Colorado Springs, CO – Saturday afternoon saw the Cougars travel down the highway for a road matchup against UCCS, fighting to snap a conference skid against a Mountain Lion squad near the top of the RMAC standings. After a tightly contested first half, a decisive third quarter proved to be the difference as the Cougars fell 61-71.

The first quarter opened with UCCS striking first, jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead. Amaya Felix got CCU on the board with a layup in the paint before Jordon Heckert would knock down a three to tie the game at five early. The Mountain Lions would respond, but strong rebounding from Elise Grosdidier and second-chance efforts from Ezra Simonich kept the Cougars within striking distance. A Hayley Luther three late in the quarter, followed by a buzzer-beating jumper from Ezra Simonich trimmed the deficit to just two heading into the second, 18-20.

The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle. Samantha Wattawa and Hayley Luther each knocked down key shots from beyond the arc, while Heckert continued to control the offense. A mid-quarter jumper from Heckert gave the Cougars their first lead of the game, and CCU would trade baskets with UCCS the rest of the way. Grosdidier was steady as usual, converting at the line and cleaning up on the glass as the Cougars shot over 60% from the field in the first half. Despite the efficient offense, UCCS answered with timely threes, and the Cougars entered halftime trailing 38-40.

Coming out of the break, Heckert wasted no time, converting an and-one opportunity to give CCU a brief 41-40 advantage. From there, the momentum began to shift with the hosts. UCCS would respond with an 8-0 swing fueled by transition buckets and forced turnovers. Simonich fought to keep the Cougars alive, knocking down a three and going perfect at the free throw line, while Angelina Kohlwaies added a key layup to cut the deficit to one midway through the quarter. A strong end of quarter run from the Mountain Lions would push the lead to double digits, CCU entering the fourth trailing 52-62. CCU would be outscored 23-14 in the quarter.

The fourth quarter saw the Cougars continue to fight till the end. Heckert drilled another three early in the frame, and defensive rebounds from Wattawa and Wilhelm gave CCU extra possessions. The Cougars held UCCS to just eight points in the final quarter, but struggled to convert on the offensive end, shooting just 30% in the second half. Despite late baskets from Wattawa and Kohlwaies, the Mountain Lions would close out the game at the free throw line, handing CCU a 71-61 loss.

Heckert led the Cougars with 17 points, adding six assists. Simonich followed with an efficient 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Grosdidier and Wattawa each pulled down eight boards. The Cougars shot 45.8% from the field and 80% from the free throw line.

Now 6-18 overall and 3-13 in conference play, the Cougars will look to regroup as they continue their final RMAC away weekend. With tipoff set for 5pm MST, the Cougars will travel to cross town rivals Regis University on Thursday, February 19^th.