ALAMOSA, Colo. – A 29-day break did not hinder the Adams State University Grizzly women's basketball team as they came out and battled it out and won for the first time against the visiting Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets, 68-60, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action on Friday night here in Plachy Hall.
 
Adams State showed their improvement in their last game on Jan. 7 at MSU Denver, and COVID-19 protocols appeared to put a hindrance on that. The Grizzlies, however, had other thoughts.
 
"I'm proud of them, they never gave in to adversity," said Head Coach Jaime Green. "Everyone contributed, it was truly a TEAM win!"
 
The beginning of the first quarter saw the Grizzlies start strong with Paiton Demps scoring a three-pointer, a beautiful feed from Angeline Nageak. The Grizzlies held their ground going after rebounds, as they were able to transition into fast breaks to create great scoring opportunities. The Grizzlies finished off the first quarter with a six-point lead over the Yellow Jackets, which set the score 21-15.
 
In the second quarter, the Grizzlies continued to add on to their lead with Nageak scoring a jump shot off the feed from Kayla Harris. With multiple steals by Harris, the Grizzlies were able to control the clock. Stephanie Ruiz received a pass from Laura Gutierrez and made a three-point shot as the Grizzlies finished the second quarter remaining in the lead with a score of 38-31.
 
The Grizzlies kept their momentum going by playing a strong defensive game and being quick on their feet going after the rebounds.  Adams State lead by as many as 15 points but the Yellow Jackets managed to close the lead and came within five points, 40-35. Adams State kept the pressure going as they pulled out the win.
 
Adams State saw three players finish the game with double-digits. Nageak was the leading scorer as she hit 6-of-14 from the field for 16 points while Elaina Watson hit a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line for 13 points. Kayla Harris finished with 12 points. Another note was freshman Celina Watson, who played her first collegiate game, finished the game by hitting 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe for seven points.
 
Adams State was scheduled to match up against Chadron State College on Saturday, but the game has been postponed until further notice. The Grizzlies will instead hit the road to Denver to take on Regis University on Monday, Feb. 8 with tipoff scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.