The Cougars hit the floor on Friday night as they took on St. Edward's University in the opening night of the RMAC/Heartland Conference Tip-Off Classic. The Hilltoppers strong second half spelled doom for the Cougs as they were defeated by a final score of 68-74.
 
Colorado Christian was ready to play at the tip, and quickly took the lead thanks to a jumper from senior Claire Paxton. The first quarter was a back and forth battle, as the lead never got above three for either side. At the end of the first, Christian held onto a narrow 19-16 lead. Stingy defense, and some more good offense helped extend the Cougar lead to double digits heading into halftime as they led 36-26 going into the break.
 
Leading the way offensively in the first half was strong play from Alex Nelson, Claire Paxton, and Haley Shaner. All three finished the half with eight points. The team shot 48% (14-29) in the half, and hit 8-9 from the free throw line. Defensively, the team held the Hilltoppers to shooting just 31% (10-32) in the half, and 21% (3-14) from beyond the arc.
 
The second half was a different story as St. Edward's came out on fire, and the Cougars cooled off. With just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Hilltoppers had erased their ten point deficit and tied up the game. At the end of the quarter SEU had taken the lead 51-49.
 
The torrid offensive attack continued in the fourth quarter as the Hilltoppers could not miss. CCU heated up as well, but were unable to match the Hilltoppers attack and eventually fell by a final score of 74-68.
 
Alex Nelson finished the game with a double-double as she led the team in points with 18, and rebounds with 13. Also finishing in double figures on the night was Claire Paxton (13 points), Kaitlyn Hinch (10 points), and Haley Shaner (10 points).
 
The Cougars will be back in action on Saturday night as they face off against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith at the CCU Event Center in Lakewood. Game time is set for 7PM MST.