The Western New Mexico University women’s basketball team ran into a tough matchup Saturday as MSU Denver came out shooting and utilized dominance on the boards to take the 99-55 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory.
MSU Denver (9-12, 7-8 RMAC) outrebounded WNMU (7-13, 5-10 RMAC) 56-25 and that led to a 25-5 point advantage on second-chance opportunities. All the extra chances gave the Roadrunners 19 more shots as they made 36-74 (49) and held WNMU to a 16-55 (29) clip.
Senior My’Kale French did her best to keep the Lady Mustangs in it as she went for a season and career-high 20 points going 5-9 from the field and 9-12 at the foul line. Junior Desiree Smith tied the game at two nearly a minute in with a layup and that ended up being the only time the game would be even.
MSU Denver went on an ensuing 12-0 run to push the lead into double-digits the rest of the game. It was a blistering start for the Roadrunners as they held a 32-8 lead after the first quarter. The Lady Mustangs put together a 7-0 run near the middle of the second quarter with sophomore Jade Botelho starting the run with a jumper, while junior Jayla Brown hit a three and junior Tessa Jones connected on a pair at the foul line. Despite the spurt, MSU Denver took a 55-24 lead into the locker rooms.
The Roadrunners didn’t let up in the second half holding a 44-31 scoring advantage to claim the victory.
While French led the way, Smith also reached double-figures in scoring with 11 points. French and junior Deandra Williams grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
J’Nae Squires-Horton led MSU Denver and all-scorers with 23 points. Georgia Ohrdorf added 22 points, as five Roadrunners scored in double-digits. MSU Denver held a 6-2 edge on three-pointers, while both teams made 21 free throws.
The Lady Mustangs return home this coming week when they host Colorado Mesa on Friday night beginning at 5:30 p.m.