Box Score CHADRON, Neb. – The New Mexico Highlands University women's basketball team (7-7, 4-7 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) led by as much as 15 in the second half, but Chadron State (2-12, 2-8 RMAC) rallied and took leads late in regulation and both overtimes, pulling out a 102-99 win in two overtimes Friday night in Chadron, Neb.
New Mexico Highlands and Chadron State starters took control of the game as 8-of-10 reached double-figures. The Eagles held late leads in regulation and both overtimes, but senior
Alyssa Lopez had an answer in regulation and in the first extra session. Lopez – who scored 19 points – hit a layup with three seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. In the first extra period with the Cowgirls down by three, Lopez nailed a triple with eight seconds left and grabbed a rebound off the missed shot as the game went into double overtime.
The Cowgirls led by as much as four in the third overtime, but Lopez shot went wide at the buzzer as Chadron State claimed the 102-99, 2 OT win.
Senior
TJ Manson recorded her first double-double of the year with season-highs in both points (20) and rebounds (11). Smith narrowly missed her third-straight double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds before fouling out.
Junior
Jenny Johnson ended with 16 points.
Highlands scored the first five points of the game and held Chadron State at arm's length for most of the first half. Up by six with 11 minutes left in the first period, junior
Anngelina Sanchez and Lopez hit back-to back threes as the Cowgirls took their first double-digit lead. Up by six late in the first half, Lopez hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to give Highlands a 38-30 lead into intermission.
Up 42-33 early in the second period, Manson hit three jumpers in as many offensive possessions to give the Cowboys their largest lead of the night for the Cowgirls.
Chadron State clawed its way back to down five before scoring six-straight points to take a 72-71 lead with 25 seconds left in regulation, the Eagles first lead of the night. Katie Ranta – who went off for 37 points and 12 rebounds for Chadron State – started the run with a pair from the charity stripe. Greer Babbe, who added 10 points of her own, and Ranta hit layups to put the Eagles in the lead.
Lopez answered with a pair of free throws for the Cowboys, but an old-fashioned three by Kayli Rageth gave Chadron State a two point lead with eight seconds left in regulation. Lopez's layup with three seconds left sent the game to extra basketball.
Highlands scored the first five points of the first overtime and led 84-80 with 1:48 left, but Chadron State answered with seven unanswered, all by Ranta. Lopez hit the three to send it into the second extra period, but the Cowgirls luck ran out as Lopez missed a three at the buzzer.
In the game, 170 of the 201 combined points (84.6 percent) of the two teams were scored by the starters.
The New Mexico Highland University women's basketball team returns to action Saturday night (Jan. 18) when it travels to Spearfish, S.D., to take on Black Hills State. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
