GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - It did not take long for Western Colorado University Women's Basketball to garner their first win of the season - just one game in fact. Western opened the season with a 56-52 win against Western New Mexico University to start the Holiday Inn-Airport Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Colorado Mesa University.
 
In a balanced offensive effort, Western (1-0 0-0 RMAC) proved to be too much for Western New Mexico University (2-1 0-0 Lone Star) while shooting 41% from the floor. On the night, three Mountaineer women scored in double figures.
 
After several minutes of contested basketball, Western took the lead at the 5:24 mark of the first quarter off a Taytem Coleman three pointer. From that point on, the Mountaineers never relinquished the lead.
 
Tammarrah Gothard played a strong game for Western, leading the Mountaineers in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and seven boards. Gothard also recorded two steals and an assist in a complete game for Western.
 
Both Taytem Coleman and Jessie Erickson added 10 points for Western. Coleman was solid behind the arc, shooting 33% from deep while Erickson played every dimension of the game with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
 
Despite a slow second quarter, Western hit the break up 24-21. In the third quarter, the Mountaineers pushed their lead to 14 points on an Erickson free-throw with 58 seconds remaining in the period.
 
But a resilient Mustang squad dug in over the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, cutting Western's lead to one with 1:28 remaining in the game.
 
Back-to-back baskets by Chandler Willis and Erickson pushing the score to 52-47 proved enough to stymie the Mustang onslaught in the fourth quarter.
 
Western returns to the court tomorrow against Arizona Christian University in day two of the Holiday Inn-Airport Thanksgiving Classic.