GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team opened the 2024 calendar year here Friday evening with a 74-59 setback to Colorado Mesa in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at Brownson Arena.

With the setback, the ThunderWolves fall to 7-7 overall and 2-4 in the RMAC, while Colorado Mesa improves to 10-3 overall and 4-2 in the league. The Pack will conclude its two-game road trip with a 5 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 6 in Salt Lake City, Utah, against Westminster.

Redshirt junior forward Alisha Little (Aurora, Colo./Northern Colorado) continued her strong play as she tallied her NCAA Division II-leading 10th double-double of the season as she scored 22 points and added 16 rebounds in the loss. Little tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds in the second half to help the Pack outscore the Mavericks, 37-33, after halftime.

In addition to Little, freshman forward Leilani Love (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque) added 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field, while graduate student guard Romola Dominguez (Denver, Colo./Central Arkansas) added 10 points for the Pack.

After trailing by as much as 23 points at 53-29 midway through the third quarter, the Pack closed the quarter on a 10-6 run to pull within 59-39 heading into the final quarter. Love and Little combined to score all 10 of Pack's points.

The Mavs would open the fourth quarter by scoring six of the first eight points to extend its lead to 65-41, before the Pack responded with an 11-3 run capped by Little lay-up to cut the Mavs lead to 68-52 with 2:30 left in the game.

After Sophie Hadad made two free throws to give CMU a 70-52, the Pack closed the game on a 7-4 run to set the final margin. The Pack won the fourth quarter, 20-15.

The Mavericks were paced offensively by a career-high 30 points from Mason Rowland, while Olivia Reed added 20 points and eight rebounds and Sophie Hadad finished with 11 points in the win.

CSU Pueblo led 6-3 just three-plus minutes into the game, before the Mavs closed out the quarter on a 12-4 run to hold a 15-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.

The Mavs outscored the Pack, 26-12, in the second quarter to take a 41-22 lead at the half.

For the game, the Pack shot 39 percent from the field and were just 3-for-20 (15 percent) from the 3-point line, while Mesa shot 48 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point line.

The Pack finished the game with a season low eight turnovers and had 14 assists, including three from junior guard Tomia Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Florida Gulf Coast). She also added two steals and scored seven points in the contest.

Colorado Mesa had just nine turnovers and 16 assists but held a 12-10 edge in points off turnovers.

Mesa outshot the Pack, 25-11 at the free throw line as the Mavs were 21-for-25 from the line and the Pack finished 6-for-11 at the line.

The Pack held a 36-35 edge on the boards and blocked eight shots, including seven from Little. Additionally, the Pack had 15 offensive rebounds on the game.