Senior Zoë Tomlinson led the Colorado College women's basketball team with 28 points and 13 rebounds in a 57-54 win over the University of St. Thomas on Saturday afternoon. It's Tomlinson's sixth double-double of the season and her fourth straight dating back to Nov. 25. 
 
The Tigers scored 25 points in the third quarter after being down 23-22 at the half and fought off a UST fourth-quarter comeback to win their first conference game of the season. 
 
CC made it to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game at the conclusion of last season. The Tigers didn't shy away from the challenge of playing on the road for the first SCAC game of the year. Tomlinson shot 84.6 percent from the floor (11-13) and scored 14 points in the third quarter. 
 
The Tigers missed only four shots in the fourth after shooting 40.9 percent in the first half. Defensively, CC had one of its better games of the season, limiting UST to a 32.2 shooting percentage, including 28.75 percent in the first half. 
 
CC possessed a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, surrendering only three made Celt field goals. Tomlinson and Senior Laura Strenk combined for 10 points. 
 
Five Tigers scored in the second, and all the starters contributed, including Kayla Mackel, who finished the game with eight points and made two three-pointers. Strenk finished with 10 points and a team-high five assists. Sophomore Isa Nelson and Senior Healy Bledsoe combined for 11 points, five rebounds and eight assists. 
 
Bledsoe, along with Tomlinson and Strenk, contributed two steals defensively. 
 
Out of the halftime break, Kayla Mackel made a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 24-22 lead, which CC didn't surrender for the remainder of the game. 
 
The Tigers scored 14 unanswered points to make it 35-22 with 6:12 remaining in the quarter. Tomlinson scored the quarter's final seven points to give the Tigers a 46-37 advantage heading into the final quarter. 
 
In the final minutes, despite the Tigers leading by as many as 14 in the fourth, UST made numerous three-pointers to cut the lead down to 51-49 with 1:58 to play. 
 
Baskets by Tomlinson and two clutch free throws by Strenk sealed the game in the final second as the Celts missed a game-tying three-pointer as time expired. 
 
CC improved to 7-1 and will wait to compete in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 28th in the D3Hoops Classic. The Tigers will face Susquehanna University and SUNY New Paltz over the weekend in Vegas.