The Mavericks avenge the only loss of their season, beating Black Hills State University (BHSU) 65-58.
Redshirt sophomore Natalie Bartle led Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in scoring with 15 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals in the contest.
Senior guard Sophie Anderson had a game-high 10 rebounds along with four points in the contest.
CMU controlled the game as they held the lead for 32 minutes of the game compared to BHSU’s 3:24 minutes with the lead.
“Kick their butts, shove it down their throats and get revenge, that was just kind of the theme of the week,” senior forward Kelsey Siemons said. “A lot of girls were very focused and very energized and hyped up even in shootaround at 1 p.m. We were just laser-focused on beating them.”
BHSU got on the board first in the game with Ashlee Beacom drilling a three. The Mavericks quickly tied the game up and built a four-point lead.
The Mavericks and Yellow Jackets continued to battle for control, but neither team was able to grab it as they were tied at 17 to end the first quarter.
CMU was able to extend its lead in the second quarter. Senior forward Savannah Domgaard’s layup with 3:32 left in the half, set CMU up on a 12 to 4 run.
The Maverick’s run gave them a 37-29 lead as the first half ended. Bartle lead CMU in scoring in the first half with her 10 points.
“I just feel like if they are backing off me, I can shoot it, but they were up putting pressure on me, so I saw the lane and if I can beat them, I’ll go,” Bartle said. “I just feel like tonight they were just putting a lot of pressure on me and they were also switching the screens so that also opened up the lane a lot.”
The Yellow Jackets were the first on the board again, and the game reverted to the style of the first quarter. Each team was trading baskets and BHSU cut CMU’s lead down to two points.
Natalie Bartle looking for an open teammate against CCU. | Mikayla Olave for The Criterion
The Mavericks made two more shots in the third quarter pushing their lead back up to five going into the fourth quarter.
“We just talked about making plays. There’re little details that we must come up with, with the rebounding and some of the other things. You just have to play and win the energy battle, and I thought our girls did that tonight,” Head Coach Taylor Wagner said.
The Yellow Jackets offense saw some struggles late in the game as they made one of their last 15 shots of the night. BHSU’s struggles allowed the Mavericks to take control of the quarter and win the game.
CMU’s ball control was a key factor in this game, as they committed nine turnovers against a full-court press and high-intensity defense from BHSU.
The Mavericks were dominant in the paint against BHSU, scoring 36 points in the paint.
Senior guards Kylyn Rigsby and Daniella Turner each scored 12 points and they combined for seven rebounds in the contest.
CMU’s next game is Friday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m. against Metro State University-Denver in Denver, Colo.
