PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball put five players in double figures and scored a season-high 92 points here Friday evening en route to posting a 92-73 victory over South Dakota School of Mines in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play at Massari Arena.
 
With the victory, CSU Pueblo wins its second straight game and improves its record to 10-8 overall and 7-5 in the RMAC, while South Dakota Mines falls to 3-15 overall and 3-9 in the league. The win helped the ThunderWolves move into a tie for fifth place in the RMAC standings with Westminster.
 
The Pack will conclude its three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 21 with a 5:30 p.m. game against Black Hills State University, who is third in the league standings with an 8-2 RMAC record and a 13-3 overall record following its 62-43 win on Friday at New Mexico Highlands.
 
Friday's 92 points bettered CSU Pueblo's previous season high of 83 points against Alaska-Fairbanks on Nov. 18. Along with setting a new season high in points, the Pack also had set new season highs in first half points (48), free throws made (18), field goal percentage (51.6 percent), and steals (19).
 
The 48 first half points bettered the previous season high of 46 at Chadron State on Dec. 2, while the 18 free throws bettered the old season high of 16 at South Dakota Mines on Nov. 16 and the 51.6 field goal percentage marked the first time this season that CSU Pueblo had shot over 50 percent from the field in a game. Additionally, the 19 steals bettered the previous season high mark of 13 against Alaska-Fairbanks.
 
Sophomore guard Landri Hudson (Aurora, Colo./Wyoming) led the way offensively for the Pack with a game-high 19 points, while graduate student guard/forward Charisse Fairley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Fresno State) and graduate student guard Morgan Dial (Denver City, Texas/Western Texas College) each had 15 points. Sophomore guard Daeja Johnson (Queen Creek, Ariz./Casteel) added 12 points and sophomore guard Tomia Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Florida Gulf Coast) had 11 points and five assists.
 
A sixth Pack player fell one point shy of double digits as graduate student guard JaNaiya Davis (Hewitt, Texas/Midway) scored nine points, pulled down six rebounds, had five steals and a career-high tying four blocks. With her nine points, she moves within 21 points of becoming the fifth CSU Pueblo women's basketball player to score 1,400 career points. She is now fifth on the all-time scoring chart with 1,379 career points.
 
The Pack, who tied a season high in quarter points by scoring 31 in the first quarter of Friday's game, jumped out to an 11-6 lead just five minutes into the game. After a trey from Piper Bauer brought SDM within 11-9 with 4:35 left in the quarter, the Pack would respond by closing the quarter on a 20-5 run to take a 31-14 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The run was keyed by five points each from Daeja Johnson and senior guard Amaya Lewis (Hobbs, N.M./New Mexico JC). Lewis finished the night with seven points and four steals in 20 minutes of action.
 
South Dakota Mines, though, wouldn't go away with a fight as they shot 69 percent from the field and 60 percent from the 3-point as they outscored the Pack, 23-17, to cut CSU Pueblo's halftime lead to 48-37.
 
Both teams were on fire offensively in the third quarter as the two teams combined to score 48 points and shoot a combined 52 percent from the field and go a combined 14-for-16 from the free throw line, including the Pack going 10-for-12 at the line in the quarter. CSU Pueblo would outscore the Hardrockers 26-22 in the quarter to take a 74-59 lead into the final period.
 
The Pack opened the fourth quarter on a 9-4 run to push its lead to 83-63 following a lay-up by Hudson with 6:49 left in the game. SDM, though, would score four straight points to pull within 83-67 with 5:53 remaining in the contest. A trey from Tomia Johnson at the 5:34 mark jump started a 9-5 run to push its lead to 92-72 with 2:04 left in the game. The Hardrockers would close the scoring by Bailey Johnson making 1-of-2 free throws with seven seconds left to cap the scoring.
 
Sydnee Durtsche paced four SDM players in double figures with 16 points and she added eight rebounds and five assists. Bauer and Megan Alexander each had 14 points and Madelyn Heiser chipped in with 11 points in the loss.
 
For the game, CSU Pueblo shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent from the free throw line, while South Dakota Mines shot 44 percent from the field, 33 percent from long distance and 71 percent from the free throw line.
 
The Pack was outrebounded, 41-27 as Fairley led the way with seven rebounds. SDM held a 13-3 edge in offensive boards.
 
CSU Pueblo forced 22 turnovers that led to 31 points for the Pack, including forcing 12 turnovers that led to 18 points in the first half.