LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The time was Yow for the MSU Denver women's basketball team.
 
Sophomore guard Ashlyn Yow scored a career-high 17 points while making 5 of 8 from 3-point range as the Roadrunners snapped a five-game losing streak with a 58-49 victory Friday night at New Mexico Highlands.
 
"That was huge for us," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said of Yow's shooting. "And she provided leadership and was diving on the floor for loose balls. It's those things that aren't in the stat sheet that I'm looking for, and she answered the bell."
 
Haave tweaked her starting lineup and her playing rotation and the moves paid dividends.
 
"The starting group – we've been searching for some stability and they gave it to us," Haave said. "Tosjanae (Bonds) was at the point, and her experience, playing on the road, was a calming effect. After the Chadron State game, the roles we had for some people weren't working and we needed to change some things.
 
"And we made the conscious decision to give everyone a chance in the first half. We played a lot harder than we did against Chadron and the message is that if you play hard and play well, you're going to get another opportunity."
 
The Roadrunners jumped out to an 18-5 lead early and freshman forward Laci Roffle, who had played 30 minutes all season, came off the bench to score a career-high 12 points – she had scored just nine all season – in 17 minutes of action.
 
"Laci has been very coachable, very present and has been working hard in practice," Haave said. "And she's healthier than she had been. She's been a great teammate, and all of that is starting to pay off. She's very aggressive offensively."
 
Mikayla Espinosa also scored 12 for MSU Denver, which led by 20 points – at 56-36 – on Roffle's 3 with 5:56 to go but was limited to just two points the rest of the way.
 
After Highlands pulled within 40-33 early in the fourth quarter, Yow hit two 3s and assisted on two 3s by Roffle to key a quick 16-3 burst. Yow made four straight 3s in a span of 6:07 from the 3:04 mark of the third quarter until 6:57 remained in the game.
 
"Ashley and Laci hit shots, and that was the difference in the game," Haave said.
 
MSU Denver shot just 32.4 percent from the field and was awarded only six free throws all night, but the Roadrunners kept Highlands to 37.5 percent shooting (including 3 of 16 for 18.8 percent from 3). The Roadrunners also had an 11-5 advantage in offensive rebounds and wound up with 16 more field goal attempts than Highlands.
 
The Roadrunners (3-9 overall, 2-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) now travel for a 4 p.m. game Saturday at CSU Pueblo (8-8, 3-5).