Colorado State University Athletics
Rams game notes - CSU hosts Idaho Saturday
11/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game No. 3
Colorado State (0-2) vs. Idaho (0-2)
Nov. 22, 2008 | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena (8,745) | 2 p.m. MT
Rams host Idaho in home opener...
The Colorado State women’s basketball team opens its home schedule on Saturday when the Rams play host to the University of Idaho Vandals at 2 p.m. Both teams enter the contest in search of their first wins of the 2008-09 season.
Colorado State tipped off the year with a heartbreaking 76-69 overtime defeat at Wichita State and suffered a 93-63 setback at rival Colorado on Wednesday, despite trailing by just seven at halftime.
Idaho opened is schedule on the road at Texas Tech, falling 90-55 in Lubbock, Texas. The Vandals then dropped a home contests against the Montana Grizzlies, who the Rams will face on Dec. 10 in Missoula, Mont. The Grizzlies held Idaho to just 26.8 percent shooting in the contest, winning by a 55-36 margin.
Fans in the Fort Collins area can listen to all the action on AM 1410 KIIX. Brian Roth, in his eight season with CSU women’s basketball, is behind the mic.
Live stats are available on CSURams.com by clicking the link on the calendar of the home page or on the women’s basketball schedule page.
CSU vs. Idaho series...
Saturday’s meeting between Colorado State and Idaho marks the fifth overall meeting between the two schools, and the third meeting in as many seasons. Idaho defeated the Rams in the first two games of the series, notching a 93-71 home victory in 1982 and a 69-60 road win in 1988. The Rams picked up a neutral court victory in 2000 (71-60) and defeated the Vandals in their last trip to Moby Arena, a 60-45 decision in 2006. Colorado State is looking to avenge a 42-31 setback last season that ranks as one of the worst performances in school history. In that game, the Rams recorded school records for futility by mustering just eight field goals on 17 percent shooting.
The series...
11/27/82; L, 71-93 (Moscow)
12/03/88; L, 60-69 (Fort Collins)
11/17/00; W, 71-60 (Reno)
11/24/06; W, 88-68 (Fort Collins)
12/18/07; L, 31-42 (Moscow)
About Idaho...
First-year head coach Jim Newlee inherited a team that finished with an overall record of 4-25 (3-13 WAC) in 2007-08 and returns just four letterwinners, all starters. Newlee, a two-time Big Sky Conference coach of the year came to Moscow after successful stint with Idaho State.
Derisa Taleni, a junior transfer from De Anza College, leads the Vandals in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game. Sophomore post Yinka Olorunnife ranks as the team’s leader in rebounding, pulling down 8.5 per contest. She also ranks second on the team in scoring (8.0 ppg).
Sophomore guard Alana Curtis, a graduate of Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, has earned one start for the Vandals and is averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Last time out...
The Colorado State women’s basketball team played one of its best first halves in recent memory during the opening stanza against in-state rival Colorado on Wednesday, and hung in with arguably one of the biggest and most athletic teams the Rams will face this season.
However, an early second-half scoring drought by the Rams helped Colorado push its lead to double digits and the Rams never got closer than 15 points for the rest of the contest. The Buffs used their momentum to push the lead to 34 points with a minute left in the game, eventually defeating the Rams by a 93-63 final in front of 3,588 fans at the Coors Events Center.
Senior guard Kandy Beemer led the Rams in scoring with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Beemer also recorded a career-high four of the team’s 11 assists in the contest and pulled down two rebounds, while committing just one turnover in 33 minutes of action.
Sophomore Bonnie Barbee tallied 13 points while CSU junior Devran Tanacan, playing in her first game since March 2007, led the Rams with nine rebounds in just 14 minutes. Senior Britney Minor added 11 points, while fellow senior Carine Reimink chipped in six points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Juanise Cornell also added seven rebounds, but was held scoreless for just the fifth time in 62 career games at CSU.
Terrific trio...
Colorado State’s trio of Britney Minor and Kandy Beemer and Bonnie Barbee accomplished a feat thorugh the first two games of this season, that was not achieved through 32 games in 2007-08. Each of them has scored in double figures for the Rams in the first two games of the season, marking the first time in more than a year that the same three players scored in double figures in back-to-back games for CSU. Barbee and Beemer are averaging a team-best 14.5 poins per game, while Minor ranks just behind at 13.5 points per game.
Walking the walk...
Early in the season, junior walk-on Alison Cheney has become a regular in the Rams’ rotation, ranking first among non-starters with 18.0 minutes per game. Cheney has responded by averaging 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds to go along with two assists and zero turnovers through two games.
Freshman walk-on Morgan Ackley, has seen limited action for the Rams, playing just two minutes in Wednesday’s loss at Colorado, but the former Fort Collins High School standout recorded the first points of her collegiate career with a layup with 26 seconds left in the game, thanks to an assist from Cheney.
Home sweet home...
Including Saturday’s home opener, Colorado State will play six of its next seven contests at Moby Arena, with the exception being a Dec. 10 trip to Missoula, Mont. to face the Lady Griz.
Overall since 1974-75, the Rams hold a record of 287-166 (.635) in Moby Arena. The Rams will play a total of 15 regular-season contests in Moby Arena in 2008-09, the most home dates for a CSU women’s basketball team since the 2004-05 season (16 home games).
Rams in home openers...
Colorado State is 24-10 all-time in home-opening games, a winning percentage of .706, and have won seven of their last eight, with the lone setback coming last season, in a 101-96 triple-overtime defeat against the Universtiy of San Francisco.
CSU’s 10 head coaches have faired well in the home-opening games of their respective careers with the Rams, compiling a record of 8-2. Head Coach Kristen Holt hopes to follow the winning trend in her first official game at Moby Arena on Saturday.
Worth the wait...
Junior center Devran Tanacan finally made her debut in the Rams’ lineup (recording nine rebounds at CU) on Wednesday. Tanacan, who redshirted last season after transferring from Albany, missed the Rams’ opener at Wichita State while serving an amateurism penalty from the NCAA.
Two other Colorado State players - Chatilla van Grinsven and Natalie van den Adel - are still waiting to make their debuts in a Rams uniform, while serving similar penalties. Van Grinsven will miss four games (Nov. 15 at Wichita State, Nov. 19 at Colorado, Nov. 22 vs. Idaho and Nov. 28 vs. Valparaiso). Van den Adel will be eligible to return to the Rams’ lineup for the first time on Feb. 28 at New Mexico.
3-point pace setters...
Kandy Beemer and Bonnie Barbee have opened up the season on a blistering pace from beyond the three-point line, hitting six and five treys, respectively through two games. With at least 28 games remaining on the Rams’ schedule, Beemer is on pace for 89 three-pointers, while Barbee is heading towards 75 on the season. Both marks would rank in the top five of the CSU record books. Becky Hammon holds the top four slots on the list with season totals of 114 (1998-99), 88 (1995-96), 83 (1996-97) and 80 (1997-98).
Up next...
Colorado State hosts Valparaiso, Florida State and Murray State as part of the 15th annual Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational. The four-game tournament will take place Nov. 28 and 29 at Moby Arena, with games beginning at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day. Florida State and Murray State face off in the opening game, followed by a matchup between CSU and Valpo. The outcomes of Friday’s games will determine the matchups for Saturday, with the Rams playing the late game regardless of out come.