Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The New Mexico Highlands University women's basketball team (5-5, 2-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) built a 10-point lead in the second half and junior
Jenny Johnson made a lay-up with six seconds remaining as the Cowgirls upended Metro State (3-7, 2-4 RMAC) 72-70 Friday night (Jan. 3) at the John A. Wilson Complex in Las Vegas, N.M.
Tied at 70 with one minute left, Highlands ran more than 20 seconds off the clock with Senior
China Smith drawing a shooting foul with 30 seconds left. Smith missed both freebies but grabbed her own board and flipped the ball to Johnson. Johnson ran the clock under seven on the shot clock on the wing, driving by her defender for the go-ahead lay-up with 6.5 seconds left. The Roadrunners' Cassie Lambrecht missed a wild, contested jumper on the other end of the court and senior
Brittany Neeley secured the loose ball and the Cowgirls win.
The Cowgirls built a 10-point lead thanks to making their first six triples of the second half, finishing the stanza with a 6-7 mark. Senior
Alyssa Lopez knotted the game at 37 in the second half, and started a 14-2 Highlands run, with a triple with 18:28 left in the game. Neeley then hit the only inside shot of the Cowgirls' run. Sophomore
Leisha Crawford joined the three-point parade followed by a pair of three-pointers by Johnson around a Metro State lay-up. Highlands led 48-39 with 16:01, scoring 14 points in less than 2.5 minutes.
The Cowgirls were able to flex its muscles on the boards with a 37-25 edge on the board. Smith recorded a game-high 13 boards, including six offensive boards herself. Metro State had six offensive rebounds as a team.
Lopez came off the bench to lead Highlands with a game-best 17 points. Johnson contributed 15 points while Crawford had 11.
Tied at 27 with 3:17 left in the first half, the visitors hit 4-of-6 from the charity stripe to build its largest lead of the game. Neeley answered with a pair from the line and junior
Trish Simpson nailed a jumper to quickly retie the contest. Lambrecht – the Roadrunners leading scorer along with Kya DeGarmo with 15 points – then hit a lay-up to put Metro State up two. Lopez answered with a three the old-fashioned way and a pair of free throws by the Roadrunners gave the visitors a 35-34 edge at the break.
The 14-2 push in the second half saw the Cowgirls never trail the rest of the game. New Mexico Highlands led 68-63 with 3:35 left, but Metro State's Demi Jacobs made a lay-up and DeGarmo swished a three to tie the game for the ninth time. Both teams traded baskets for the 10th tie of the game before Johnson closed the game with a drive to the basket with six seconds left.
The Cowgirls look to complete the sweep on the weekend Saturday (Jan. 4) when it plays host to Regis. The Rangers are 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the RMAC after falling 65-63 at Western New Mexico Friday night.
