UAFS took an early fourth-quarter lead against Colorado Christian during Saturday night's game in the season-opening Conference Challenge, but the Lady Lions couldn't hold off a late comeback by the Cougars.

Colorado Christian used a 21-point outburst in the final quarter to regain the lead and pull away late for a 66-59 win at Volk Gymnasium in Golden, Colo.

It was the final game of the two-day, four-team classic for UAFS (0-2), which lost 53-40 to host Colorado School of Mines on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.

With the game tied at 45 points after three quarters, UAFS took a two-point lead (47-45) on a jumper by senior forward Ellie Lehne with 9:02 left to play. A 3-pointer by Colorado Christian's Sarah McGinley gave the Cougars a brief one-point lead (48-47) with 8:49 left in the game.

Senior forward Sarah Elkins drained a jumper with 8:15 left to play that gave the Lady Lions a one-point lead (49-48), but UAFS couldn't build on that momentum or the lead from there.

Colorado Christian's Jordan Baer answered with a layup to give the Cougars the lead (50-49), and the Cougars went on to build as much as a nine-point lead (60-51) with five minutes remaining.

UAFS got within as few as three-points (62-59) when junior forward Tamera Gulley converted a traditional 3-point play with 2:39 left in the game, but Colorado Christian sank all four of its free-throw attempts in the final 20 seconds – two each by Baer and Olivia Christy – to seal the game.

Gulley and senior guard Mariah Green had 13 points apiece to lead the Lady Lions, who led 25-23 at halftime. Lehne added 12 points. The Lady Lions shot 41 percent from the field (24 of 58) – they were 5-of-17 shooting from 3-point range – and shot just 50 percent at the free-throw line (6 of 12).

Gulley had a team-high eight rebounds to help the Lady Lions out-rebound the Cougars by 10 rebounds (40-30). UAFS had 14 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.

UAFS did commit 16 turnovers that led to 16 points for Colorado Christian.

Colorado Christian (1-1) shot 46 percent from the field (25 of 54) – it was 10-of-20 shooting from 3-point range – and shot only 50 percent from the free-throw line (6 of 12). McGinley and Baer had 18 and 13 points to lead the Cougars. Baer also had a team-leading eight rebounds.

The Cougars committed 12 turnovers that led to 10 points for UAFS.
 
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CONFERENCE CHALLENGE
COLORADO CHRISTIAN 66, UAFS 59
UAFS                          18        17        10        14        --          59
Colorado Christian      16        17        12        21        --          66
UAFS (0-2): Gulley 13, Green 13, Lehne 12, D. Brown 6, Culley 6, A. Brown 2, Elkins 4, Richardson 3
Colorado Christian (1-1): McGinley 18, Baer 13, Price 7, Zimmerman 6, Pribble 6, Tomlinson 5, Hurlbut 5, Christy 4, Brantley 2