GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado grabbed the lead for good midway through the second quarter in Saturday afternoon's 77-67 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over visiting Colorado Christian University.

Part of the Mountaineers' success came in getting to the free throw line as they earned 31 opportunities and made 25 of those (81%), while the Cougars stepped to the line just 14 times, making 12 of those attempts (86%).

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Colorado Christian, 77-67
Records: Western 10-8 overall (8-4 RMAC), CCU 5-15 (2-10)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams traded baskets and the lead through much of the opening quarter, one that finished with the Cougars clinging to a 16-15 advantage.
• Both teams were limited in scoring early in the second quarter with CCU eventually holding that same one-point lead, 21-20, with 5:26 left before the half.
• But Alyssa Eckroth got her own rebound for a tipin on Western's ensuing possession, followed by a defensive rebound by Penelope Urquhart at one end and a 3-pointer from Jayda Maves at the other that turned the tide as the Mountaineers wouldn't trail again.
• Urquhart would finish the second quarter with a pair of free throws for a 33-25 advantage at the halftime break, and Addison Harding started the third quarter off with her own two free throws to provide Western with its first double-digit lead of the game.
• The Mountaineers would finish the frame with a 16-point lead, and in the final quarter allowed the gap to close to less then 10 only twice, the first time erased by an Urquhart trey and the second time by a pair of Chloe Daniels free throws.

COURT NOTES

• Western pushed four players into double figures with Maves and Ivey Schmidt each scoring a game-high 17 points. Eckroth added 12 points and Jacy Chandler chimed in with a career-high 12 points in the win.
• Eckroth was close to a double-double, coming away with a game best eight rebounds as Western finished with a 38-34 edge off the glass.
• CCU would get off a few more shots from the floor than did Western, but finished the game shooting 33% to the Mountaineers' 41%.
• Both teams liked the view from long range. The Cougars attempted 27 shots from behind the arc, hitting 9 of them (33%), while Western tossed up 26 tries and hit 10 (38%), with Maves hitting 4 triples during the win.
• The difference in getting to the free throw line ultimately played a role in Western's win. Or more specifically, the Mountaineers being able to take advantage of those opportunities was key to the victory. Chandler finished 4-for-4 from the line, Eckroth was 3-for-3, Rori Hoffmeyer was 3-for-4, Daniels was 3-for-5, and Schmidt was 7-for-8 from the stripe.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
Western is on the road next week, heading over the mountains for RMAC games against Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 5 and against MSU Denver on Feb. 7.