Box Score PUEBLO, Colo. – The final score wasn't an indication just how close the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team came to handing Colorado State University-Pueblo their first conference loss Friday night. The Lady Mustangs fought back to tie the game midway through the second half before a 14-0 run sealed the 71-54 win for the ThunderWolves in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


CSU-Pueblo (8-3, 5-0 RMAC) appeared to be in control ahead by as many as nine early in the second half when WNMU (4-6, 1-4 RMAC) came charging back. Still trailing by seven with 13 minutes to play, RaTanya Newsome (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) hit a foul shot to trigger a 7-0 run as Veronica Celaya (Chandler, AZ/Williams Field High School) added a layup, Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) hit a pair from the charity stripe and a layup from Ashley Witherspoon (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills High School) knotted the game at 45 with 10:47 to play.


The Lady Mustangs even had a chance to take a lead a minute later, but after a couple of misses, the ThunderWolves collected the rebound and hit a three on their way to reeling off a 14-0 run. WNMU would get as close as 12 with 5:14 to play, but CSU-Pueblo would continue to answer down the stretch for the win.


It was a defensive struggle throughout much of the first half, as the Lady Mustangs broke through with the first points just over a minute in on a layup by Witherspoon, as she collected a season-high 13 points. The Lady Mustangs would get ahead by three with 2:28 left to play in the opening half on a layup from Witherspoon before the ThunderWolves closed the half on a 9-1 run for a 30-24 lead at the break.


The score changed hands 11 times and was tied six more times in the opening stanza. Both teams shot under 40 percent for the half, as WNMU kept CSU-Pueblo to just a 31.4 percent clip (11-35), while making 11 of their own shots out of 29 (37.9).


The ThunderWolves opened the second half with what was at the time their largest lead of nine on a three from Jenay Locke, as she led CSU-Pueblo with 17 points.


The Lady Mustangs would trim the deficit to five a pair of times over the next several minutes on baskets from Stephanie Moore (Anton, TX/Anton High School) as she led all-scorers with a season-high 18 points. Following the third time in which WNMU came back to within five at 13:09 to play on a jumper from Nalani Hernandez (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School), CSU-Pueblo would answer with a basket and then the teams would trade runs down the stretch.


Moore made 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line on her way to 18 points. Witherspoon went 5-of-11 and 3-of-3 from the free throw line for her 13 points. Hernandez and Celaya led the team in rebounds with seven apiece. Locke led three ThunderWolves in double-figures with 17 points.


CSU-Pueblo upped their shooting percentage to 39 for the game (23-59) after going 12-for-24 in the second half. WNMU connected on 20-of-57 (35.1), while the ThunderWolves held a 9-2 advantage in three-pointers and 16-12 edge in free throws.


WNMU will play at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Saturday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Mountain Lions picked up a 77-55 win over New Mexico Highlands earlier tonight.