GUNNISON, Colo.  What was expected to be a close game started that way, then it wasn't. Then it was. And then it wasn't, as Western battled early with visiting Adams State, built a sizable lead, nearly lost that cushion completely, but stormed back in the end to earn a 70-60 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win Thursday night at Paul Wright Gym.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Adams State, 70-60
Records: Western 12-9 overall (10-5 RMAC), Adams State 19-6 (13-2)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• There was only one lead change in the entire night, and it happened less than four minutes into the game when Western came back from a 4-0 Grizzlies start and soon after broke a 4-4 tie on the second of two free throws from Alyssa Eckroth.
• By the time the first quarter ended Western had built a 10-point lead, holding the Grizzlies – who entered the game second in the conference with only one RMAC defeat – to only five points.
• The advantage was in double digits for all but 22 seconds of the second quarter, when the Mountaineers would push the gap to 17, going into the halftime break with a 36-19 lead.
• The lead was at 20, 39-19, early in the third when Adams started working its offense more effectively while pressing the Mountaineers the length of the court.
• The Grizzlies tore through a 23-4 run during third quarter action, eventually pulling to within a point at 43-42. But Western got a layup from Eckroth and then a 3-pointer from Jayda Maves to slow ASU's threat as the Mountaineers went into the final frame clinging to a 48-45 margin.
• Adams State tried to stay close, but at 52-49, Western put together a quick 11-0 spurt that pushed the lead back into double digits and iced the win for Western.

COURT NOTES

• The Mountaineer win halted an eight-game Adams State win streak.
• Western entered the game with a +6 rebounding margin, a figure sure to escalate after a 51-36 edge in rebounding over the Grizzlies.
• Ivey Schmidt led all scorers with a season best 28 points, that also ties her career best single-game total.
• The expected trio of Schmidt, Maves (12 points), and Eckroth (12) were the keys in the offensive end of the court. Oddly, though, among the best 3-point shooting teams in the conference, the Mountaineers only hit 2-of-14 from behind the arc, both by Maves, the RMAC's leading 3-point shooter.
• Schmidt registered her second double-double of the season, tying for game-high honors with 10 rebounds. Addison Harding almost had her second double digit rebounding game, finish Thursday with 9 rebounds.
• The Mountaineers would finish the night shooting 40% while limiting the Grizzlies to a 30% evening.
• The win lifts Western into a fourth-place tie in the RMAC standings with UC Colorado Springs.

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will try to build on the momentum from Thursday's game with a visit from Fort Lewis College on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.