Claiming their first victory of the season, Colorado Christian defeated University of Arkansas Fort Smith after being down at the half, with a final score of 66-59.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Cougars were the first ones on the board after a jumper from Jordan Baer. From there the Lions came back after a couple offensive rebounds to give them a five point lead. Colorado Christian was able to take the lead back once more in the quarter, but a three from Fort Smith right at the end put them up by 2.

The second quarter saw the teams playing an even game, as both teams scored 17 apiece. It was almost a tie game going into the locker rooms, but Fort Smith scored another jumper in the final seconds to go up by 2 yet again. This left the score going into the half 35-33 in the Lions favor.

Although the Cougars had more turnovers in the third quarter, their defense stayed strong and held Fort Smith from capitalizing on them. This time Colorado Christian got the final basket when Sarah McGinley hit another three to tie up the game 45 points each going into the final quarter.

Just like the third quarter ended for the Cougars, the fourth started with a three from Sarah McGinley to put the team ahead. After a couple more from beyond the arc, Colorado Christian had a more comfortable lead on Fort Smith. With five minutes left the Cougars were up by 9. The Lions stayed steady and brought the difference down to 3 with only a few minutes left. But when the final seconds approached, Fort Smith started fouling and the Cougars made all 4 free throws to take a lead of 7 to close out the game, 66-57. Without finishing strong in the 4th quarter the team would have been in trouble, but they stayed disciplined and it paid off.

GAME LEADERS: Leading the Cougars offensively was Sarah McGinley, scoring 18 points after going 6-9 from the three point line. Jordan Baer led in rebounds with 8, and was the next leading scorer with 13.

WHAT'S NEXT: The win gives Colorado Christian a 1-1 after their opening weekend. The team will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to play in the Westminster College Tournament. The team will play Northwest Nazarene University on Friday, November 16th at 5pm, and Texas A&M International on Saturday, November 17th, at 3pm. The first home weekend will be the weekend after Thanksgiving, as the Cougars will host two Minnesota schools for the Metro State Tournament.