Box Score The NMHU Women's Basketball team lost in overtime to their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival, the Mavericks of Colorado Mesa University, by the final score of 75-72. The Cowgirls had a rough start to the game, and the Mavericks went on a 12-0 run before the Cowgirls could net a basket. The Mavericks led by as much as 16 points in the first half of play, but the Cowgirls finally regained their composure and fought back to reduce the lead to seven going into halftime. The Cowgirls came out of the locker room with a whole new focus and played with amazing intensity on defense. Midway through the second half the Cowgirls finally took their first lead of the game. The teams went back and forth for the remainder of the second half and with only 17 seconds left in the game the Cowgirls held a three point lead. The Mavericks Tara Gehring sent the game into overtime with a three-point shot as time ran out. In overtime, the Mavericks took the early lead and the Cowgirls were able to tie the game up twice. The Mavericks connected their free-throw shots down the stretch and a last second three-pointer from
Alyssa Lopez failed to drop, giving the Mavericks the narrow three point victory in overtime. With the loss the Cowgirls, led by Head Coach Tiffany Darling, drop to a 0-4 record in the RMAC and 4-4 in overall play.
Once again it was consistent performer
Alyssa Lopez that led the Cowgirls in scoring. Lopez led all scorers on the night with 26 points in her 42 minutes on the court. She shot 8-24 from the field and made nine of her 14 free-throw attempts. Lopez would also add two rebounds and a blocked shot to her night's totals. Alyssa has been playing lights out so far this season and continues to be the Cowgirls' main threat on offense.
Whitley Coca had a solid game for the Cowgirls. Coca scored 24 points in her 45 minutes of playing time. Her three-point shots were crucial to keeping the Cowgirls in the game. She shot 4-7 from behind the three-point arc, made eight of her 18 field goal attempts, and was a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. Coca added six steals, four rebounds and an assist to the Cowgirls' efforts. Whitley finally came out of her funk in tonight's game, and it was her leadership on the court that helped the Cowgirls to take the second best team in the RMAC into overtime.
Two Cowgirls had great games in rebounding on the night.
China Smith nabbed a game high 15 boards and scored eight points in her 33 minutes on the court. Smith continues to be a key element of the Cowgirls' team effort this season.
Trish Simpson also had a great night rebounding for the Cowgirls with 11 boards. Simpson would add four points and a block in her 38 minutes of playing time.
The Mavericks started out the game in total control, going on a 12-0 run to take the 12-0 lead with 14:39 left in the first half. The Cowgirls finally managed to get on the scoreboard at that point, but the Mavericks kept the pressure on, and with only 5:45 left in the half, they had their biggest lead of the game at 16 points. The Cowgirls finally managed to regain their composure and they began to stalk their way back into the game.
Whitley Coca ran down the court and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Mavericks' lead to seven going into halftime.
Cowgirls' Head Coach Tiffany Darling obviously fired-up her team at halftime, because the Cowgirls came out of the locker room ready to play. Their defensive intensity had increased exponentially and they put tremendous pressure on the Mavericks' offense from the get go. With 18:05 left in the game, the Cowgirls newfound sense of urgency helped them cut the Mavericks' lead to just four points.
Alyssa Lopez hit a three-pointer with 15:40 on the clock to put the Cowgirls within two points of the Mavericks. It was obvious that the game had changed in the second half of play.
The Mavericks managed to extend their lead back up to seven points, but the Cowgirls kept up the pressure and had dropped the lead back to two with 12:53 remaining. Finally with 10:09 left on the clock,
China Smith hit a lay-up on the fast break to tie the game up at 46 apiece. The Cowgirls' defensive intensity was helping to change the course of the game. Thirty seconds later
Trish Simpson put back a tip-in shot and completed the three-point play after being fouled, to give the Cowgirls their first lead of the night. The Mavericks tried their best to put the Cowgirls away in the final minutes of the second half, but a lay-up from
Alyssa Lopez and two free-throw shots from
Whitley Coca put the Cowgirls on top, 65-62, with only 17 seconds left to play. The home crowd at John A. Wilson Complex was on their feet, but the Mavericks worked the remaining seconds off the clock and Tara Gehring hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime tied up at 65 apiece.
In overtime, it was the Mavericks who would regain control of the game. Tara Gehring completed the three-point play from the free-throw line to give the Mavericks the initial lead.
Whitley Coca ran down the court and hit another crucial three-pointer to tie the game up, but the Mavericks stayed in control extending their overtime lead back up to three points.
Alyssa Lopez converted on three of four consecutive free-throw attempts to tie the game back up at 72 apiece, with only 1:22 remaining in overtime. The game came down to free-throw shooting in the remaining seconds and it was the Mavericks, hitting three of their last four shots from the charity stripe, who had the last second advantage.
Alyssa Lopez took a three-point shot at the buzzer, but it wouldn't fall and the Mavericks came away with the victory in overtime by the final score of 75-72.
The Cowgirls looked like a different team after halftime and it was their teamwork and strong defense that helped them to take the second ranked team in the RMAC into overtime. Head Coach Tiffany Darling was incredibly pleased with how hard the Cowgirls fought to dig themselves out of a big hole in the first half. The Cowgirls never stopped fighting, even when it looked hopeless. Coach Darling said, “This was the best we've played since we took New Mexico State University into overtime and lost by six. This season has been a true test of our faith as a team, but we just continue to get better with every game we play.” With
Whitley Coca finally beginning to regain her star form, and with consistent quality performances from
Alyssa Lopez and
China Smith, the Cowgirls are looking to turn their season around soon.
The Cowgirls will continue conference action again, on 12/16, as they travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. to take on the Mountain Lions of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. The Mountain Lions are currently ranked seventh in the RMAC, with a 2-2 conference record and 6-3 in overall play. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 pm tip-off time, with the Cowboys taking to the court shortly after the completion of the women's game. If you can't make it up to Colorado Springs to watch your Cowgirls in action, you can click
HERE to watch the game LIVE on the America One network.
GO COWGIRLS!!!
