SILVER CITY, N.M. – It was a struggle for either team to make a basket throughout the night, but Colorado Mesa University made just enough to get past the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team 55-43 Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

With 115 shots attempted by the two teams, only 35 made it through the basket. WNMU (7-14, 5-11 RMAC) held CMU (13-7, 10-6 RMAC) to just 20-59 (34) from the field, but could only counter with a 15-56 (27) effort.

Junior Jada Grady (Louisville, KY/Seneca ) helped the Lady Mustangs seize the lead nearly two minutes in with a three-pointer for the 5-3 advantage. The Mavericks took control the rest of the opening quarter going on a 13-5 run to take a 16-10 lead into the second quarter.

The game looked to be going the way of CMU as they quickly built the lead to 13 at 26-13 with 6:01 to play in the first half.

Senior My'Kale French (Racine, WI/Case ) connected on a jumper a few minutes later that had the deficit down to seven and WNMU ended up trailing by just nine, 32-23 at the break.

The second half had the Lady Mustangs thinking comeback after a 9-2 run had the deficit down to just two. Down by nine, sophomore Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani ) helped start the 7-0 run with a running jumper in the paint. Junior Desiree Smith (Phoenix, AZ/Tolleson Union ) added a layup and turned it into a three-point-play as she was also fouled. Botelho closed the run that she started with a layup off the fastbreak leaving CMU with the 34-32 advantage.

The Mavericks answered with a 6-0 run over the next six-plus minutes to open a 40-32 lead.

WNMU finally broke the scoreless stretch with free throws by junior Tessa Jones (Truth or Consequences, NM/Hot Springs ) and junior Jordan Gutierrez (Albuquerque, NM/Valley ) to make it a five-point contest with 2:29 left in the third quarter.

CMU added two more points to their lead to take a 44-37 lead into the final quarter.

Junior Deandra Williams (Rosenburg, TX/Terry ) converted a jumper in the paint three minutes into the fourth quarter to bring WNMU back to within eight, just to watch CMU go on an 8-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Mavericks ratcheted up the defense in the fourth quarter outscoring WNMU 11-6 to take the win.

Smith and Williams went for a team-high nine points. French grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Bryanna Adams led CMU with 15 points, while Jaylyn Duran added 14 points. Erika Musante grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

CMU held a 47-37 advantage on rebounds, while WNMU held the edge on points in the paint (22-18).

WNMU will close the weekend tomorrow (Saturday) night at 5:30 p.m. when they host Westminster. The Griffins came back to defeat New Mexico Highlands, 75-68, earlier tonight.