The Chadron State College women’s basketball team led three times in the first quarter, but their advantage was shortlived and lasted for a combined 30 seconds as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs went up 20-19 with 18 seconds remaining in the first stanza, and never looked back, winning 71-58 at Galloghly Events Center in Colroado Springs.
“UCCS surprised us and put on our heels a little bit,” said CSC Head Coach Janet Raymer. “We maybe played a little lackadaisical and increased their shooting percentage. We should have taken it inside more, and didn’t execute our gameplan. Our goal was to get it inside. We weren’t hitting and had a difficult time of it.
The cold-shooting Eagles had a difficult time from long range, going 2-of-18 from three point range with the second make falling in the final 15 seconds of the game.
Nevertheless, Chadron State was 15-of-34 inside the arc for 44.1% on two-pointers. They were led in that respect by Jessica Lovitt, who went 5-for-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line to lead the team with 12 points.
The win was the first of the season for UCCS, who improved to 1-7 overall and 1-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Star forward Shanah Leaf, a fifth-year senior, hit 60 percent from the field to finish with 18 points. She was 6-of-7 from the foul line.
Sophomore Chelsea Pearson was 3-of-6 from three for the Mountain Lions, who shot 34.8 percent from the perimeter and 40 percent overall. Pearson’s 11 points were second on her team, and she grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to lead UCCS past CSC in that category, 40 to 37.
UCCS also won the turnover battle, losing 13 balls to 15 for the Eagles.
“Maybe this can be a little bit of a reality check for us,” said Raymer. “We need to up our defense and up our energy.”
Chadron State travels to MSU Denver for a 5 p.m. tip on Saturday.
Score by quarters:
1 2 3 4 F
Chadron State 19 7 15 17 58
UCCS 20 16 13 22 71