ODESSA, Texas — Riley Hayes' reputation as a 3-point shooter was a big reason Colorado Mesa women's basketball coach Taylor Wagner signed the 5-foot-8 senior transfer out of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
Hayes showed that reputation was not just hype on Saturday night, firing in eight 3-pointers, only one off the CMU single-game record, and scoring a career-high 24 points to lead the No. 21 Mavericks to a thrilling 79-76 victory over Texas Permian Basin in the final game of the D2 Conference Challenge in Odessa, Texas. It was the only RMAC win of the four games against Lone Star Conference teams after the Mavs' furious rally Friday against West Texas A&M came up two points short.
Jaylyn Duran, now an assistant coach for the Mavericks, made a program-record nine 3-pointers against Black Hills State in 2019, but Hayes did set the program mark for 3-point attempts with 19, one more than Duran fired up in 2018 against Saint Martin's. Hayes previous career best was 23 points last season against St. Edward's while she was Arkansas-Fort Smith.
With Hayes firing from the perimeter and Mason Rowland mixing mid-range jumpers and drives to the basket, the Mavericks overcame another slow start by outscoring the Falcons 23-11 in the second quarter to go up 42-38 and then basically trading baskets the rest of the way.
Hayes hit a trio of 3-pointers in the second quarter and Olivia Reed Thyne scored seven of her 17 points. A 9-point scoring run over a two-minute span in the second quarter turned a 34-25 deficit into a tie game, 34-34, with Hayes hitting back-to-back 3s and Reed Thyne converting a three-point play at the 3:55 mark.
A putback by Sophie Hadad with 1:37 to play in the second quarter put the Mavs up 39-38 and Hayes followed with another trey.
Rowland scored eight points in the final three minutes of the third quarter, driving hard off screens for layups, and when the defense backed off against the drive, she pulled up for a jumper just inside the 3-point line.
Colorado Mesa (1-1) led by two entering the fourth quarter, and Reed Thyne headed to the bench after picking up her fourth foul in the closing seconds of the third.
The Mavs, though, didn't miss a beat thanks to three straight 3s from Hayes in the first two minutes of the quarter, pushing their lead to seven, 67-60. It was the largest lead of the night for Colorado Mesa, which overcame an 11-point deficit in the first quarter.
Permian Basin (1-1) kept pace, pulling within one point, 77-76, with 2:02 remaining, but Reed Thyne scored a second-chance basket to put CMU up three, and closed it out by blocking a shot at the horn. Colorado Mesa's 18 second-chance points made a big difference — the Mavs grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to Permian Basin's four.
After allowing Permian Basin to shoot 69% from the field in the first quarter (including 5 of 6 from the 3-point line), CMU's defense clamped down in the second, when the Falcons made only three of 13 from the field (23.1%) and only one 3-pointer in six attempts. For the game, Permian Basin, behind 20 points from Makayla Bingley, shot 49%.
The Mavericks shot 30.8% in falling behind 27-19 in the first 10 minutes, but shot 50% in the second quarter and 40% from the game.
Bench scoring also improved for the Mavericks, with Brooklyn Palmer adding six points to Hayes' 24.
The game was tied nine times, the final time at the 9:51 mark of the fourth quarter, but Hayes' fifth, sixth and seventh 3-pointers were too many for the Falcons to overcome.
Rowland had another solid game with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. She also drew seven fouls and made all six free throw attempts, running the point for a long stretch after Kylie Kravig picked up her fourth foul.
Reed had 17 points and nine rebounds, Hadad chipped in seven points and Kravig six points and three assists.
The Mavericks have a much shorter road trip this coming weekend, playing in the Westminster Invite in Salt Lake City, facing Fort Lewis on Friday and St. Edward's on Saturday. The home opener is Nov. 20 against CSU Pueblo.
