LAS VEGAS, N.M. –
Olivia Reed Thyne's free-throw with 0.6 seconds left in the game gave the No. 10 Colorado Mesa women's basketball team a 69-68 win over the upset minded New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls on Thursday (Jan. 8) evening at the John A Wilson Complex.
New Mexico Highlands (5-7, 1-4 RMAC) carried a 41-38 lead into halftime after leading nearly the entire first half. The Mavericks took their first lead of the game in the third quarter at 48-46 after one of three made threes on the night by
Tamryn Blom. They led the remainder of the third and carried that lead into the fourth quarter.
Colorado Mesa (15-1, 5-0 RMAC) led 62-53 heading into the fourth quarter but went ice cold from the field as they hadn't made a field goal in 7:27 of floor time. During that span, Highlands cut the lead to two points at 62-60 before
Hallie Clark's floating jump shot made it 64-60 with 3:34 to go in the fourth quarter.
Highlands took a lead in the fourth quarter at 68-66 with 1:51 to play but Colorado Mesa would score the final three points of the game with all three coming off the hand of Reed Thyne.
One of the big keys in the game was going to be rebounding which the Mavericks commanded and led to the game-winning free-throw. They finished with a 40-24 edge on the glass and contributed to a 16-4 advantage on second chance points.
Olivia Reed Thyne carried the Mavericks as she finished with 35 points and 17 rebounds. She was 15-for-19 from the field and added three assists and two steals. This was the second game of the season she has scored 30 or more points and fourth time with 15 or more rebounds.
Reed Thyne and
Mykaela Moore never left the floor as they both played all 40 minutes.
Redshirt junior
Tamryn Blom had her best night as a Maverick as she finished with 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field.
Aspen Salazar and Jaelyn Bates led five Highlands players in double figures with 12 each.
The Mavericks will be back on the road on Saturday as they are set to take on Adams State at 1 p.m. in Plachy Hall in Alamosa, Colo.
