Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Cowgirls came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to tie the ballgame four times in the second, but they could not retake the lead as New Mexico Highlands University (8-9, 4-9 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) fell at Western new Mexico (8-10, 5-9 RMAC) 80-73 Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25) in Silver City, N.M.
Down 57-49 with 10:00 minutes remaining, The Cowgirls went on a 10-2 run to tie the ballgame. Senior
Alyssa Lopez hit a jumper off of a junior
Trish Simpson offensive board. After a defensive stand, senior
China Smith sank a pair from the line. Junior
Jenny Johnson came up with a loose ball and hit Smith running down the court to bring the Cowgirls within two.
To lead the Cowgirl charge, Smith had a game-best 20 points and 13 rebounds for her team-leading eighth double-double of the season.
Stephanie Moore, the Mustangs leading scorer with 18, tried to stem the momentum with a lay-up, but Simpson hit a pair from the line and a jumper to tie the game at 59 with seven minutes left.
The Cowgirls could never retake the lead and seven unanswered by Western New Mexico over a two-minute stretch near the end of the game proved to be the difference. Tied at 69 with 2:32 left, the Mustang's Nalani Hernandez – who had 14 points of her own – hit a lay-up to break the tie. After a Cowboys' turnover, Ashley Mitchell hit a triple to all but seal the game. A Hernandez block punctuated the game as the Mustangs hit all six from the charity stripe in the final 36 seconds.
Besides Smith's huge game, three other Cowgirls scored in double-digits. Junior
Claudia Meneses etched the double-double off the bench with 13 points and 11 boards. Johnson added 14 while Simpson came off the bench for 10.
Highlands took advantage on the glass with a 48-34 edge, including a 26-12 edge. However, a 23-16 edge for the Cowgirls in second-chance points was negated by 23 turnovers for the game.
Down 7-6 early, the Mustangs outscored the Cowgirls 37-24 the rest of the first half to take a 12-point lead into intermission.
The women's basketball team returns to action Friday (Jan. 31) when it hosts CSU-Pueblo at 6 p.m. The Cowgirls fell 65-56 to the ThunderWolves in the final game for both teams before Christmas.
