LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Rogers State women's basketball team started the 2016-17 season with a 52-49 win at New Mexico Highlands on Friday (Nov. 11) afternoon at the John A. Wilson Complex.
The navy and red used a strong four period to erase a four-point deficit to get the 52-49 victory. Trailing by eight at 44-36 with nine minutes remaining, RSU went on a 9-0 run over six minutes to take a 45-44 advantage on a
Nikola Nedoroscikova layup at the 3:17 mark. The spurt started with a 3-pointer by
Kamry Chamberlain, and sophomore
Lauren Schuldt scored four straight points to pull the Hillcats to within one at 44-43 with 5:08 remaining.
After a basket from NMHU,
Kolby McIntosh gave RSU the lead again on a 3-pointer with 2:37 left for a 48-46 score. Nedoroscikova made free throws in the final seconds for the 52-49 victory.
The Cats were red hot to start the contest as they opened with a 9-0 run in the first four minutes of the contest. Nedoroscikova and
Courtney Smith hit back-to-back 3s in the first two minutes, and a
Natasha Kindred layup made it 8-0. A Kindred free throw increased the margin to 9-0 midway through the period, and RSU held an 18-10 lead after the first 10 minutes of action.
In a close second period, the Hillcats outscored NMHU by one point to take a 27-18 advantage at halftime.
New Mexico Highlands came out in the second half and tallied 22 points in the third period to erase a nine-point deficit and gain a 40-36 edge after 30 minutes. NMHU ended the period with a 12-3 run to take the lead. The Hillcats, however, rallied in the final period to open the season with the victory.
Nedoroscikova and Kindred each totaled a team-high 11 points. Nedoroscikova also led the team in rebounds (eight) and assists (four) in her first game in the navy and red. A total of nine Hillcats scored in the game.
NMHU's Kaylani Maiava scored a game-high 14 points off the bench. Brianna Pribble added 13 points.
The Hillcats (1-0) take on Western New Mexico on Saturday (Nov. 12) in a neutral site contest in Las Vegas, N.M. at 5 p.m. Live stats will be available for the game.
