Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
GUNNISON, Colo. – A big second-quarter run made the difference as second-place Western Colorado made a halftime lead stick in a 77-55 victory over the Chadron State women’s basketball team on Thursday night in Gunnison.
The Mountaineers (18-6, 13-4 RMAC) outscored Chadron State (5-18, 4-13 RMAC) 26-9 in the second quarter and led by 26 points at halftime, making it too steep of a hill to climb for the Eagles despite CSC outscoring the Mountaineers in both the third and fourth quarters.
Ashayla Powers led the way with 17 points for the Eagles, shooting 6-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the line. Powers also added a team-high three steals on the defensive end.
Olivia Waufle scored a season-high eight points while making 3 of 4 field goal attempts while Megan Counts had six points and a team-high five boards. Bati Assefa contributed on the defensive end as well with three rebounds, a block and a steal.
The hot-shooting Mountaineers made 50 percent of their shots for the game (30-60) and shot at a 54.2 percent clip in the first half. By contrast, the Eagles made just 32.1 percent of their field goal attempts (18-56), although the teams were about even from three-point range (WCU 5-17, CSC 6-22) and from the line (WCU 12-17, CSC 13-18).
Chadron State made its first two shots, with a Powers layup and Kyra Tanabe three-pointer giving CSC an early 5-2 advantage. But the Mountaineers turned the tide immediately, ripping off a 17-2 run that gave the hosts a double-digit lead eight minutes into the game.
While the Eagles shooting improved in the second half, CSC was just 20.6 percent from the floor in the first half. The Eagles had two separate four-plus minute stretches without a field goal in the second quarter and the long stretches without baskets allowed the Mountaineers to build an insurmountable lead.
Chadron State shot better than 50 percent as a team in the third quarter and were a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, but the offensive improvements couldn’t overcome the first-half deficit.
The Eagles will remain on the road and head to Salt Lake City to battle Westminster (5-19, 4-13 RMAC), with tip-off set for 1 p.m. Saturday.