DENVER, Colo. – Trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs outscored No. 4 Fort Hays State University in the final quarter, 26-17, but fell short of the upset, falling to the Tigers, 66-65. Today's neutral-site game was held at the Auraria Event Center on the campus of Metropolitan State University of Denver.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• Final Score: L, 66-65
• Records: UCCS (1-3, 0-0 RMAC) | #4 FHSU (5-0, 0-0 MIAA)
• Facility | Location: Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
• All-Time Series: UCCS trails the Tigers in the all-time series, 4-9, and have dropped the last six matchups.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• On their second possession of the game, Fort Hays State's Ellie Stearns put the first two points on the scoreboard in the neutral-site game.  UCCS' response was a jumper from Amyah Moore Allen followed by a three-pointer from Breelyn Robinson before Moore Allen snagged a defensive rebound and put it in for layup on the other end of the court to give UCCS a quick 7-2 lead.  The Mountain Lions' lead dissolved over the next several minutes of action as the Tigers went on a 7-0 run.  Ayianna Johnson broke up the run with a layup to give UCCS the lead again, 11-9.  Both teams went cold for the last 4:37 in the first quarter with just one bucket for either team as Mikalya Pilley of FHSU grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back for the only bucket to give FHSU a 14-13 lead.
• Johnson found herself jammed up in the paint to start the second quarter but located Jayla Jackson-Allen, who hit a three-pointer from the left baseline and a 16-14 UCCS lead.  Hurtado put a stop to Hays' 6-0 run when she scored the next four points for the Mountain Lions, bringing them back within three of FHSU, 25-22.  The Tigers kept their lead into halftime, holding a 30-24 lead over UCCS after closing the half on a 5-2 run.
• A free throw from FHSU opened the second half, but the Mountain Lions worked the ball around the perimeter on their first possession of the half as Robinson drained her second trey of the game, this time from the right wing.  Johnson produced her own little run, outscoring FHSU 6-2 on three possessions to keep UCCS within reach of FHSU, 38-33.  Moore Allen swished a jumper from the right elbow before Ellie Stearns answered for FHSU with a trey to give her team a 46-37 lead at the first media timeout.  Coming out of the timeout, the Mountain Lions were unsuccessful on three free throws at the line and went 0-5 the next four minutes before Johnson laid in a bucket on Rylie Ottmann's bounce pass in the lane, cutting the UCCS deficit down to 10 after three full quarters of action, 49-39. 
• Down by 12 points with 7:43 left in the game, 53-41, UCCS started to mount its comeback with Hurtado's offensive rebound and putback followed by a fastbreak layup from Jackson-Allen, who later drained a three-pointer to bring UCCS within six, 56-50. Seven straight points from Moore Allen brought the Mountain Lions closer to the lead, 60-57, before Ottmann's steal led to a three-pointer at the top of the key from Jackson-Allen to knot the game at 60-all.  Down by two after two FHSU free throws, Mya Wilson converted on a three-point play to give the Mountain Lions their first lead of the game since the second quarter, 65-64.  After FHSU's timeout, Weeter drew a foul in the paint and netted both free throws to put her team back on top of UCCS, 66-65, with seven ticks left in regulation.  UCCS called another timeout, but a last-second jumper from Wilson fell short as the Mountain Lions nearly upended the Tigers, 66-65.

              
GAME STATISTICS

• Moore Allen paced the Mountain Lions with 19 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter.  She netted both free throw attempts and made 8-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-5 from three-point range.
• Johnson chipped in 16 points and pulled in four rebounds.
• Jackson-Allen came off the bench to score nine of her 11 points from behind the arc (3-of-6) while nabbing two steals.
• The Mountain Lions made 28-of-68 field goals for 41.2 percent, 6-of-21 from three-point range (28.6 percent) and 3-of-6 free throws.
• The Tigers finished the contest shooting 41.8 percent from the floor (23-of-55), including 7-of-22 from long range, and making 13-of-15 free throws (86.7 percent).
• The third-highest scorer in Division II (26.8 points per game), Talexa Weeter netted 33 points on 11-of-25 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws, three points under her season average.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Hurtado had a career game today in rebounds (nine), field goals made (four), and field goals attempted (five).
• The Mountain Lions set a new season high in field goals attempted (68), made three-point field goals (three), and three-point field goals attempted (21).
• Today's game was the third straight nationally ranked opponent UCCS has faced.
• The Mountain Lions held Fort Hays State to 17 points under their season average (83 points per game).

 
UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions will stay in Denver, Colo. for tomorrow's game against Western New Mexico University.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

 
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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. Read Full Article