GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. --- The Western Colorado women's basketball team picked up its first win of the season as it jumped out to an early lead and held off a pesky Montana Western team for a 58-52 win Friday on the opening day of the CMU Holiday Inn – Airport Thanksgiving Classic at Brownson Arena.
 
The Mountaineers (1-2) sprinted to a 15-3 lead on Montana Western (6-3) after Samantha Coleman drained a 3-pointer late in the first quarter. But the Bulldogs went on a 13-0 run that was capped with a Shannon Worster 3-pointer with 7:22 remaining in the second quarter to make it 16-15.
 
WCU trailed 19-18 before Hannah Cooper scored at the 5:28 mark in the second quarter to give the Mountaineers the lead – and they wouldn't relinquish it the rest of the way.
 
But it was far from easy as the Bulldogs stayed within double figures for much of the game and had it to a one possession game in the final two minutes (after trailing by 11 points earlier in the quarter) before WCU's Cooper grabbed a key offensive rebound and scored with 1:10 left to make it 54-49 Mountaineers.
 
WCU wouldn't let UMW get closer than five the rest of the way to pick up the win.
 
Taytem Coleman led the Mountaineers with 18 points, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Jessie Erickson had a solid all-around game with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Samantha Coleman finished with nine points – going 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Cooper had five points and a team-high five assists.
 
WCU shot 45.7 percent from the field, including 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range, but turned it over 18 times to allow the Bulldogs to stay in the hunt. The Mountaineers did force 21 Bulldog turnovers, however, and held UMW to 36 percent shooting from the field.
 
WCU returns to action noon Saturday in Grand Junction as it takes on University of the Southwest at Brownson Arena.