Box Score PUEBLO, Colo. (December 19, 2015) – Down seven at the half, the Colorado State University-Pueblo women's basketball team rallied to stun Adams State University 71-56. The Pack (10-1, 5-0 RMAC) has now 10 consecutive games. Their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rivals fell to 2-6 (1-4 RMAC).
Jaszymn Johnson (Sr., Denver, Colo.) sparked the Pack off the bench with a career-high 20 points. Johnson drained 6-of-8 from the field as she led all scorers. Johnson also splashed a trio of 3-pointers and added five free-throws in a career performance.
Lauren Heyn (Fr., Loomis, Calif.) ended her night just one-point shy of a double-double. The freshman delivered nine points and 11 boards for the Pack. Seven of her rebounds were offensive.
Ashley-Piper (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa) followed up her season-best 16-point effort against Fort Lewis with 12 points for CSU-Pueblo. Piper grabbed eight rebounds and knocked down 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. She also led the Pack with two steals.
Adams started the game with a pair of 3-pointers to jump out to a 6-0 lead less than a minute into the game. However, Tuileisu Anderson (So., Vancouver, Wash.) answered with a triple of her own with 8:34 left in the first to get the Pack on the board.
A lid on the rim resulted in a nightmare quarter for the Pack as they made just 11.8 (2-for-17) percent of their shots from the field in the first. CSU-Pueblo's struggles shooting allowed Adams to carry 21-9 lead into the second quarter. The Grizzlies made 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from downtown in the opening frame.
The Grizzlies kept the lead at double-digits for most of the second stanza as they sank 7-of-10 from downtown in the first half. With 10 ticks left in the first half, Johnson swished a clutch three to bring the Pack within seven at halftime.
CSU-Pueblo netted just 17.9 percent (7-for-39) in the first half as they trailed 33-26 at intermission. Johnson led the Pack with eight points at the break, including five points from the charity stripe.
Piper helped the Pack close the gap in the third. The senior scored five consecutive points for CSU-Pueblo from 6:35-5:31 to bring the Pack within five, 40-35.
Minutes later the Pack began an eight-point run that gave them their first lead of the night, 45-44. Johnson scored four more points in this run from 2:37 to the 1:25 mark in the third. Adams would eventually reclaim the lead as they held a 50-49 advantage after three.
The Pack made 45.0 percent from the field in the third (9-for 20). Johnson nailed 3-of her -4 attempts as she led the Pack with six points in the third.
CSU-Pueblo began the fourth with a 10-0 run to claim a 59-50 lead. The Pack held Adams scoreless for the first 5:12 of the final quarter, before the Grizzlies got on the board with a free throw. The Pack rode the momentum from this run to a 71-56 win.
Dee Arrieta (Sr., Pueblo West, Colo.) collect seven points and dished out seven assists on the night. Arrieta has averaged five assists per game in RMAC play.
In the second half, the Pack potted 48.5 percent of their attempts from the field. They also outrebounded the Grizzlies 50-44. The ThunderWolves have snagged 50 rebounds in consecutive games.
With 10 straight victories and the school's longest win streak since 1975-76, Head Coach Jim Turgeon's team will now take a holiday break before returning to action Jan. 2 when they visit Regis University at 3 :00 p.m. The Pack will continue their road swing with a visit to Chadron State College Jan. 3 before returning home.
CSU-Pueblo takes the court at Massari Arena again on Jan. 8 when they host New Mexico Highlands University at 5:30 p.m.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
