DURANGO, CO- Colorado Christian battled to the end in a heartbreaker at Fort Lewis, falling 67-66 to the Skyhawks. The game came down to the final seconds as a late free throw from Fort Lewis gave them the narrow victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED- The Skyhawks got off to a sizzling start, gaining control with a 16-1 lead halfway through the first quarter. Megan Kamps got the Cougars going with a dunk that swung the momentum towards Colorado Christian. Haley Hanson nailed a jumper and four consecutive made free throws from Lourdes Gonzalez brought the Cougars within 11 heading to the second quarter.

Sophia Karasinski took over in the second frame, drilling back-to-back three pointers to close the gap to just three. Just when it felt like the Cougars were going to take the lead though, the Skyhawks responded with a run of their own, scoring the final five points of the half as they took a commanding 16 point lead into the break at 45-29.

Grace Field got  the Cougars going again in the third quarter with a three-point play, and Hanson followed that up with a three pointer to tighten the gap. Mia Guest made an impact with a shot from deep, and Kamps brought her team within five with a layup. Karasinski and Guest continued the barrage from downtown with consecutive threes, and Gonzalez nailed a jumper to take the game to the final frame with the outcome still very much undecided. 

Sydney Daniels came out strong in the fourth, converting a jumper and layup to bring the Cougars within two. A layup from Gonzalez with 4:40 remaining made it a one point contest. The defense for both teams locked in down the stretch, and a pair of free throws from Kamps tied the game with 1:36. Kamps then hit a jumper to give Colorado Christian the lead for the first time with 39 seconds remaining. The Skyhawks then converted a three-point play and the final shot from the Cougars did not hit as they fell 67-66 in a thriller. 

COUGARS LEADERS:
Lourdes Gonzalez led the team in points and rebounds, notching a double-double with 17 points and 14 boards. Megan Kamps had a strong game with 13 points and Sophia Karasinski and Haley Hanson paced the Cougars with three assists apiece.


INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• The Cougars bench outscored Fort Lewis 29-12
• Colorado Christian scored 15 points off turnovers
• The Cougars percentage from the field was 53.3 in the third quarter