GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — No. 2 ranked Colorado Mesa women's basketball team used a dominant second quarter to beat UT Permian Basin 62-44 on Friday night at Brownson Arena. The win in the D2 Conference Challenge was the Mavericks' home opener and improved them to 4-0.
CMU has now won 38 of its last 40 games dating back to last season, along with 16 straight at home.
Mason Rowland and
Sedonia Isenbart each scored 17 points to lead the Mavericks.
Rowland added a game-high 13 rebounds, five of them offensive, for her fourth double-double in four games this season. Isenbart came off the bench and shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Rowland scored 11 points in the first quarter as CMU built a 22-14 lead. In the second quarter, Isenbart took over. She scored 14 points in the period, going 3-for-3 from deep and the Mavericks outscored the Falcons 23-5. CMU held UTPB without a point over the final 6:30 of the half and closed it on a 12-0 run, capped by two Isenbart free throws with six seconds left, to take a 45-19 halftime lead. The Falcons went 0-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half.
UTPB answered in the third quarter, outscoring CMU 14-6 and cut the deficit to 15 early in the fourth. The Mavericks steadied each time.
Marlee Pieper hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 18,
Brooke Eyre made one to stretch it to 20 and Isenbart's 3 with 2:18 left made it 62-41.
Pieper finished with 10 points and five rebounds and
Cayden King added seven points and five boards off the bench.
Jenna Krise dished out four assists and
Kailey Page grabbed seven rebounds.
CMU controlled the glass, outrebounding the Falcons 52-30. That edge included 18 offensive rebounds, which the Mavericks turned into an 18-3 advantage in second-chance points. The Mavericks also went 10-for-10 at the free-throw line and won the assist battle 18-6. UTPB shot 31 percent from the floor and 4-of-23 from 3-point range.
Jonesha Neal and Mikalah Buckley each scored 10 points to lead the Falcons, who fell to 1-1.
CMU is now 6-1 all-time against UTPB, including 3-0 at home.
Colorado Mesa is now looking ahead to Sunday's showdown with No. 20 West Texas A&M at Noon in Brownson Arena.
