GUNNISON, Colo. --- The first time around against Dixie State on Jan. 25, the Western Colorado women's basketball team played arguably its worst half of basketball of the season in the first half against the Trailblazers - falling behind 43-23 on its way to a 68-54 loss.

The Mountaineers got some redemption on Friday in the friendly confines of Paul Wright Gym.

WCU locked up DSU in the first three quarters - allowing just 24 points on its way to building a 20-point lead before cruising to a 61-49 over the Trailblazers.

The Mountaineers (14-6 overall, 12-4 RMAC) now sit in a three-way tie for second place in the RMAC with Colorado School of Mines (which WCU owns the head-to-head over the Orediggers) and Westminster - which comes to Gunnison to take on WCU 5 p.m. Saturday - a team it beat earlier this season on the road.

The 12 RMAC wins for the Mountaineers is also tied for the second-most in program history - only behind the 13 conference wins during the 2006-07 season.

WCU got there with suffocating defense Friday against the Trailblazers (14-8, 9-7), holding them to 23.7 percent shooting (9-for-38) from the field through three quarters - including 1-for-16 from 3-point range.

Offensively, the Mountaineers were paced by Taytem Coleman as the sophomore scored a career-high 18 points to go along with a career-high four 3-pointers on five attempts. Samantha Coleman added 11 points and six rebounds for the Mountaineers while Katie Dalton finished with eight points, three rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

As a team, the Mountaineers shot 42.9 percent from the field - including 8-for-14 from 3-point range (57.1 percent) while also connecting on 17 of 21 free-throw attempts (81 percent). WCU also outrebounded DSU 36-25.