PUEBLO, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2022) – Thanks to an all-around clutch performance, the Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team (10-3, 6-1) was able to hold off a scrappy South Dakota School of Mines squad and claim a 63-60 victory Saturday afternoon.
 
The ThunderWolves were in a tight contest from the beginning. Midway through the first quarter, Tomia Johnson sank a 3-pointer off a Torie Bass assist to put the Pack ahead 10-8 early on. 
 
The deep Johnson bucket kickstarted a 7-0 Pack run and led CSU Pueblo into the second quarter with a 14-8 lead over the Hardrockers.
 
South Dakota Mines was able to narrow the deficit early in the second quarter but a Jazzy Hughes 3-pointer silenced the Hardrockers' bench thanks to a nifty assist from JaNaiya Davis. Later, a Morgan Dial splash from downtown gave CSU Pueblo its largest lead of the day. 
 
The Pack headed into the halftime break ahead 30-22 after the successful shooting from behind the arch in the second quarter.
 
Headed out of the break, CSU Pueblo was caught on its heels. The Hardrockers shot themselves to a 10-0 run and grabbed a 32-30 lead early in the third. After trailing by as many as three points, Sydni Williams started a modest 8-0 run capped by a Ro Dominguez 3-pointer. 
 
Following the momentum shifting play from the Pack late in the third, the ThunderWolves enjoyed a 44-40 lead headed into the decisive fourth quarter.
 
Davis, Bass and Hughes tried to put the game away early in the fourth with a 6-1 spurt, but the Hardrockers refused to yield.
 
With 5:28 remaining, the Hardrockers got back within a point. Dominguez responded by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to shift the momentum back in the ThunderWolves' favor.
 
The offensive burst was not enough to put South Dakota Mines away and the Hardrockers responded. With just 10 seconds to go, South Dakota Mines put the game back within a point. After being fouled with 6.8 seconds to go in the game, Davis was able to extend the lead to three points and put the game on ice.
 
CSU Pueblo was able to clinch the 63-60 win following the clutch free throws and a missed jumper as time expired.
 
Dominguez's 4-7 shooting from downtown helped the transfer to a 14-point performance. Her 5-9 shooting from the floor is her best field goal percentage while scoring double-digits since the Pack's win over the University of the Southwest on Nov. 26.

Davis ended the afternoon leading the Pack with a stellar double-double. The senior shot her way to 12 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while she nabbed four steals and dished out four assists. Davis' 12 rebounds moved her to 499 on her career and puts her in the top-20 all-time in school history. Her four steals also had Davis eclipse the 200 mark on her career.
 
Alisha Davis, Johnson and Hughes each tallied seven points to help round out the Pack's scoring efforts.
 
After the scrappy win over the Hardrockers, CSU Pueblo moves to 10-3 overall on the season and 6-1 in RMAC play. The Pack have now won all seven home competitions in the 2021-22 season and enter their next road trip coming off two impressive conference wins.
 
The ThunderWolves head down to New Mexico Highlands University at 5 p.m. on Friday and then travel north to University of Colorado-Colorado Springs at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.