Box Score CHADRON – Playing one of its best games of the season, the Chadron State College women's basketball team trailed 39-28 at halftime, but cut the difference to a single point late in the game, only to drop an 81-73 decision to Colorado-Colorado Springs on Friday night.
 
A layup by the senior forward Kayli Rageth sliced Colorado Springs' lead to 70-69 with 2:15 to play. But the Mountain Lions scored field goals on their next three possessions and then made five of six free throws to clinch the victory.  CSC scored just four points after closing the gap to one point.
 
The Lions are now 10-13 overall, 9-10 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and with two games to play are still scrapping for a spot in the league's playoffs.
 
Both teams placed four players in double figures. Guards Jeri Pikul and Abby Kirchoff scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, for the Mountain Lions while post players Kellie Krueger and Sammi Gentile tallied 16 and 12, respectively.
 
Kirchoff grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with four assists and five steals. Gentile had eight rebounds.
 
Both Rageth and guard Dallas Shaw scored 15 points, Kate Simonton 13 and Kattie Ranta 12 for the Eagles. Ranta led CSC with seven rebounds and five assists.
 
Bolstered by four 3-pointers from Shaw and three from Rageth, the Eagles outscored Colorado Springs 66-60 from the field, but the Lions were 21-28 from the free throw line and CSC was seven of 11.
 
Just two more fouls, 19 to 17, were called on Chadron State. But the Lions accumulated nine two-shot free throw opportunities and the Eagles had just two.
 
CSC is now 4-20 overall and 4-16 in the RMAC.  The Eagles will host Colorado State-Pueblo at 5:30 tonight (Saturday).