GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University Women's Basketball team overcame a season-most 23-point deficit to remain undefeated at home as they took down a formidable foe in Division I bound Dixie State University by a score of 59-54 on Saturday night in Brownson Arena.
 
Down by 17 early in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks finished the game on a 27-5 run 8 ½ minutes to improve to 20-3 on the year, 11-0 at home and 16-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings while maintaining a three-game lead over second place teams Western Colorado and Colorado School of Mines. The Trailblazers fell to 14-9 and 9-8 in the RMAC respectively, currently good to be in a 3-way tie for the eighth and final RMAC Tournament spot.
 
The Mavericks, who clinched a spot in that tournament with Saturday's win, could very well see the Trailblazers in that tournament.
 
Colorado Mesa dominated down the stretch outscoring Dixie State 14-3 in the final five minutes limiting Dixie State to just three free throws after being down eight (51-43) at the final media timeout (4:58).

Senior guard Sydni Brandon, who finished with a career-high 20 points and a career-high matching 15 rebounds, was key to the comeback.  The Grand Junction native drew multiple fouls and including a momentum-shifting old-fashioned 3-point play with 3:45 to go as the Mavs closed to within five 51-46. 
 
Brandon, who was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line throughout the night, downed all of her six of her free throws while handing out two assists, including one on a game-tying fast-break 3-point shot from the right corner by Daniella Turner that knotted the game at 53 with 1:49 to go in regulation.

Brandon also gobbled up three rebounds after that, including one with nine seconds to go in the game while drawing a foul.  She then knocked down two free throws to put the game out of reach.
 
Turner was crucial as she scored 12 of her co-game-high 24 points in the final quarter.
 
Colorado Mesa would fall behind early and trailed 19-9 trailing at the end the first quarter as the Trailblazers shot at a 63.6 percent (7-11) clip.  Meanwhile, the Mavs came out a little flat starting, shooting just 28.6 percent (4-14) in the opening stanza.
 
Dixie State continued their hot shooting in the next frame of the game hitting on 6-11 shooting (54.9 percent) as they again scored 19 points to build a 38-21 halftime lead.
 
CMU, which trailed by 23 (38-15) with 1:17 left in the half, shot just 33.3 percent while hitting on just four shots in the second quarter although the Mavericks did go on a mini four-point run to end the half trailing and take a bit of momentum into the locker room.
 
After halftime, the Mavericks' heralded defense woke up and was on a mission.  In the third quarter, they only surrendered three field-goals and eight points as the Mavericks chipped away at the deficit, which was just 14 (46-32) entering the fourth quarter.
 
After making just one of six fourth-quarter free throws while surviving for a 50-47 Friday night win over Westminster, the Mavericks knocked down all 14 of their free throws on Saturday.  They also were a solid 50 percent (6-12) from the field as Turner and Brandon combined for 21 of the Mavericks' 27 fourth-quarter points to bring home the win.
 
The Mavericks, who have now won 25 consecutive home games of RMAC foes, have reached the 20-overall win mark for the sixth time in in Coach Taylor Wagner's 8-year tenure with the Mavericks.
 
The Mavericks will look to continue those winnings ways next weekend as they host Colorado Christian and Regis in their final two home games of the regular season on Friday and Saturday, respectively.