PUEBLO, Colo. – Junior Jordan Gutierrez (Albuquerque, NM/Valley ) was on point all game long as she poured in a career-high 29 points, drilling seven three-pointers, but it wasn't quite enough as Colorado State University-Pueblo held off the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team for the 71-60 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Saturday night.

Gutierrez, the Albuquerque native, was a sizzling 10-17 from the field and went 7-11 from three-point range to set career-highs for both points, field goals and three-pointers in a game. Gutierrez's seven three-pointers is just one off of tying for sixth in RMAC history with 13 other players to make eight in a game. Outside of her big game, junior Desiree Smith (Phoenix, AZ/Tolleson Union ) formed a solid one-two punch as she added 18 points, going 8-14 from the field, just a point off her season-high.

WNMU (6-8, 4-5 RMAC) started strong holding CSU-Pueblo (13-2, 8-1 RMAC) to just nine points in the first quarter, while tallying 17. The ThunderWolves had an early 5-2 lead just to watch the Lady Mustangs respond.

Smith and Deandra Williams (Rosenburg, TX/Terry ) combined for back-to-back baskets to move WNMU ahead, 6-5. Williams had the lead to three at 10-7 near the midway point of the quarter before Smith's layup gave WNMU their largest lead at the time of five, 12-7.

Gutierrez then started her big night closing the quarter with a deep ball to give WNMU a 17-9 lead after the first 10 minutes.

It then became a tail of two quarters with CSU-Pueblo opening the second quarter on a 15-3 run to take a 24-20 lead with two minutes to go before the break. WNMU responded just in time to salvage the final few minutes with a Smith jumper igniting a 7-0 run to close the half. Smith added another jumper on the next trip down the floor before Gutierrez capped the run with a deep three for the 27-24 lead at halftime.

Gutierrez carried her hot shooting into the second half opening the third quarter with a three-pointer 11 seconds in to move the lead to six. Near the midway point of the quarter, the ThunderWolves worked their way back into the game to take the lead at 37-36.

Smith drilled a jumper to move WNMU back in front 38-37, but that would end up being the last lead of the night.

CSU-Pueblo finished the quarter on an 11-3 run to hold a 48-41 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The ThunderWolves had the lead as high as 16 when Gutierrez made things interesting down the stretch. Down by 15, Gutierrez hit the first of back-to-back threes to trim the deficit to nine. Then on an in-bounds turnover, Gutierrez swished a jumper to leave it at seven with 37 seconds to play.

CSU-Pueblo hit on the final four free throws to hold off the late rally and take the victory.

While Gutierrez and Smith had big games, only four Lady Mustangs scored a point with Williams adding seven points and Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani ) with six. Williams led the team in rebounds with 12 and in assists with four.

Tuileisu Anderson paced the ThunderWolves with 19 points, while Molly Rohrer added 18.

WNMU made 24-65 (36.9) from the field and hit 8-20 (40) from three-point range. They didn't have many foul shots going just 4-5 (80). CSU-Pueblo went 27-62 (43.5) from the field and went 6-27 (22.2) from three-point range. They took several more free throws going 11-18 (61).

The game had seven lead changes and four ties. WNMU held the edge on points off turnovers (11-7).

WNMU will return home this coming Friday when they will face Regis University beginning at 5:30 p.m.