Sub-zero temperatures outside didn't impact Alex Nelson or Claire Paxton on Saturday night as they were on fire offensively and led the Cougars to a 53-50 victory over Metro State. Nelson and Paxton, combined with a great defensive effort, combined together to earn the Cougs their second conference victory of the season.
 
The Cougars dominated the first half against the Roadrunners as they were able to take a nine point lead heading into the half. Alex Nelson and Claire Paxton led the way offensively, as they combined to score 22 of the 27 points for CCU in the half, which was enough to outscore the entire Metro State team which managed only 18 points in the half. Nelson finished with 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor, and hit both of her attempts from the line. Paxton had 10 points on 5-8 shooting. As a team, the Cougs shot 57% (12-21) in the first half. The team did struggle to hang onto the ball as they turned it over 13 times in the first 20 minutes of action. Defensively, Colorado Christian played their best half of the year so far, as they held a talented Metro squad to just 18 points in the half. The Cougars forced 14 turnovers (nine steals), and turned that into 16 points on the offensive end.
 
In the third quarter, Metro cranked up the intensity on both sides of the ball. They opened the quarter on a 12-2 scoring run, which gave them a slim 30-29 lead over CCU. However, the Cougs caught fire to finish out the quarter, as they answered with a run of their own. They finished out the quarter on a 15-2 run, to give them a 12 point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
 
Metro State came into the game having a great deal of success in the fourth quarter, and tonight was no different. The Roadrunners did everything they could to get themselves back into the game and cut into the Cougar lead. MSU cut into the lead one three pointer at a time, and with five minutes left in the game, they had cut their deficit in half as CCU led by six 46-40. The game remained tight, and with just under two minutes left, the Roadrunners got it to within four after a made layup. That was as close as they would come, as the Cougars were able to seal the game with made free throws from Leisha Crawford and Sarah Holt.
 
Head coach Corey Laster spoke about the victory after the game saying, "This was an important game for us to remain in the hunt for the RMAC playoffs. I'm particularly impressed with our defense. I thought our effort was great tonight. We had great play tonight from senior Claire Paxton, and junior Alex Nelson. This was a great way to go into the break with some momentum."
 
Alex Nelson led all scorers on the evening, as she finished with 20 points on 7-11 shooting. Nelson was also the leading rebounder with 10, which marks the second time this season she has finished with a double-double. Claire Paxton finished with 19 points on 9-17 shooting. Paxton also collected seven rebounds, and was an enforcer on the defensive end as she rejected two shots in the game. Kaitlyn Hinch led the team in assists with four, and steals with three.
 
The win sends the team into the Christmas break on a happy note. Their record now sits at 4-7 overall, and 2-4 in conference play. The next time the Cougars will take the floor will be on December 30^th and 31^st, as they have a pair of home conference games to finish out 2016.