GUNNISON, Colo.  A 17-2 run to close out the game lifted Western Colorado to a 65-49 non-conference win over visiting Angelo State (Texas) University Monday evening in the season opener for the Mountaineers at Paul Wright Gym.
The Rambelles closed within a point, 48-47, with 5:21 to play in the fourth quarter but an Ivey Schmidt 3-pointer ignited Western's finishing run on the way to its opening victory of the 2025-26 season.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Angelo State, 65-49
Records: Western 1-0, Angelo State 1-2
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.
HOW IT HAPPENED

• It didn't look like it was going to take a finishing spurt to earn the win after Western took a 39-22 lead into the halftime break.
• The Mountaineers shot 55 percent from the floor over the opening two quarters, including dropping in a combined five 3-pointers from four different players.
• The momentum from those opening 20 minutes swung wildly in favor of Angelo State coming out of the break, however, as the Rambelles shot 50% in the third quarter while Western hit one shot from the floor and four from the free throw line with ASU outscoring the Mountaineers 19-6 in the frame to claw back to within four points (45-41).
• A jumper and free throw by ASU's Taylor Grona at the 5:33 mark made it a one-point game (48-47), but Western finally rekindled the magic they'd displayed in the first half, beginning with Schmidt's trey.
• Briley Merket scored on a put back for Angelo State but that would be the Rambelles' final points of the game.
• Its next time down the court Western's Jayda Maves hit a 3-pointer followed by a Schmidt defensive rebound and Alyssa Eckroth's trey to bump the lead to eight.
• Schmidt then registered a steal in the defensive end that turned into a Maves layup from Schmidt, and on ASU's next possession it was a Chloe Daniels block and Penelope Urquhart rebound that transitioned to an Urquhart 3-pointer that grew the lead to the final margin of 13.

HARDWOOD NOTES

• Eckroth would lead all scorers on the night with 19 points, and she was joined in double figures by Schmidt's 16 and Maves' 15 points.
• A consistent theme last season on Western's run into the semifinal round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference postseason tournament was a rebounding gap over opponents, and Monday night that prowess continued with the Mountaineers finishing with a 47-39 edge off the glass.
• Schmidt just missed the double-double, pulling down nine boards, while Daniels was ripping down eight and Urquhart came away with seven.
• Despite the rough third quarter, Western finished the night shooting 41% while limiting Angelo State to just 31% from the floor.
• The Mountaineers drained nine 3-pointers in the game against just three by the Rambelles shooters.
• Angelo State's only lead in the game was at 2-0. Eckroth hit a short jumper that evened the score and after Urquhart came away with a defensive rebound, an Eckroth trey gave Western a lead that – though ASU came close – it wouldn't relinquish, ahead on the scoreboard for a total of 38 minutes, 45 seconds.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
Western heads to Texas for a three-game swing into the Lone Star State, opening the stretch with Saturday's afternoon game in San Antonio against host St. Mary's University.