GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa Mavericks advanced to the semifinal game of the South Central Regional bracket after defeating Texas A&M Commerce 75-65 Friday night in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks outscored the Lions 29-9 in the third quarter to separate themselves after being down five at halftime and secure the victory.
The Mavericks defended home court tonight for the 17th time this season and will put their Brownson Arena win streak to the test tomorrow night as they face the third-seeded Lubbock Christian Chaps Saturday night at 7 pm.
In the victory tonight the Mavericks' shot 53.2 percent (25-of-47) and 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from the three-point line. The Mavs were sent to the free-throw line 16 times and converted on 13 of them for an 81.3 shooting percentage from the line.
The South Central Regional Player of the Year Jaylyn Duran led the way for the Mavericks as she recorded a game-high 26 points. She went 6-of-10 from the three point line and was a perfect 3-of-3 from three during the first period.
The Lions shot 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the field and 27.3 percent (6-of-22) from the three point line. They were led by Alexis Bryant who recorded the lone double-double performance of the game with 10 rebounds and 13 points.
The Mavericks and Lions were about even on the glass with Texas A&M Commerce grabbing down 33 rebounds compared to the Mavericks 32.
Game in Review
The Lions from the Lone Star Conference opened up the game with a full court press which was rarely seen in the RMAC. It forced Colorado Mesa to commit three turnovers and give up five points before they settled into the game. The Mavericks three-point specialist Duran knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to get the Mavericks into the game. She hit her third trey of the night just before the media timeout and tied the score 13-13. The two teams exchanged baskets and the Mavericks held a two point advantage at the end of the first quarter, 20-18.
The Lions quickly tied the score in the first minute of the second quarter but could not hold a lead. They held a four point advantage before the Lions tied the game for the fourth time at 25-25. The Mavericks took a lead until the Lions closed the second quarter on a 8-0 run that occurred in the last two minutes to hold a 35-30 lead over the Mavericks.
The Mavericks starting lineup took back control of the game as the core five played the entire third quarter and were able to outscore the Lion 29-9 in that ten minute span. The Mavericks tied the game 35-35 at the 7:52 mark but did not gain the lead till after the media timeout when Duran hit a three pointer to hold a one point advantage over the Lions at 45-44. From that play on the Mavericks closed the third quarter on a 17-0 run which included a last second three-pointer from Sydni Brandon to lead 59-44 entering the final quarter.
Despite being outscored 21-16 in the final stretch of the game the Mavericks never let the Lions within eight points of their lead as they held a 71-63 advantage with 1:47 remaining in the game. The Mavericks extend their lead to as much as 12 in the final minutes, but settled for a score of 75-65 at the final buzzer.
Tomorrow Night
Lubbock Christian defeated Tarleton State 84-53 in the second quarterfinal game Friday night which took place in Brownson Arena. The Chaps advanced off this win and will meet the Mavs in the semifinal game Saturday night at 7 pm.
This game tomorrow night will be a defensive battle as both team's defense rank in the top five. The Maverick defense ranks second in the nation at 50.9 point per game and the Chaps defense ranks fifth at 52.0 points per game. The Chaps are led by #20 Olivia Robertson who is averaging 13.7 points per game and #24 Maddi Chitsey who is averaging 12.5 point per game.
They are 27-5 on the season and are currently participating in their third South Central Region Tournament and their first appearance without hosting.
