In a closely contested regular season Region 9 basketball game held Friday in Lamar, Colorado, the Otero College Women's Basketball team was narrowly defeated by the Lamar Community College Runnin' Lopes with a final score of 60-58.

The game kicked off with impressive performances from Otero College's players. Kendra Byrd opened the scoring with a jumper, contributing a team-high 13 points throughout the game. Alyssa Trujillo supported the offense with 12 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the first quarter, helping the Rattlers to an early lead. The teamwork was evident as Itxasne Fernandez dished out 4 assists, while Anyla Owens and Keke Smith grabbed 7 rebounds each.

Despite a strong start and leading 17-14 at the end of the first period, Otero struggled in the second, allowing Lamar to close the gap and finish the half tied at 24-24. The game remained tight until the very end. The Lady Rattlers had a good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer but the shot rimmed out.

Coach Kyle Herring commented on the team's performance, "We played a better game tonight. They made some really tough shots over our defenders. Lamar caught some breaks. I thought we fought together for the entire game tonight. We still need to improve as we have a legitimate chance to make some noise in the upcoming Region 9 tournament."

Additional contributions came from Dayshanay Bruner, who also scored in double figures netting 10 points and contributed vital plays throughout the match. Despite the loss, Otero College is looking forward to their next game against Trinidad State on February 25 in La Junta, Colorado, as they continue their campaign in the Regular Season Region 9.