GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – In front of 1,454 fans the Colorado Mesa Mavericks defeated Colorado School of Mine 62-54 Friday night in the semifinal game of the RMAC/ Under Armour Women's Basketball Tournament held in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks improve to 25-2 overall while the Orediggers season was ended with an 18-11 overall record.
Highlights and post-game interviews with Head Coach Taylor Wagner and student-athletes Jaylyn Duran and Sydni Brandon can be viewed above.
The Mavericks shot 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field and 35.0 percent (7-of-20) from the three-point line. The Mavericks shot above 80 percent for the fifth time this season as they made 14-of-18 free throws for an 83.3 shooting percentage.
RMAC Player of the Year Jaylyn Duran and All-RMAC First Teamer Sydni Brandon led the Mavericks in scoring recording 19 and 16 points, respectively. Brandon's 16 points is a new career high just one point higher than her previous 15 points she scored against Black Hills State in the quarterfinals. Duran knocked down three treys and grabbed six rebounds, just one rebound shy of tying her career high seven.
The Mavericks recorded eight total blocks this game which was one away from tying their season high nine blocks which was also recorded against Colorado School of Mines during the regular season. Kelsey Seimons who leads the RMAC in blocked shots added three to her season total and now has 46 on the year. Off the bench Tori Catlett grabbed down five rebounds and add three blocks to her four points.
The Orediggers shot 30.9 percent (17-of-55) from the field and 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from the three-point line. They shot 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from the charity stripe. They were led by RMAC Freshmen of the Year Denali Pinto who scored 13 points and Nicole Archambeau who tied her fellow Oredigger with 13 points.
The Orediggers outrebounded the Mavericks 38-31 and grabbed down 13 offensive rebounds.
How it Happened
There were 17 free-throw attempts and twelve total fouls committed that made for a long first quarter. Sydni Brandon scored the opening bucked with an and-one play that she finished at the free throw line, but Colorado School of Mines was quick to tie it with a three-point play of their own. Duran hit her first three-point attempt to give the Mavericks a lead that they held onto until the Orediggers went on a 14-0 run that started at the 6:04 tick and lasted until Duran knocked down a free throw with under a minute to play. The Mavericks were down by as much as eight points and that Oredigger gave themselves a 21-16 advantage after the first quarter.
The Mavericks hit two three-pointers and made a 5-0 run to gain the lead back to begin the second quarter. Colorado School of Mines was quick to respond and hit back-to-back shots to take a one point lead 25-24, until Kylyn Rigsby hit her second three of the quarter. After three lead changes and three ties in this quarter the Mavericks and Orediggers reached a score of 29-all entering the locker room.
The Mavericks and Orediggers each scored 15 points in the third quarter to again have a deadlock score 44-44 entering the final stretch of the game.
Duran hit the Maverick's first five points of the fourth quarter before Colorado School of Mines got within one point, 51-50 with 4:27 remaining in the game. This was the closest the Orediggers got to the Mavericks as CMU extended their lead with a 7-1 run that gave them a 58-51 lead with 1:27 remaining in the game. In the final minute the Mavericks went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to secure the win.
With a score of 62-54 in favor of the Mavericks they advanced to the Championship game which will be played against Westminster tomorrow night at 6 pm in Brownson arena.
In the second semifinal game of the night as the two seed Westminster defeated the sixth-seeded Regis University to 67-54.
The Mavericks and Westminster split their previous two meetings each winning on their home courts.
