GUNNISON, Colo.  Senior Rachel Cockman posted her third consecutive double-double in Western Colorado's fifth consecutive victory as the Mountaineers opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action Thursday night with a 60-57 victory over visiting Colorado Christian University.

Cockman pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds to go along with game-high honors in scoring as well, pumping in 19 points during the win at Paul Wright Gym.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. CCU, 60-57
Records: Western 5-2 overall (1-0 RMAC), CCU 1-6 (0-1)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mountaineers used a dominant second quarter to extend a one-point lead at the end of the first into a 37-21 advantage heading into the halftime break.
• Western scored 21 points in the second frame while limiting the Cougars to just 6 points. Cockman had seven of her rebounds in the quarter, with four of those turning directly into points for the Mountaineers.
• Her last rebound late in the first quarter also turned into points as Cockman went back up for a layup that put Western in front, 16-15, for good.
• Both teams struggled in the third quarter, combining for just 12 points, as the Mountaineers hit just 1-of-15 from the floor and CCU was just 4-of-12.
• Western went into the final quarter with a 12-point advantage, 41-29, but the Cougars regained the range they'd had in the first quarter (5-of-9 from behind the arc) to cut into their deficit on 3-of-6 shooting from long range and 10-of-19 overall.
• The Mountaineer lead was by six after free throws by Natalie Jojola but settled on the final margin with CCU's Nicole Bowlin's 3-pointer beat the buzzer from near halfcourt.

COURT NOTES

• Western shot 50 percent (8-of-16) in the second quarter to CCU's 7% (1-of-14). It's big second frame was needed as the Mountaineers made just four shots from the floor in the second half, but were deadly from the free throw line, converting 14 of 16 attempts from the stripe.
• Cockman's career night on the glass was part of a dominating rebounding night for the team as Western pulled down 51 to nearly double CCU's 27.
• Those figures showed up in the second-chance column in the stats book as the Mountaineers totaled 14 points to CCU's 2.
• Nearly reaching a double-double herself was Ivey Schmidt who scored 15 points and came away with 8 rebounds.
• Brooklyn Seymour was also up there in rebounds with seven, while six others had at lead two rebounds in the win.
• Thursday's win over the Cougars broke a three-game losing streak to CCU.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
Western plays host to Colorado State Pueblo (5-3, 1-0 RMAC) on Saturday in a 1 p.m. RMAC game in Paul Wright Gym.