by Andrew Kiser
The Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team was struggling from the three-point line, but they were not struggling from the free throw line.
Even though the Mavs shot only 33 percent from the field, the team shot 26-32, 83 percent from the line. And the Mavs were able to win against the Westminster Griffins on Saturday, 68-58.
“Free throws are huge,” guard Bryanna Adams said. “Girls step up and hit them, and that was the difference in the game.”
The Mavs never trailed in the game. The team limited the Griffin to 38 percent shooting and made the team commit 19 turnovers.
“I thought we were going to win it on the defense side,” head coach Taylor Wagner said. “They threw a little wrinkle at us on their defense, and they mixed it up, and we weren’t ready for it.”
Before Saturday’s game, CMU played against the Western State Colorado University Mountaineers on Tuesday. The game began with the Mavs scoring the first seven points of the ballgame, which included a fastbreak layup by Adams.
The Mavs limited the Mountaineers to only two made baskets in the entire first quarter. After the end of the first quarter, CMU was ahead, 19-10.
In the second quarter, the Mavs increased their lead over Western. The team led as many as 19 before going into halftime with a 37-20 lead.
After halftime, the Mavs’ offense was not as effective as it was in the first half. CMU mustered nine third-quarter points as the Mountaineers cut the lead within nine with less than a minute to go.
However, the Mavs scored four quick points to keep a double-digit lead. At the end of the third quarter, the Mavs were winning, 46-33.
In the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers cut the lead to five with 6:26 left to play. But the Mavs then went on an eight-point run to stop a potential Mountaineer comeback. CMU won the game, 61-49.
The free throw shooting was in the Mountaineers favor. Western shot 15-23 (65 percent), while CMU shot 5-7 (71 percent) from the line.
Adams had a game-high 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Guard Erin Reichle finished with 16 points, and center Ma’ata Epenisa added 10 points and nine rebounds. The Mountaineers’ Brianna Wilber was the only opposing player that finished with double-digit points with 12.
On Saturday, the Mavs were looking for the season sweep against the Griffin. The game started with neither team finding their offense for the first two minutes. Then CMU went on an eight-point run capitalized by a Jaylyn Duran three-pointer.
“We wanted to come out and play well at the beginning and jump on them,” Wagner said. “Unfortunately we were unable to keep that lead. It’s important to go out and be ahead than playing behind; it takes too much energy to come back from behind.”
However, the Griffin found their offense and went off an eight-point run to tie the game. But the Mavs took the lead for good after a jumper by Nicole Archambeau.
“We came out very strong, but then we let up,” Reichle said. “We let them get back in it. We have to learn when we are ahead we need to keep pushing and pushing.”
CMU was in control for the rest of the quarter. The team had a 10 point lead before settling for a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Late in the second quarter, the Griffin cut the lead to two. However, a layup by guard Sydney Small and three-pointers by Reichle minimized the chance of the Griffin tying or taking the lead. At halftime, the Mavs had the lead, 32-27.
In the third quarter, the Griffin once again threaten to take the lead against the Mavs. After a quick six-point run, the Griffin cut the lead to 36-35.
Once again the Mavs answered with three-pointers from Holly Brooks and Adams in back-to-back possessions. At the end of the third quarter, the Mavs were winning, 45-37.
To start the fourth quarter; the Mavs had their first double-digit lead since late in the first quarter. The game then became a game of free throws as CMU went 16-19 from the line.
“We were getting to the free throw line which was huge,” Wagner said. “We were 26-32 from the line for the game, and I thought that was the difference in the fourth quarter.”
The Mavs held off any potential Griffin comeback and won the game, 68-58.
Epenisa led the way for the Mavs scoring 14 points, while Reichle had 13 points. Archambeau finished with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Adams added 11 points with nine of those coming in the second half.
“When I was on the bench, my teammates took care of business,” Adams said. “I had time to mentally prepare, so when I was in, I knew I had to take care of business.”
Westminster’s Sydnee Taylor had a game-high 23 points. With the wins, CMU is now 16-5 overall and 13-4 in the RMAC.
The Mavs go on the road playing Adams State at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. The team then plays Fort Lewis at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.
