COLORADO SPRINGS — Coming off one of its biggest victories of the season, the Colorado Mesa women's basketball team had its worst shooting night of the season Saturday night (Feb. 10) in a 55-51 loss to CU-Colorado Springs in the Gallogly Event Center.

The loss dropped the Mavericks from a half-game out of first place in the RMAC into fourth place, a half-game behind Regis and UCCS and a half-game ahead of Adams State.

Shot after shot failed to find the target for CMU, especially in the final 10 minutes when the Mavericks had chances to take control of the game. They shot only 23.7 percent in the game and hit only one of 13 attempts (7.7 percent) in the fourth quarter.

As a team, CMU entered the weekend shooting 33 percent from the 3-point line, but Saturday made only 3 of 23 (13 percent). Claire Heitschmidt, who notched her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds, was the only Maverick to make a 3-pointer, hitting three of seven.

Holding a 43-42 lead after Olivia Reed hit a short jumper in the final seconds of the third quarter, the Mavericks made only one field goal the rest of the game, when Reed connected after taking a pass near the free throw line and driving for a layup with 4:00 remaining. That cut the UCCS lead to 51-50, but CMU (18-5, 12-4 RMAC) scored only one point the rest of the way, a free throw by Mason Rowland, who was fouled on a breakaway with 1:09 remaining.

Rowland, who led CMU with 20 points, had a chance to tie the game, but missed a jumper with 22 seconds remaining. With 18 seconds left, after a UCCS timeout to advance the ball to the front court, Laura Gutierrez was called for a foul trying to get around a screen, and Mya Wilson hit a pair of free throws to put the Mountain Lions (16-7, 13-4 RMAC) up 55-51.

Heitschmidt's 3 with 13 seconds bounced off, but Reed grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Gutierrez, whose second-chance 3 also missed. A jump ball gave CMU one more possession, but again, Gutierrez couldn't connect with two seconds remaining.

The shooting woes started early — the Mavericks shot only 22.8 percent in the first half to trail 29-25, but behind 10 points from Heitschmidt in the third quarter and six more from Rowland, the Mavericks converted on 40 percent of their shots.

The bright spots for the Mavericks, who return home for yet another crucial weekend, facing league-leading Colorado School of Mines and MSU Denver on Feb. 16-17 at Brownson Arena, were rebounding, with 48 total, 16 on the offensive end, and free-throw shooting, making 20 of 24 to stay within reach. Rowland hit 10 of 12 and Heitschmidt and Kylie Kravig each went 5 of 6 at the line.

Reed and the Mountain Lions' Maison White, who are first and third, respectively, in rebounding in the RMAC, played to an offensive draw with six points each, but Reed, who was swarmed in the paint, had 14 rebounds to White's seven. She blocked two shots, with White blocking four.