GUNNISON, Colo.  Career highs from Ivey Schmidt and Jayda Maves helped push Western Colorado past visiting Chadron State College Friday night at Paul Wright Gym, the dynamic duo each pocketing 25 points in the Mountaineers' 81-63 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory.

Western cracked the 80-point mark for the first time this season in the win over the Eagles and have now won four of its past six games.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Chadron State, 81-63
Records: Western 7-14 overall (4-11 RMAC), Chadron State 6-15 (4-12)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The only lead the Eagles mustered during the game was at 3-2 in the opening period, but Schmidt erased the deficit and ignited an 11-0 run that proved to be the turning point, just five minutes into the game.
• A 10-foot jumper from Schmidt kicked off the point streak, and she extended the run with a 3-pointer after a defensive rebound at the other end by Alyssa Eckroth.
• The two switched roles on the next Chadron possession as Schmidt pulled down the rebound and an Eckroth jumper finished off the play in the offensive end.
• A CSC turnover put the ball back in Western's hands with Rachel Novak getting fouled on her shot, then sinking both free throws to keep the streak rolling.
• A Maves jumper after another Chadron State turnover capped the run, elevating the Mountaineers to a 13-3 lead just past the halfway point of the first quarter.
• Western would finish the frame with a 22-10 lead, then exploded in the second half, outscoring CSC 29-12 and taking a 51-22 advantage into the halftime break.
• The 29-point lead grew to 34 points, 58-24, early in the third quarter before Chadron State could break out of its scoring slump.
• Though the Eagles 'won' the second half, 43-30, Western's blistering first half – during which it shot 59 percent from the floor, including 64% (7-of-11) from behind the arc – was too large of a deficit to overcome.

COURT NOTES

• Schmidt, a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range against the Eagles, has hit for 20 or more points twice prior to Friday's game against CSC and is now averaging 10.1 points per game for the season and 19.2 PPG over her most recent four outings.
• Maves improved her season scoring average to 12.8 PPG, and her 25-point output against CSC surpasses her previous career high of 19 points, a total she has registered three times this season.
• Brooklyn Seymour led all players off the glass, pulling down a season-high nine rebounds while also adding six points and three assists.
• Western finished the win over the Eagles shooting 46% from the floor and 45% (13-of-29) from long range. The Mountaineers were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, hitting 10 of 11 shots from the stripe.
• Chadron State owned the lead for a total of nine seconds in the game. Western held the advantage for 39 minutes, 15 seconds.

UP NEXT

• Colorado Christian University visits Paul Wright Gym on Saturday for a 3 p.m. RMAC contest.
• The Cougars escaped with an 80-73 win over the visiting Mountaineers earlier in the season.