DENTON, Texas. – The seventh-seeded University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team battled hard till the end of their South Central Regional quarterfinals match versus Lubbock Christian University but fell short, losing 68-65 after clutch late buckets from the Lady Chaps.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final: UCCS 65, LCU 68
- Records: UCCS (19-12, 12-8 RMAC) | LCU (30-4, 21-1 LSC)
- Facility | Location: TWU Kitty Magee Arena | Denton, Texas.
- All-Time Series: LCU is now 7-1 all-time over UCCS since 1989.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountain Lions started Friday afternoon's South Central Regional quarterfinals match up 8-4 after Maison White started the game hot with six points in the opening minutes. The Lady Chaps got it going offensively, nailing three-pointers to grow their lead to 17-12 with 1:50 to go in the first quarter. Amaya Snowden made a second-chance bucket on the next possession. Still, LCU closed with another three-pointer to lead 20-14 after one frame of action.
- Quarter two began with Lady Chaps forward Grace Foster finding the bottom of the net on a jumper. Jayla Jackson-Allen, Snowden, and UCCS' first three-pointer from Breelyn Robinson evened things at 22 at the eight-minute mark. Scoring slowed for the remainder of the first half, but with LCU aiming to take a five-point lead into the break, Snowden drove through the lane and delivered a tough layup with just a second left. Her basket cut the deficit to three (31-28), sending the Mountain Lions into halftime with some momentum. UCCS shot just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, while the Lady Chaps went 4-of-9.
- Amyah Moore Allen opened the second half with a pullup jumper to bring UCCS within one (31-30). LCU had responses, but Moore Allen's scoring kept the Mountain Lions right on the doorstep as she scored six points early in the third quarter. The Lady Chaps grew their lead up to eight (43-35) at 4:25 and back up to seven (48-41) with under a minute left in the third. Moore Allen and Jackson-Allen delivered crucial baskets in the quarter's final minute. Moore Allen found White with one second remaining as White powered through contact for a layup and sank the free throw, cutting the deficit to 50-48 heading into the fourth. Allen's dominant 12-point third quarter was key in keeping UCCS within striking distance to go into the final frame.
- The fourth quarter was an all-out, intense battle between the two teams. Jackson-Allen sank a big-time shot to bring UCCS within one (57-56), and on the next possession, White would hit another and-one layup to take a 58-57 lead with 5:37 left in the game. Nearly a minute later, Moore Allen cut through the lane to score her 20th point of the game and give the Mountain Lions a 60-57 lead. LCU replied with two consecutive baskets to even the game at 61 with 2:47 left. At the 1:15 mark in the game, Robinson went one of two from the free throw line to take a 62-61-point lead, but Foster responded with a layup to take a 63-62 lead with 56 seconds left. LCU's defense refused to let UCCS' offense score in the final minute. Foster would hit the game-sealing and-one layup with 16 seconds left and a pair of free throws to put the game out of reach for the Mountain Lions, resulting in a 68-65 win for Lubbock Christian.
GAME STATISTICS
- Moore Allen was the driving force of the Mountain Lions' offense today. The guard scored 20 points and collected six assists.
- White led the game with 15 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds, while scoring 11 points.
- Jackson-Allen and Snowden were major contributors off the bench for the Mountain Lions. They combined for 16 points while shooting a combined 7-of-11 from the field.
- UCCS' offense struggled to score today, as the Lady Chaps' defense held them to shoot 39.1 percent from the field and an ice-cold 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.
- LCU forward Grace Foster, the Lone Star Conference player of the year, delivered a dominant performance, scoring 32 points on 10-of-18 shooting while going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. She sealed the win with a clutch and-one layup with 16 seconds remaining, putting the Lady Chaps up 66-62. She then calmly sank the ensuing free throws to secure the 68-65 victory.
- LCU was the best all-around shooting team in the Lone Star Conference this season. It showed today as the Lady Chaps shot 45.8 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from deep, and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe.
- Despite the loss, the Mountain Lions bested LCU in rebounds (38-30), offensive rebounds (14-3), second-chance points (9-0), bench points (20-3), points in the paint (38-28), fast-break points (11-6), and blocks (3-2).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- In her final game, senior Maison White delivered a strong performance, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds to secure the 41st and final double-double of her UCCS career. White averaged a double-double in her final season, posting 12.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. She concludes her career as the program's all-time leader in rebounds with 998 (247 more than the next closest) and ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 1,374 career points.
- Junior Amyah Moore Allen had an incredible season. She scored 596 points, the most by a junior and the second-highest single-season total in program history. She also averaged 19.2 points per game, the fourth-best scoring average in a season for the program.
- The Mountain Lions' incredible run to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament championship secured them a spot in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament, marking a historic achievement for the program. This victory earned them their second conference tournament title and their fourth NCAA tournament in program history.
SOCIAL
X –
@GoMountainLions
Instagram –
@gomountainlions
Facebook – /
GoMountainLions
For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to
gomountainlions.com.
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.
