DENVER, Colo. – The first half saw numerous wild swings, but the Roadrunners led the entire game as New Mexico Highlands (4-7, 3-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) fell to Metropolitan State University of Denver, 64-52, Friday night (Jan. 2).
The first of such swings saw the home team jump out to a 11-1 lead five minutes into the game. Senior
Jenny Johnson, who scored a game-best 16 points, hit back-to-back triples before an old-fashioned three by redshirt freshman
Michelle Tapia brought the Cowgirls within one.
A triple by the Roadrunners' Kaysha Fox ignited a 10-0 spurt for the home team to push the lead back to double-digits. Emily Hartegan followed with a jumper before Hannah Stipanovich added a layup. Jenae Payne capped the run with a three to put the home team up 21-10 with 7:40 left.
MSU Denver used a 43-26 edge on the boards and a 12-0 edge in second chance points that led to the final margin. Besides Johnson, sophomore
Giulia Simioni added 12 points while senior
Anngelina Sanchez scored 11 points – all in the second half.
For the home team, Deni Jacobs scored 13 points while Fox added 12 points, all from a 4-5 mark from behind the arc. Payne chipped in 10 points.
The wild swings were not done in the first half as a 12-4 run brought the Cowgirls within three. Simioni and senior
Emma Hart both made a layup. After the Roadrunners hit a pair from the line, junior
Brittany Brown hit a layup. Johnson hit a pair of threes around a Jacobs jumper to cut the deficit to 25-22 with 2:31 left.
However, the home team turned in the final swing by scoring 10 unanswered and 12 in the final 13 points of the first half.
The second half saw MSU Denver take an 18-point lead, but the Cowgirls tallied seven straight. Sanchez hit a three before hit a trio of free throws after being fouled shooting a three. Simioni split from the line to cut the deficit to 41-30 with 14:22 left, but the Cowgirls could climb no closer.
Highlands returns to action tomorrow afternoon (Jan. 3) at 3 p.m.
