Box Score ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Cowgirls used an 11-2 run – spanning both halves – to rally from a six point deficit and take the lead for good as the New Mexico Highlands women's basketball team (10-10, 6-10 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) completed the season sweep of Adams State (7-13, 3-12 RMAC) with a 46-38 win Friday night (Feb. 7) in Alamosa, Colo.
Both teams had trouble scoring in the first half as Adams State took a 17-11 lead with 3:42 until break. Sophomore
Leisha Crawford got the Cowgirls going with a steal and fast break lay-up. Senior
Alyssa Lopez then turned defense into offense when she rejected a shot, grabbed the defensive board and ran down the court for the jumper. Senior
China Smith – who had as many total rebounds as Adams State had defensive rebounds (18) – knotted the game at 17 with a jumper 24 seconds before half.
The home team took a two-point advantage into break when Mariah Gonzalez hit a basket before the intermission.
The Cowgirls were undeterred, scoring the first five points out of the break. Senior
Patrina Goree scored on the opening possession of the second half. Highlands got a stop and Smith ripped down the board and fed Freshman
Giulia Simioni for the triple as the visitors built a 22-19 lead, an advantage it would not relinquish.
Smith was the only Cowgirls in double-figures in points, finishing the night with 10 points and 18 boards for her 10th double-double of the season. Simioni hit all three attempts from downtown, finishing the night with nine points.
Adams State hung around until Crawford delivered the knockout. With 47 seconds left, Crawford hit a shot from downtown to ignite a 7-1 Cowgirls run to end the ballgame. Highlands made all four shots from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds.
After only shooting 7-23 (30.4 percent) in the first half, Highlands rebounded with a 9-17 (52.9 percent) mark in the second half. The Cowgirls also made all eight free throws is the second stanza after no trips to the line in the first.
The home team trailed 11-7 early before 10 unanswered gave them their largest lead of the game. Michelle Blanton hit a lay-up before Gonzalez knotted the ballgame with a jumper after a Grizzlies defensive stand. Mariah Gonzalez converted a three-point play, and Tessie Pikula hit a jumper to put Adams State up 16-11 with 8:04 left.
The Grizzlies could only manage a free throw in the next four minutes as the teams combined to miss the next 11 shots from the field. Crawford ended the drought with a steal and fast break lay-up.
Gonzalez paced the team with 19 points and nine boards. No other Grizzly tallied more than six points. As a team, 38 points was Adams State second-lowest output of the year and second-lowest shooting percentage (14-55, 25.5 percent) in 2013-14.
The Cowgirls return to action tomorrow night when they face off against Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks edged Western New Mexico, 71-64, Friday night and are 12-7 overall and 9-6 in conference play.
