Although the Chadron State College women’s basketball team (7-18, 6-14 RMAC) played a competitive game, MSU Denver (19-7, 15-6 RMAC) prevailed 69-59 during a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference showdown Friday night in the Chicoine Center.
Despite the loss, the Eagles can take pleasure in knowing they held Metro’s leading scorer Allie Navarette to only two points. Navarette was averaging 13.6 points per game and ranks third among all active Division II women’s basketball players in career points (2,119).
Chadron State shocked the Roadrunners by jumping to a 17-11 lead in the first quarter. Brittni McCully scored the first points of the game with a layup. Metro State quickly responded with a three-pointer but would be overshadowed by an Ashayla Powers layup followed up with an “and one” free throw.
Jori Peters netted a three-pointer to help give the Eagles a six-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Switching scores with the Eagles, the Roadrunners put up 17 points while holding CSC to 11. Samiyah Worrell made two three-pointers during the quarter. One of her threes came in the closing seconds of the half to tie the score 28-28.
The third quarter was the highest-scoring quarter for both teams. Worrell scored 11 of the Eagles’ 19 points while recording a block and a defensive rebound. The score was 49-47 Roadrunners at the start of the fourth quarter.
After three lead changes to start the final quarter, the game’s leading scorer Jaela Richardson swished a layup and an “and one” to give Metro State a 57-55 lead at 5:31. From there the Roadrunners pulled away by scoring 12 more points while holding the Eagles to only two free throws and a field goal. The result was a 69-59 Roadrunner win over CSC.
Chadron State finished the game with five more steals than Metro State but was out-rebounded 42-26.
The Eagles’ final game of the season is at home tomorrow, February 26, at 5:30 p.m. against Colorado Christian (8-18, 5-15 RMAC) in the Chicoine Center.
Chadron State—Ashayla Powers 19, Samiyah Worrell 19, Jori Peters 8, Olyvia Pacheco 5, Brittni McCully 4, Bailey Brooks 3, Riley Aiono 1. FG/3PT/FT: 22-60/6-15/9-14, 59 points, 26 rebounds, 14 assists, 12 turnovers.
MSU Denver—Jaela Richardson 20, Alex Carlton 15, Morgan Griego 13, Maggie Justinak 7, Mariana Silva Pereira 5, Brianna Bailey 5, Allie Navarette 2, Kendra Parra 2. FG/3PT/FT: 26-53/7-17/10-14, 69 points, 42 rebounds, 21 assists, 19 turnovers.
Chadron State 17 11 19 12 –59
MSU Denver 11 17 21 20 –69
3-pointers: CSC—Worrell 3, Peters 1, Pacheco 1, Brooks 1. MSUD—Carlton 3, Justinak 1, Bailey 1, Griego 1, Silva Pereira 1.