Box Score Colorado College erased an 18-point third-quarter deficit and went on to record a crucial 56-52 victory over Schreiner University on Friday night at Reid Arena.

CC, which improved to 8-15 overall and 5-7 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, climbed a half-game past the Mountaineers and into fifth place with two league games remaining.

Schreiner appeared to be in complete control when sophomore forward Kendra Brown gave her team a 39-21 lead when she scored on a layup 4:01 into the second half.

Sophomore guard Nia Duplain scored eight of her career-high 18 points, including a layup as time expired in the third quarter, during a 17-3 run that allowed the Tigers to claw their way back to within 42-38 after 30 minutes.

The Mountaineers still held a four-point lead with 5:25 to play, but Colorado College dialed up the defense and did not surrender another point until Schreiner's Jordyn Villa sank a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining.

Back-to-back layups by Duplain tied the score at 50-50, the second of which came off of a steal in the Mountaineers end when she tipped the ball toward mid-court and took it in for the uncontested basket.

Just over a minute later, Duplain gave the Tigers their first lead of the contest when she took a feed from freshman guard Jade Odom and scored on a layup.

Freshman winger McKenzee Gertz doubled CC's lead on drive to the basket with 10 seconds to play, and after Villa's free throws cut Schreiner's deficit to 54-52, Gertz iced the game with a pair of clutch free throws with three ticks left.

Gertz finished with a game-high 19 points. She connected on six of 12 field-goal attempts, including three of five from behind the arc.

Duplain went 9-for-11 from the floor.

Brown led the Mountaineers with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Villa added 12 points and four assists for Schreiner, which slipped to 6-16 overall and 4-7 in the SCAC.

Colorado College plays host to Trinity University on Sunday at 2 p.m.