It has been quite a while since the WNMU women's basketball team has seen a win. In fact, their last win was February 5, 2009 versus New Mexico Highlands University, but finally the losing streak stopped Saturday evening. The Mustangs captured a “W” over the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 77-70, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

 

The Mountain Lions scored the first two points of the game. That was the only lead UCCS would see the remainder of the game as WNMU jumped out to an 11-2 lead. The Mustangs built the lead to as many as 22 (38-16) with 4:03 remaining in the first half before back-to-back three pointers by UCCS' Janean Jubic put the Mountain Lions on the road to an 11-0 run.

 

WNMU went into the intermission leading 40-27.

 

UCCS scored the first seven points coming out of the locker room and, after a WNMU free throw, got a three-point play by Miller to cut the deficit to four with 17:53 remaining.

 

UCCS trimmed 20 points off the 22-point deficit with 4:01 remaining in the game, but the Mustangs held the Mountain Lions to just two field goals in the final minutes to give the Mustangs the victory. 

 

Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ, St. Mary's High School, Central Arizona College) led WNMU with 19 points, while Audra Major (Socorro, NM, Socorro High School, Midland Community College) came off the bench to score 17 and grab a team-high 10 rebounds. Krystal Davis (Fort Worth, TX, North Crowley High School, South Plains Junior College) added 10 points and nine rebounds.

 

Payden Ackerman led UCCS with 16 points while Lauren Wolfinger and Mallory Lowe each added 11. Alyse Bessert had 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

 

The Mustangs, who came into Saturday's game shooting 30.3 percent on three pointers, knocked down nine of their 17 three-point attempts in the first half.  On the night, WNMU shot 47.6 percent from the arc.