Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
3-7
Creighton
4-6
Rams fall at Creighton, 67-56
12/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2008
By Danny Mattie
Athletic Media Relations
OMAHA, Neb. - The Colorado State women's basketball team fell to 3-7 Sunday afternoon, dropping a hard-fought 67-56 decision to the Creighton Jays in front of 617 fans at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
The Rams and Jays opened the game with a see-saw battle that included nine first-half lead changes, but a slow start to the second half by the Colorado State offense helped Creighton (4-6) establish a double-digit lead that they would never relinquish.
Guard Kim Mestdagh provided a spark off the bench early and often for the Rams. The freshman from Ieper, Belgium, entered the game and rattled off a quick eight points to give the Rams a 21-19 advantage with 8:43 left in the opening stanza. She finished with a team-high 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including 50 percent (3-for-6) from three-point distance.
Senior guard Kandy Beemer added nine points for the Rams on 3-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while senior forward Britney Minor led the Rams with eight rebounds in the contest.
Creighton's Megan Neuvirth proved to be the difference for the Jays, posting a double-double performance with 18 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs to lead her team to the victory.
The Rams and Jays both shot 37 percent for the contest, with CU holding a slight edge (43-42) in rebounding. However, Creighton connected on 71 percent (12-for-17) from the free-throw line, while the Rams hit just 4-of-8 attempts from the charity stripe.
With the Rams trailing by 19, the largest deficit of the game, and 15 minutes remaining on the clock, forward Juanise Cornell was injured while going for a rebound on the Rams end of the court. Cornell, who earlier in the game had eclipsed 500 career points at CSU, was taken off the court on a stretcher for precautionary reasons but had movement in her extremities and was taken to Creighton University Medical Center for further evaluation. Cornell finished the game with eight points and a career-high two blocks before being injured.
The Rams will take a few days away from the court to celebrate the holidays before heading to San Antonio, Texas for the Star Shuttles New Year's Classic, where they will face Prairie View A&M and host UTSA on Dec. 29 and 30, respectively.
