Updated Sun., 3/09/25, 1:46 p.m.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado's run toward the title game of the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament finished in the semifinal round as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs defeated the Mountaineers, 69-55, behind a dozen 3-point field goals. 

Western's Ivey Schmidt led all scorers with 21 points, but it wasn't enough to slow down a Mountain Lions attack that shot 40 percent (12-of-30) from behind the arc and got 29 points from its bench. 

JUST THE FACTS 
Final score: UCCS def. Western, 69-55 
Records: Western 21-8, UCCS 18-11 
Location: Brownson Arena, Grand Junction, Colo. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• After hitting a pair of free throws to open the game, UCCS took advantage of a Western turnover and dropped the first of its 12 triples for a quick 5-0 lead. 
• The Mountaineer would eventually tie the game at 7-7, though, and then again late in the first quarter at 12-12 on a turnaround jumper by Schmidt from in the paint. 
• UCCS took a 21-16 lead into the second quarter and doubled up that advantage in the opening minute with a jumper from Ellie Reynolds and a 3-pointer by Breelyn Robinson. 
• Robinson's trey was the first of three consecutive 3-pointers while Western was trying to keep up from the free throw line.  
• By the time halftime arrived, the Mountain Lions had stretched their lead to 42-28, shooting 58% from the floor to Western's 36% half. 
• Western's first-half scoring was distributed across its starters, led by Jayda Maves' seven points while Schmidt, Rachel Cockman and Jayde Tschritter added six points apiece. 
• The Mountaineers came out of the halftime recess with determination, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter. Cockman started the run with an opening possession layup followed by a pair of free throws by Schmidt who'd been fouled on a driving layup. 
• Both teams experienced short scoring droughts, ended, though, with a Schmidt defensive rebound and length-of-the-floor drive and layup. Brooklyn Seymour grabbed the next defensive rebound to start a possession that culminated in another turnaround jumper by Schmidt to pull Western within eight points, 42-34. 
• The Mountain Lions halted that run, however, adding another 3-pointer to its total. 
• Western got to within eight again, but would eventually head into the fourth trailing by 11 (50-39). 
• The death blows came in the first minute of the fourth as first Jayla Jackson-Allen then Krystina Hagood would drop in 3-pointers. Cockman would convert an and-1 to cut the deficit to 14, but UCCS' Emily Vidal would add another triple that pushed the Mountain Lion lead back up to 17 points with less than eight minutes to play. 
• Western got within 13 points, twice, over those final minutes, but UCCS would finish off its wire-to-wire win with a 14-point final advantage. 

COURT NOTES 

• Schmidt's 21-point night would be the fourth time in the past seven games in which she crested the 20-point mark. 
• Cockman, with 13 points, and Maves, with 10, would also reach double figures in the loss. 
• Seymour finished with a game-high nine rebounds, helping Western forge a 32-28 advantage off the glass. 
• The Mountaineers entered the semifinal hitting better than 32% of their 3-pointers but experienced a 3-for-15 (20%) night in the loss to the Mountain Lions. 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
At the conclusion of the tournament after the championship game on Saturday evening, the RMAC released its All-Tournament team with Schmidt earning inclusion in voting by the coaches whose teams were participating in the RMAC final four.

UP NEXT 
Western must now play the waiting game, hoping to hear its name called on Sunday night on the NCAA Division II women's basketball selection show.