GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado women's basketball team held off a scrappy Colorado Christian squad for a 59-55 victory Saturday night at Paul Wright Gym - and in the process - officially secured a spot into the RMAC Tournament.

It's the second consecutive year the Mountaineers (17-6 overall, 15-4 RMAC) have secured a spot into the conference tournament, the first time WCU has been to the postseason in back-to-back years since 1990. The Mountaineers are now a win (or a Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines loss) away from securing a home game for the first round - something they haven't done since 2012. WCU is also still in the hunt for the RMAC title as a Colorado Mesa loss on Saturday night gets the Mountaineers within two games of the first-place Mavericks with three games to go - including the regular-season finale Feb. 28 at home against CMU.

As for Saturday, the Mountaineers led CCU (8-17, 8-11) 54-44 with 5:02 left after a mid-range Samantha Coleman jumper. But a quick 5-0 run by the Cougars quickly got them back into in with less than four minutes remaining.

WCU's lead was cut down to 56-54 with 1:13 left after a pair of CCU free throws before Jessie Erickson split a pair of free throws to make it a three point contest.

The Cougars' Sam Nunez drove the ball into the paint, but WCU's Katie Dalton was there to swat a shot away and grab the rebound with 29 seconds left. CCU wouldn't get a chance to tie it again the rest of the contest as the Mountaineers did just enough to salt the game away.

Coleman led the Mountaineers with 11 points to go along with six rebounds and two steals. Dalton finished with 10 points, four rebounds and a block, Erickson added eight points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals while Mikaela Parker had a strong game off the bench with seven points, a team-high eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

The Mountaineers held CCU to 34 percent shooting, including 4-for-17 from 3-point range, and outrebounded the Cougars 39-27 - helping overcome 18 turnovers.

WCU hits the road next week as it travels to take on Adams State on Friday and Fort Lewis on Saturday.