GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado fought back from a 14-point second quarter deficit to pull even early in the third with visiting Colorado Christian University, but the Cougars outscored the Mountaineers 19-8 over the final seven minutes of the game to earn a 71-59 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball victory Saturday night.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: CCU def. Western, 71-59
Records: Western 6-15 overall (4-12 RMAC), CCU 13-9 (9-7)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mountaineers got off to a slow start in the game, falling behind 20-9 late in the opening quarter.
• That deficit grew to 14, 26-12, in the first two minutes of the second quarter before Western found its footing and began a comeback.
• By the time the teams were breaking for halftime, the deficit had dwindled to just four points, 32-28, as five different Mountaineers contributed to a 16-6 finishing run in the second. Natalie Jojola had the only 3-pointer in the string and collected five of the 16 points.
• Western came out of the break and scored the opening two baskets in the third, with Ivey Schmidt hitting a jumper after a Cougar turnover to halve the deficit followed by a Brooklyn Seymour floater from in the paint that tied the game at 32-32.
• CCU would break the tie and build a seven-point gap later in the quarter, only to watch Erika Lane drop in a 3-pointer to draw Western once again to within four points, 48-44, at the end of the frame.
• An early rush by the Mountaineers at the start of the fourth quarter narrowed CCU's lead to just a point, 52-51, but the Cougars would race away from Western over the final 7:26. Despite hitting its last basket at the 2:55 mark, CCU was able to widen its advantage behind a 9-for-12 closing spurt from the free throw line.

COURT NOTES

• Lane and Schmidt would finish the game with a team-high 14 points apiece. Lane's total was a season high and one point off her career best, while Schmidt would continue a run of double-digit scoring, extending the streak to five games and averaging 18.2 points per game over that span.
• Seymour would finish with team bests in rebounds with six, assists with four, and three steals while chipping in with seven points.
• Jojola would reach double figures in scoring, adding 10 points to the Western total.
• CCU's Maggie Hutka hit the double-double for the Cougars, leading all players with 30 points and 13 rebounds.
• Hutka was a big presence in the paint for the Cougars, who forged a 44-30 advantage from in close over the course of the game.

UP NEXT
Western is on the road for its next two outings, first taking on host Adams State University on Friday, followed by a Saturday afternoon game at Fort Lewis College.