DENVER, Colo. – Junior forward
Ayianna Johnson scored 19 first-half points to lead the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team to a 35-point win Wednesday afternoon against Western New Mexico University. The Mountain Lions eclipsed the 80-point mark for the second time this season in the 87-52 neutral-site win, hosted by Metropolitan State University of Denver.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: W, 87-52
- Records: UCCS (2-3, 0-0 RMAC) | WNMU (0-5, 0-0 LSC)
- Facility | Location: Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
- All-Time Series: After today's win, the Mountain Lions have won the last four games against the Mustangs, including 11 of the last 12, improving their all-time record against Western New Mexico to 15-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UCCS came out firing from the opening tip when Rylie Ottmann made a bounce pass into the lane to Johnson on the first possession of the game for a 2-0 lead. The next trip down the court started with Amyah Moore Allen snagging an offensive rebound and taking it to the other end for her first points of the game, before Johnson chipped in a layup high off the glass for a 6-0 UCCS lead. Western New Mexico netted two free throws for their first points of the game, but Johnson led a UCCS charge, scoring eight of the Mountain Lions' points in a 13-2 run that was capped off by a three-pointer from Ottmann. Brooklyn Hurtado made one of two free throws that put UCCS on top, 17-7, with the Mountain Lions outscoring the Mustangs, 11-4, to end the first quarter and a 27-11 lead.
- The Mountain Lions continued to roll in the second quarter as Johnson pulled down a defensive rebound to start the stanza that ended with Jayla Jackson-Allen driving in the lane for a bucket. Gia Bradley came off the bench and drained back-to-back three-pointers to push UCCS' lead up to 35-13. Johnson kept the Mountain Lions on top of the Mustangs with two free throws that sparked a 10-3 run, which featured all 10 points from Johnson (six) and Moore Allen (four), giving the black and gold a comfortable 31-point lead at the half, 49-18.
- UCCS kept its dominance in the second half, keeping the lead over Western New Mexico after outscoring WNMU 38-34 in the final 20 minutes of action. All 13 players for UCCS saw action in the second half as Jackson-Allen and Breelyn Robinson commanded the floor for UCCS. Jackson-Allen scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half on 6-of-7 field goals and snagged two steals. Robinson was good on both field goal attempts and made 2-of-4 from the charity stripe as part of her eight points, two steals, and two assists in the second half.
GAME STATISTICS
- All 19 of Johnson's points came in the first half, where she made 7-of-9 field goals and added seven rebounds and three steals.
- Jackson-Allen came off the bench to tap in 16 points on 8-of-10 field goals, with her only two misses coming from three-point range.
- Robinson and Bradley both made two treys to account for four of UCCS's seven three-pointers this afternoon. Robinson finished with eight points, two steals, and two assists.
- Ottmann's lone bucket of the game came from three-point land, but she dished out a game-high five dimes.
- Brynae Stewart reigned in a game-high nine rebounds in 23 minutes of action, three of which were on the offensive end of the court.
- Thirteen Mountain Lions saw playing time today, with all but two scoring at least two points.
- The Mountain Lions made 58.3 percent from the floor (35-of-60), 36.8 percent from downtown (7-of-19), and 10-of-15 free throws for 66.7 percent.
- UCCS dominated the paint, where they scored 50 of their 87 points while holding WNMU to 22 points in the paint. The fast-paced play of the Mountain Lions helped them outscore the Mustangs on the fast break, 27-12, and the Mountain Lions netted 22 points off of WNMU's 23 turnovers.
- Natalie Magallness led the Mustangs with 14 points.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lions set multiple season highs today, including field goals made (35), field goal percentage (.583), made three-pointers (seven), rebounds (41) and assists (17).
- Mia DiPuccio notched a career high of four points on 2-of-3 field goals.
- Brooklyn Hurtado's 10 points set a new career mark, while Jackson-Allen's 16 points and 8-of-10 field goals were all new career highs.
- The 87 points today are the second most scored this season (88 vs. UT at Dallas).
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will play one more non-conference game before starting the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season. UCCS travels to Edmond, Okla. this Saturday to take on the University of Central Oklahoma at 12 p.m. (MT).
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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.
