LAKEWOOD, CO – It only took a few minutes but, the opening possessions of the second half were crucial in the end result.

Adams State started the final stanza on a strong scoring spurt as they grabbed an 82-78 victory in a rare Sunday afternoon RMAC contest.

The Cougars set-back overshowed Ross Williams' second straight 30-plus scoring outburst.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The point-fest began from the opening tip. In the first half neither team held a lead bigger than six points as both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor. Seconds before the halftime horn sounded, Ross Williams hit a three-pointer from NBA range to give his squad a 45-42 lead at intermission.

In the opening 20 minutes each team hit six three-pointers with Colorado Christian's 17 total made field goals one more than the Grizzlies.

A cold shooting spell for the Cougars to begin the second period was taken advantage of by the visitors. As Colorado Christian made four of their first 16 field goal attempts, the Grizzles hit nine of their first 14 attempts to build a 66-57 edge with just under 10 minutes left.

The lid on the Cougars basket continued as Adams State built a 71-60 lead, their largest of the night, with just over six minutes remaining. Colorado Christian made their comeback attempt as they dwindled their deficit to 73-69 with 3:05 left after a Williams shot from deep.

The Cougars pulled within 78-76 when DJ McDonald hit three shots from the foul line with 17 ticks left on the game clock. However, Adams State sealed the game by making all four of their charity stripe shots down the stretch.

COUGAR LEADERS: Williams scored 31 points in just over 36 minutes of court time. The junior hit six shots from behind the arc and went 10-for-18 from the field.

Andy Stafford posted a double-double with a 19-point, 11-rebound performance. It was his second double-double of the season. Justin Engesser registered 15 points with seven rebounds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• The Cougars made 15 free throws; the second most this season
• Colorado Christian shot 44.3 percent (27-for-61) in the contest
• There were 17 lead changes in the contest and seven ties

UP NEXT: The Cougars hit the road for the first time in over a month when they compete against Fort Lewis on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.