GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado fought back from a 16-point third quarter deficit to pull even with visiting Colorado State University Pueblo in the final minutes of Friday's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball battle, but the Mountaineers were plagued all night from a chilly reception at the free throw line in a 61-56 loss to the ThunderWolves.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: CSU Pueblo def. Western, 61-56
Records: Western 3-12 overall (0-9 RMAC), Pueblo 11-8 (6-5)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mountaineers got off to a slow start, getting doubled up after the first quarter (12-6) and though they found their legs in the second quarter, entered the halftime break trailing by nine, 31-22.
• Things got worse over the opening minutes of the third, but Rachel Cockman's 3-pointer with the score 41-25 began to turn the tide for Western.
• The deficit was still in double digits after three quarters, but much more manageable at just 10 (47-37) entering the final frame.
• The Mountaineers scored the first four points of the quarter, and though the Wolves broke the string with a 3-pointer, Cockman was able to respond for Western with another trey followed by a layup by Ivey Schmidt that trimmed the deficit to just four at 50-46.
• Pueblo pushed its lead back to six with a layup at their end, only to have Erika Lane answer with a jumper followed by a Natalie Jojola 3-pointer, after a Schmidt defensive rebound, to creep within a point (52-51).
• Autumn Watts of Pueblo hit just the second of two free throws to double the deficit to two, but Schmidt hit a floater from in the paint to bring Western all the way back and into a 53-53 tie.
• Western, however, missed three of four free throws down the stretch while also finding itself in the unenviable position of committing just one foul in the quarter heading into the final minute. Time ran off the clock as the Mountaineers had to commit four fouls just to get Pueblo to the line while trailing by just a point, 57-56, with 20 seconds remaining on the scoreboard.
• Alisha Little nailed two free throw with 10 seconds left for a three-point advantage, and the Wolves dropped in to more from the line in the final seconds to stave off Western's rally.

COURT NOTES

• Cockman led Western with 19 points and was joined in double figures by Lane (12 points) and Jayda Maves (10). Little finished with a game-high 25 points for Pueblo, while also coming away with 14 rebounds for the double-double.
• With three 3-pointers, Cockman was also Western's leader from behind the arc, but as a team the Mountaineers were just 6-of-26 (23 percent) from long range, while the Wolves were 10-for-21 (47%).
• Western committed just seven turnovers in the game while forcing 18 from Pueblo, and scored 14 points off those Wolves miscues.
• The 8-of-21 (38%) night from the free throw line, though, was a damaging aspect of the night, contributing to the early deficit and making things difficult for the Mountaineers to overtake the Wolves.

UP NEXT
Western is back in Paul Wright Gym on Saturday, when it will take on New Mexico Highlands University in an RMAC match-up beginning at 3 p.m.