaya Snowden layup, but the Skyhawks would lead 60-53 going into the deciding quarter.
- The Mountain Lions fought back to open the final frame, going for a 7-3 run, with Emily Vidal getting five points in that stretch. UCCS ultimately overcame their second-half deficit at the 3:08 mark when Maison White put up a layup through traffic. On the next possession, White pulled down an offensive board and passed the ball to a cutting Vidal, who pump faked, got her defender in the air, and sunk the layup through contact. Vidal made the and one free throw and the Mountain Lions led 69-65 with 2:18 left in the game.
- Down the stretch and in the fourth quarter, UCCS' defense was focused and locked in. The Mountain Lions only allowed three field goals in the entire frame. UCCS held the lead with seconds to go, but the Skyhawks pulled themselves within two points (73-71) with two seconds remaining after a putback. Breelyn Robinson was fouled on the inbound pass and sent to the free throw line. Robinson made the first but missed the second. On the rebound, FLC was forced to heave the ball up from the opposite end of the court in hopes of sending the game to overtime but would come up short, resulting in a 74-71 win for UCCS.
GAME STATISTICS
- Maison White led the team offensively and defensively today, dropping 21 points, collecting 17 rebounds, tabbing two assists while blocking two shots and corralling one steal. White's performance was highly efficient, shooting 7-of-11 (63.6 percent) from the field and an impressive 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
- Amyah Moore Allen also had a very strong performance, scoring 17 points, grabbing four rebounds, tallying three steals, and blocking one shot.
- Other Mountain Lions contributing from a points standpoint include Emily Vidal (nine), Krystina Hagood (eight), Gia Bradley (six), Amaya Snowden (four), and Ellie Reynolds, Breelyn Robinson, and Rylie Ottmann, who scored three points each.
- UCCS bested FLC in rebounds (44-38), bench points (24-5), blocks (4-2), points off turnovers (19-9), points in the point (32-28), and second chance points (15-9).
- The Mountain Lion's defense locked down the Skyhawk's offensive attack when it mattered most. In the fourth quarter, UCCS only allowed 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field by FLC.
- Despite locking down the Skyhawks in the fourth quarter, FLC still outshot UCCS from the field, shooting 38.1 percent compared to the Mountain Lion's 37.3 percent shooting.
- In tonight's contest, the Skyhawks shot better from beyond the arc (36 percent to 20 percent) and better from the charity stripe (87.5 percent to 71.4 percent).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With her 21 points in tonight's winning effort, Maison White has passed Tara Newton for the sixth most points in program history with 1,222 career points.
- White collected her 10th double-double of the season after scoring 21 points and pulling down 17 rebounds. White now has three consecutive seasons of having 10 or more double-doubles.
- White's 17 rebounds marked the most by any Mountain Lion in a game this season.
- UCCS has won six in a row over FLC since January 10, 2020.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions are home again on Thursday, January 30, for a game against Western Colorado University. The game will begin at 5 p.m. at the Gallogly Events Center.
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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.
