Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
3-2
Texas Southern
0-4
Women's basketball recap: Rams tame Tigers
11/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2010
By Nic Hallisey
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo.--The Colorado State women's basketball team opened up the 2010 Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational with a 9-0 run, and never let up, defeating the Texas Southern Tigers, 80-60, Saturday afternoon at Moby Arena.
The Rams (3-2) put up their best offensive performance of the season, setting season highs in nearly every offensive category, including: points scored (80), first-half points (44), margin of victory (20), field goals made (29), field goals attempted (60), made three-pointers (14) and three-point shooting percentage (66.7 percent). The team also set season bests in rebounds (43) and steals (13), and committed its fewest turnovers (17).
"There were a lot of great things about this game," Head Coach Kristen Holt said. "We shot the ball really well."
The 14 three-pointers ties a program record, also done in 1999 and 2001. The three-point shooting percentage also was the fourth-best in CSU annals.
After running out to a 9-0 lead and holding the Tigers scoreless for the first 4 minutes, 13 seconds of the game, Texas Southern went on an 8-0 run to make it a one-point game. However, a three-pointer by Kim Mestdagh with 10:47 remaining in the half put the Rams up 12-8, and they never stepped off the gas, outscoring the Tigers 35-9 the rest of the half. The Rams entered the locker room with a 44-17 halftime lead.
"For our defense, we switched to a 2-3 zone," senior guard Bonnie Barbee said. "The back line communicated well."
From there, the Rams cruised through the second half, leading by at least 20 points the entire way en route to their third consecutive victory after starting the season 0-2.
Holt's team was paced by four players in double figures, including Mestdagh and Barbee, who combined for 9-of-12 shooting from long range. Mestdagh finished with 17 points, despite being limited to just 18 minutes due to foul trouble, and Barbee poured in 14 points.
Freshman Amber Makeever hit her first collegiate basket late in the second half, a three-pointer, and would connect on two more over the next three minutes to establish a career-high 11 points.
"It felt good," Makeever said of scoring her first career point. "I wasn't looking to shoot, but I was open. It felt good because my family is here."
Also with a career best was freshman Hayley Thompson, who scored 10 points while pulling down six boards and collecting a pair of steals and assists. Junior forward Chatilla van Grinsven finished with eight points and a team-best 11 rebounds, and Sophomore Chantel Kennedy recorded an impressive nine assists while also tying a career high with five steals. All nine players scored for the Rams.
"Teams worry about all of us shooting , because we all can shoot," Makeever said.
Since the 1994-95 season, the Rams are 26-7 in the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational, and have won their opening game all but twice in the 17-year history of the tournament. The Rams will conclude the tournament Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MT against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Earlier Saturday, Corpus-Christi fell to Boise State 77-66. Boise State will play Texas Southern Sunday at noon.
