Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – So close. The Western New Mexico University women's basketball team fought back, having trailed the entire game, to force overtime on a Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) three before the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs strung together an 8-0 run in overtime to pull out the 80-73 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Saturday night inside Drag's Court.


Wohltman heated up when Western New Mexico University (WNMU) needed her the most. Trailing by three with 21 seconds to play in the game, WNMU (1-9, 0-6 RMAC) worked the ball around and found Wohltman on the screen who delivered a deep three several inches off the line to tie the game at 65 with six seconds left. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) tried a game-winning shot by Lauren Wolfinger, but the shot was short sending the game to the extra session.


In the extra session, UCCS (7-2, 5-1 RMAC) tallied the first two points at the line, as over the course of the first minute, the Lady Mustangs lost both Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) and Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) to fouls.


Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) answered the Mountain Lion score with a steal and fastbreak layup to tie the game at 67 with 3:24 to play.


That's when Jeri Pikul caught fire for UCCS, as she hit a pair of corner threes on consecutive trips and later added a layup for an 8-0 run that boosted UCCS ahead, 75-67, with 1:32 to play.


WNMU fought back, getting another three from Wohltman and after a pair of free throws by Veronica Celaya (Chandler, AZ/Williams Field High School), the Lady Mustangs were within three, 75-72, with 29 seconds to play.


After UCCS hit two at the charity stripe, Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) split a pair at the line leaving the Lady Mustangs down four, 77-73, with 22 seconds to go. The Mountain Lions again hit at the foul line and would hold on for the 80-73 victory.


Early on, it was all Mountain Lions as they methodically jumped out to a 13-0 lead over the first six minutes.


UCCS would keep the lead in double-digits over the rest of the first half with Wohltman connecting on a three with 18 seconds to go before the break to bring WNMU within 13, 34-21, at halftime.


WNMU flipped the switch in the second half, as they fed off the late run in the first half to continue chipping away in the second stanza.
Gray started the scoring with a jumper and after Hamilton added her own jumper, Gray came back with another tough inside jumper to leave it a seven-point game, 34-27.


UCCS came back with a 5-0 run to jump the lead back to 12, 39-27, with 16:34 to play.


The lead would get as high as 14 a minute later when WNMU would once again come fighting back. Hamilton began the run tallying a jumper and then a pair from the line to leave it at a 10-point deficit. Hamilton then showed her versatility stepping back beyond the three-point line hitting a top-of-the-key three to make it a 44-37 game with 12:59 to play.


UCCS would answer to go back up seven a few minutes later, 50-43, when Gray pounded inside for a layup and a Wohltman three had the crowd rocking and WNMU within two, 50-48, near the midway point of the second.


UCCS again responded, going on a quick 4-0 run to jump the lead back to six. They would keep a six-point lead at 58-52 with 5:59 to play when WNMU answered with a 6-0 run. During the run, Wohltman delivered a pair of foul shots and after Gray split a pair from the line, Scott dialed long distance to tie the game at 58 with 3:56 to play.


UCCS would go back up and would hold the lead by three down the stretch when Wohltman came through with her clutch shot.


Hamilton led the Lady Mustangs and all-scorers with 21 points, she also added eight rebounds. Wohltman poured in 20 points, with five three-pointers. Gray tallied a double-double with 16 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.


UCCS was led by 19 from Abby Kirchoff.


UCCS shot 40.7 (22-54) from the field, to a 35.3 (24-68) effort for WNMU. WNMU tallied three more three-pointers (9-6), while UCCS took advantage at the foul line, making 30-of-37 (81.1) to a 16-of-27 (59.3) for WNMU.


WNMU will now have some time off before returning to action in an exhibition contest at Division I BYU on Dec. 29 in Provo, Utah.

UC-COLORADO SPRINGS 80, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 73
UC-COLORADO SPRINGS (7-2, 5-1 RMAC)
Abby Kirchoff 4-11 9-10 19; Lauren Wolfinger 7-17 2-4 18; Sam Patterson 4-6
8-8 16; Jeri Pikul 4-9 4-4 14; Hannah Knight 1-6 3-4 5; McKenna Haist 1-1
1-1 3; Gabby Ramirez 0-2 2-2 2; Jessika Kienitz 1-1 0-0 2; Carrie
Christopher 0-0 1-2 1; Kai Brown 0-0 0-0 0; Tori Fisher 0-0 0-2 0; Shannon
Kelly 0-0 0-0 0; Brooke Baker 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 30-37 80.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (1-9, 0-6 RMAC)
Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) 7-14 6-11 21; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 6-18 3-4 20; Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School)
6-12 4-8 16; Veronica Celaya (Chandler, AZ/Williams Field High School) 2-3 2-2 7; Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 1-11 1-2 4; Desiree
Young 1-6 0-0 3; Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 1-3 0-0 2; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-68
16-27 73.
UC-Colorado Springs...........   34   31   15  -   80
Western New Mexico............   21   44    8  -   73
3-point goals--UC-Colorado Springs 6-17 (Jeri Pikul 2-4; Lauren Wolfinger
2-8; Abby Kirchoff 2-4; Gabby Ramirez 0-1), Western New Mexico 9-26 (Morgan
Wohltman 5-12; Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) 1-5; Veronica Celaya (Chandler, AZ/Williams Field High School) 1-2; Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) 1-1;
Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 1-5; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-1). Fouled out--UC-Colorado Springs-Hannah
Knight; Jeri Pikul, Western New Mexico-Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School); Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School).
Rebounds--UC-Colorado Springs 43 (Sam Patterson 15), Western New Mexico 39
(Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 13). Assists--UC-Colorado Springs 16 (Gabby Ramirez 8),
Western New Mexico 14 (Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) 3; Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 3). Total
fouls--UC-Colorado Springs 20, Western New Mexico 24. Technical
fouls--UC-Colorado Springs-None, Western New Mexico-TEAM. A-375