COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team delivered in the clutch, sinking 11-of-12 free throws in the final minutes to secure a hard-fought 75-72 victory over New Mexico Highlands University in a thrilling wire-to-wire battle.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final: UCCS 75, NMHU 72
- Records: UCCS (15-10, 11-7 RMAC) | NMHU (13-11, 10-8 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: NMHU John A. Wilson Complex | Las Vegas, N.M.
- All-Time Series: UCCS has improved to a 30-26 record over NMHU since 1990.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountain Lions got to work early on the road during Saturday afternoon's game, sprinting to an 8-2 run with layups coming from Gia Bradley, Maison White, and Amyah Moore Allen. The Cowgirls flipped the script, though, closing the first quarter on a 17-7 run, corralling a 19-15 lead after quarter one. The Mountain Lions struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over seven times in the first quarter.
- UCCS surged ahead with a 7-2 run to open the second quarter, setting the tone for a tightly contested stretch. With 1:10 left in the half, Emily Vidal drilled a corner three while drawing a foul, extending the Mountain Lions' lead to 33-28. Later, Rylie Ottmann bolted past her defender to end the half for a smooth scoop layup, sending UCCS into halftime up 35-28. In the final five minutes of the second quarter, UCCS went on an 11-2 run, giving them all of the momentum going into the second half. White led the charge, scoring 12 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting.
- Moore Allen scored the Mountain Lion's first five points of the second half and helped grow their lead to 10 (40-30). From then on, NMHU turned up its intensity. Over a near-five-minute stretch, the Cowgirls went on a 13-3 to even the game at 43 apiece with 2:39 left in the third quarter. Right out of a UCCS timeout, NMHU took back the lead. In the final minute of the third, a pair of Krystina Hagood free throws and a White layup would give the Mountain Lions a 47-45 lead going into the fourth quarter.
- UCCS and NMHU traded blows early in the fourth, but the Mountain Lions created separation after Ottmann and Hagood buried back-to-back three-pointers to give the Mountain Lions a six-point lead (60-54). However, NMHU fought back with an 11-6 run, cutting the deficit to just one (66-65) with 1:13 remaining in the game. UCCS stayed composed, though, sinking four straight clutch free throws from Moore Allen and White to push the lead to 70-65. In the final 30 seconds, the Mountain Lions sealed the win at the charity stripe, holding off the Cowgirls for a 75-72 victory.
GAME STATISTICS
- White led the Mountain Lions today to victory, scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. White shot 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line in 29 minutes of play.
- Four Mountain Lions recorded double-digit figures in today's game: Moore Allen (13), Ottmann (12), Hagood (10), and Vidal (10).
- UCCS bested NMHU bench points (34-22), fast break points (18-4), points off turnovers (24-17), and second chance points (16-10). The Mountain Lions also shot better from the field (46.2 percent) than the Cowgirls (43.3 percent) and better from beyond the arc (41.7 percent-29.4 percent).
- The Mountain Lion's last field goal came at the 2:32 mark in the fourth quarter. From then on, UCCS went 11-for-12 from the free throw line, with Vidal (four), Ottmann (three), Moore Allen (two), and White (two) all sinking big-time free throws to secure the win. UCCS shot 22-of-26 from the free throw line in total.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Maison White recorded her 40th career double-double in today's game and her 13th of the 2024-25 season.
- Hagood's two blocks in today's game mark a new season and career high.
- Ottmann's 12 points today marks a new season high.
- The Mountain Lions have defeated the Cowgirls in four straight matchups. Their last loss to NMHU came on February 25, 2023. UCCS has won 19 of the previous 21 matches against the Cowgirls since December 14, 2012.
UP NEXT
- UCCS is back home for its next matchup, taking on the Colorado School of Mines on Thursday, February 27. The game will start at 5 p.m. at the Gallogly Events Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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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.
