Colorado State University Athletics
CSU travels to in-state rival UNC
12/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2009
Colorado State (7-3), off to its best start since 2001-02, will play Northern Colorado for the 27th time since the Rams basketball program began in 1974-75.
UNC is 5-5 on the season with its most recent win at home vs. Bradley, 75-58. Senior guard Whitley Cox registered 23 points, the highest by any Bear this season, in the win. The team never trailed in the game and lead by as many as 20 points.
Tipoff between CSU and UNC is at 5 p.m. MT on Monday in in the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion (2,734).
The game will be broadcast live on AM 1410 KIIX. Brian Roth calls the action and Matt Wozniak provides the color analysis. Live game audio will also be available via Rams All-Access subscription on CSURams.com.
Hemmings wait is over...
Junior guard Sara Hemmings may be able to play in her first game for the Rams on Monday at her former school. Before transfering to the University of Arizona, she played basketball for the Bears. Per NCAA transfer rules, Hemmings had to sit out for the Fall 2009 semester.
Rams vs. UNC series...
Monday's meeting between Colorado State and Northern Colorado marks the 27th overall meeting between the two schools.
The Rams hold an 18-9 advantage in the all-time series, with a 6-6 mark in Greeley. CSU has won 16 of the last 17 overall (UNC defeated CSU 60-70 in Greeley in 2007).
About Northern Colorado...
The Bears are currently on a two-game winning streak with a 5-5 record this season. They are undefeated at home with three wins, which marks the third straight year the Bears have started the season 3-0 at home. The team plays St. Mary's Saturday at 7 p.m. before the matchup vs. Colorado State Monday. CSU will be the last of a four-game homestand for the Bears.
Senior guard Whitley Cox and junior guard Courtney Stroemer lead the team in scoring this season with 15.8 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. Lauren Oosdyke, a 5-11 redshirt-freshman forward, leads the team in rebounds per game with 7.1.
Last time out...
A night after watching the men's basketball team defeat the Buffs at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, the women's team repeated the feat against its Front Range rival, 69-61, Friday night. The Rams improved their record to 7-3, their best start since the 2001-02 season when the Rams went to the NCAA tournament.
The Rams struggled to take care of the ball early and were down 16 points with just 5 minutes remaining in the first half. However, the Rams were able to overcome their 12 first-half turnovers and go on a 12-4 run to end the half down eight points.
And the Rams did come out of the locker room in aggressive fashion. They shocked the Buffs (6-2) by doubling their first-half point total, scoring 46 points in the second half. The up-tempo Rams also limited their turnovers to four, while forcing the Buffs to turn the ball over nine times in the second half.
Sophomore forward Chatilla van Grinsven led the Rams' charge with 16 points and nine rebounds. However, she wasn't alone as three other Rams scored in double figures. Sophomore Kim Mestdagh added 12 points, nine in the second half. Sophomore Natalie van den Adel tied her career high with 14 points, 12 in the second, and Simmons added 13, 10 of which came in the second half.
The Rams, undefeated at home, have a five-game home court win streak, which is good enough to tie for 11th place all-time. However, the Rams will have to wait until Jan. 2 before they can extend their streak as they take on South Dakota.
The last time...
After the win Dec. 11 vs. Colorado, the Rams are off to their best start since they began 9-1 in 2001-02 en route to the NCAA tournament under then-Head Coach Tom Collen. Last season, the Rams didn’t pick up their seventh win until Jan. 20, and in 2007-08, CSU won only four all season.
Heimstra Heats up...
In ten games this season sophomore forward Meghan Heimstra has scored a total of 96 points and has 96 rebounds. She leads the team in rebounds per game with 9.6 and is the third-best on the team in points with 9.6 per game. Heimstra recorded her fourth double-double this season in the team's loss to Cal with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Mestdagh sets record highs...
Sophomore Kim Mestdagh is improving with every game the Rams play this season. Mestdagh set a career high in points starting with the Nov. 15 game vs. Wichita State. She had 21. Since then Mestdagh has broken that record three times with 22 points vs. Texas State (11/27), then 25 points vs. Delaware (11/28) and her current high score of 30 points vs.Southern Illinois (12/6), which secured her a spot on the Colliers International all-tournament team.
Mestdagh’s 30 points Dec. 6 were the most by a CSU player in 40-minute regulation game since Becky Hammon poured in 30, March 14, 1999, to lead the Rams to an 86-70 win over Southwest Missouri State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, in front of 8,741 Moby Arena fans. Sara Hunter had 41 in a 101-96 overtime loss vs. San Francisco on Nov. 13, 2007. Hammon scored 30 or more in eight games that season.
Rams seeing double...
Since the start of the season, five Rams have scored double figures in at least one game. Sophomore Kim Mestdagh leads the pack with 10 consecutive games, followed by junior Bonnie Barbee with five. Sophomores Meghan Heimstra and Chatilla van Grinsven have fourgames, Natalie van den Adel has three and junior Zoi Simmons just recorded her first double-digit game this season vs. CU. She recorded 13 points.
Up next...
Colorado State travels to Corpus Christi, Texas to take on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. Is it the team's first true road trip in three weeks since the Colliers International Tournament in California on Dec. 5 and 6. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT.