LAS VEGAS, N.M. –The Cowgirls scored 12 unanswered in the first half to take a double digit lead, but the Mavericks fought back for a halftime lead as New Mexico Highlands (5-17, 4-14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Confernce) fell to Colorado Mesa (18-4, 15-3 RMAC) 50-40 Friday night (Feb. 13) in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
The Mavericks held a slim 4-3 lead before senior
Emma Hart hit a pair from the line to put the Cowgirls up 5-4. Sophomore
Giulia Simioni drove to the basket for a layup with 16:30. Neither team scored in the next two minutes before Hart split from the line. Senior
Anngelina Sanchez hit a triple and then made a steal and a fastbreak jumper. Sanchez hit another jumper to put the Cowgirls up 15-4 with 12:27 left in the first half.
Senior
Jenny Johnson led the team with 16 points while junior
Brittany Brown added 11 boards. The Cowgirls were held to only nine field goals and 19.6 percent shooting (9-46).
Leanndra Gilbert hit a layup at the 12:13 marks for the Mavericks, breaking nearly a six-minute scoring drought by the visitors. Gilbert added a jumper, Erika Musante had a layup and Siu Lo'Amanu added a three pointer to quickly cut the lead down to 15-13 with 8:36 left in the half.
Gilbert led the Mavericks with 18 points and nine boards while Erin Erichle scored 16 points. Colorado Mesa, as a team, had nine blocks for the game.
The Cowgirls trailed by two with a minute left before the intermission, but a Reichle jumper and layup put the visitors up six at break.
The Cowgirls cut the deficit to four in the second half, but they climbed no closer in the 10-point loss. Highlands only went 2-21 (9.5 percent) from the field in the second half.
The Cowgirls close out their home schedule tomorrow (Feb. 14) at 5 p.m. against Western State.
