Box Score COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University women's basketball team opened with the first basket of the game against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before the Mountain Lions roared back with a 12-1 run on their way to a 67-44 victory over the Mustangs Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


WNMU (0-9, 0-6 RMAC) opened with the first score of the game 28 seconds in with Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) getting inside for a layup.


UCCS (7-4, 3-3 RMAC) answered back with authority, ripping off a 12-1 run over the next four minutes to open a 12-3 lead.


Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) snapped the run with a layup and then she created the next basket with a steal and then found Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) inside for a jumper to leave the lead at five, 12-7, just under 13 minutes to play in the first half.


Just like before, the Mountain Lions started on another lengthy run reeling off a 8-0 spurt to push the lead to 13, 20-7, near the midway point of the half.


Trailing by 16, the Mustangs made their final run of the opening stanza, with Hamilton hitting on one of two free throws, which Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) followed with a jumper and then a jumper in the paint from Loera closed the 5-0 run by WNMU to leave UCCS ahead, 27-16, with five minutes to play before halftime.


UCCS outscored WNMU by six over the final few minutes to take a 37-20 lead into the locker room.


The Mountain Lions opened with the first four points of the second half and after WNMU cut the deficit back to 19 on a layup from Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School), that would be as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the way, with UCCS keeping the score in the 20's the rest of the game on their way to the victory.

 
Hamilton posted double-digits to lead the way for the Mustangs going for 12 points, while also collecting a team-high eight rebounds. Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) added nine points and five rebounds.


Both teams struggled from the field, with WNMU making just 17-of-50 (34), while UCCS made 22-of-64 (34.4).


The Mountain Lions made six more three-pointers (8-2) and seven more free throws (15-8).


Abby Kirchoff led all-scorers posting 23 points for UCCS.


WNMU will now have the Christmas week off before returning home on Friday, December 30 when they host Colorado Christian beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside Drag's Court.

 
Western New Mexico vs UC-Colorado Springs
12/17/11 5:30 pm at Colorado Springs, CO (Gallogly Center)
At Colorado Springs, CO (Gallogly Center)
UC-COLORADO SPRINGS 67, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 44
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-9, 0-6 RMAC)
Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) 5-14 2-7 12; Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 3-7 1-3 9; Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 3-3 0-0
6; Sasha Montez (Waianae, HI/Nanakuli High School) 1-3 2-3 4; Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 1-8 1-2 3; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 1-6 0-0 2;
Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-2 2-2 2; Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) 1-1 0-0 2; Susie Guerrero (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 1-1 0-0 2;
Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 17-50 8-17 44.
UC-COLORADO SPRINGS (7-4, 3-3 RMAC)
Abby Kirchoff 6-9 8-12 23; Payden Ackerman 5-10 0-0 12; Kassie Stratton 3-7
0-0 6; Sam Patterson 2-7 0-0 4; Jeri Pikul 1-6 1-2 4; Jessika Kienitz 2-4
0-0 4; Lauren Wolfinger 1-5 1-2 4; Anna Kirchoff 1-5 0-0 3; Bre Burgesser
1-1 0-0 2; Danielle Brown 0-5 2-2 2; Krystal Pittman 0-1 2-3 2; Lauryn Near
0-0 1-4 1; Jessica Brown 0-2 0-0 0; Ashley Miller 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-64
15-25 67.
Western New Mexico............   20   24  -   44
UC-Colorado Springs...........   37   30  -   67
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 2-14 (Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 2-4; Sasha Montez (Waianae, HI/Nanakuli High School) 0-1;
Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 0-3; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-1; Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-2; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 0-3),
UC-Colorado Springs 8-25 (Abby Kirchoff 3-4; Payden Ackerman 2-5; Jeri Pikul
1-5; Anna Kirchoff 1-2; Lauren Wolfinger 1-4; Danielle Brown 0-2; Krystal
Pittman 0-1; Kassie Stratton 0-2). Fouled out--Western New Mexico-None,
UC-Colorado Springs-None. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 35 (Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School)
8), UC-Colorado Springs 49 (Lauryn Near 11). Assists--Western New Mexico 7
(Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 2), UC-Colorado Springs 17 (Abby Kirchoff 3; Jessika Kienitz
3). Total fouls--Western New Mexico 17, UC-Colorado Springs 18. Technical
fouls--Western New Mexico-None, UC-Colorado Springs-None. A-349