LAKEWOOD, Colo. (Nov. 12, 2021) – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team (0-1) nearly completed a 14-point comeback against No. 10 Texas A&M-Commerce (1-0) Friday, but ultimately came up short 74-68 to kick-off the 2021-22 season.
 
The ThunderWolves started the game slow, as they fell behind 8-2 early on. The Pack then got the offense heated up. Started by back-to-back Tomia Johnson 3-pointers, CSU Pueblo enjoyed a 16-3 run that featured five separate scorers. As would be the theme for the remainder of the contest however, the Lions stormed back and ended the quarter with the Pack only leading 21-16.
 
After nearly a two-minute scoring drought, Alisha Davis got the Pack back on track with a jumper off the dish from Aubriana Noti. For the rest of the opening half, the Pack and Lions went back-and-forth. With just 44 seconds remaining, Amaya Lewis sank a jumper in the paint to give the ThunderWolves a 35-33 lead heading into the halftime break.
 
Coming out of the break, the Pack looked to get some breathing room. After a bucket from Sydni Williams, The ThunderWolves got back out to a six-point lead at the halfway mark in the quarter. 
 
With just three minutes to go in the third, Davis and Morgan Dial hit back-to-back baskets and gave the Pack the largest lead for the game. The Lions closed the gap back to a miniscule lead for the Pack following a 9-1 run. Kansas Watts hit a layup late in the quarter to send the game to the fourth with the ThunderWolves leading 50-47.
 
The fourth quarter saw the Lions heat up and the ThunderWolves cool off. Over the first 6:52 of the final quarter, the Lions enjoyed a 20-1 run and jumped to the largest lead of the day for either team at 16.
 
Although the game took a grim turn, the Pack had one final push left in them. Started by two made free throws by JaNaiya Davis, the ThunderWolves hit their offensive stride. Ro Dominguez nailed a 3-pointer followed by a Watts jumper to bring the deficit back to five points with only 57 seconds remaining.
 
Unfortunately for the Pack, the Lions held strong and did not let the game get back within a single score. Two free throws at the end iced the game and cemented the opening day 74-68 loss for CSU Pueblo.
 
The Pack shot 42.2% from the floor off 27-64 shooting. CSU Pueblo hit seven threes off 16 attempts.
 
Alisha Davis finished the day with 15 points and six rebounds off 7-17 shooting from the floor to lead the Pack's scoring efforts. Watts finished with 14 points while Dominguez and Johnson each dropped 11 points to help the well-rounded scoring.
 
JaNaiya Davis dished out four assists and pulled down six rebounds for the ThunderWolves. The four assists put the senior guard fourth all-time in career assists in CSU Pueblo history (337).
 
CSU Pueblo's loss to No. 10 Texas &M-Commerce will be followed up with another tough matchup Saturday morning. At 11 a.m., the Pack end the opening weekend trip with a battle with No. 1 Lubbock Christian University at the CCU Event Center.