LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The Colorado Mesa women's basketball team had chances to pull even in the final minute, but a sluggish second quarter ultimately cost the Mavericks in their first loss of the season, 65-62 against Fort Hays State on Sunday (Nov. 19) at the CCU Event Center.
After getting out to a quick start and leading 19-14 at the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks went cold from the field and couldn't get stops on the defensive end against the Tigers, who outscored CMU 17-9 in the second 10 minutes.
The Mavericks' offense went silent for 6:06 between a 3-pointer and a jumper, both by Laura Gutierrez, turning what was a 22-16 CMU lead into a 27-24 deficit with 2:30 to play in the first half. Olivia Reed had a pair of layups in less than one minute late in the quarter and the Mavs were down only 3 at the break, 31-28.
Fort Hays State (3-0) built the lead to as many as 9 in the fourth quarter before Reed made a pair of free throws, followed by a 3-pointer from Sophie Hadad. Hadad scored a career-high 16 points, hitting her first six shots from the field and finishing 6 of 8, with four 3-pointers in five attempts.
A Gutierrez floater in the lane with 4:07 left made it a four-point game, 62-58, and Kylie Kravig followed with a jumper with 2:44 remaining. A put-back by Reed pulled CMU within two again, 64-62. After a Fort Hays free throw with 33 seconds remaining, the Mavs got a good look from the corner for Reed, but her 3-point attempt with 19 seconds left hit off the rim, but Kravig grabbed the offensive rebound.
After a timeout, the Mavericks opted to try to get a quick basket inside and then foul to stop the clock. Lauryn Deede's layup with nine seconds left rimmed off, and CMU quickly fouled, with the Tigers' Olivia Hollenbeck missing both free throws with seven seconds remaining.
Kravig raced down the floor and got off a 3 just before the horn, but it was blocked by Ellie Stearns, ending the Mavs' winning streak at five games.
In the game-changing second quarter, the Tigers shot 57% from the field, making 8 of 14 attempts, with the Mavericks shooting only 33% (4 of 12). For the game, Colorado Mesa shot just under 40% from the field and made eight of 19 from the 3-point line. The Mavericks were a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
Reed finished with 14 points and five rebounds and Gutierrez had 13 points.
Colorado Mesa wraps up nonconference play at noon Monday, facing Colorado Christian at the Auraria Event Center on the campus of MSU Denver. After a break over Thanksgiving, the Mavericks will return to the Front Range to open RMAC play against Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 1 and MSU Denver on Dec. 2.
