Colorado College returned to sole possession of first place in the SCAC Gold Division with a 69-44 victory over Concordia (TX) on Friday evening at Reid Arena.

With Texas Lutheran falling earlier in the day, CC (17-5, 12-1 SCAC) moved back into the top spot in the division standings.

CC controlled the game from the opening tip and never trailed, holding Concordia to just four points in the first quarter while building a 12-4 lead. The Tigers extended the margin in the second period, outscoring the Tornadoes 22-12 to take a commanding 34-16 advantage into halftime.

Colorado College maintained control throughout the second half, pushing its lead to as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter and leading for more than 37 minutes of game time.

Senior Rayna Welsch led CC with 16 points and five rebounds. Senior Kayla Mackel added 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a career-high five blocked shots. Junior Naiya Kurnik contributed six points and five rebounds, while junior JuJu Garcia added six points. Sophomore Payton Gates finished with seven points off the bench.

Junior Natalie Maldonado delivered a strong defensive performance, recording a career-high four steals.

CC shot 40.3 percent from the field and held a 37-32 advantage on the boards. The Tigers' defense was the defining factor, forcing 20 turnovers while collecting 10 steals and eight blocked shots.

Concordia (7-16, 4-9 SCAC) was led by Aja Holmes with 19 points.

The Tigers return to action Sunday at 2 p.m. MT against Texas Lutheran at Reid Arena.