Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
6-13, 2-4MW
Boise State
10-9, 3-3MW
Women's basketball recap: Rams win late thriller at Boise State
1/30/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2013
BOISE, Idaho - It was a hard fought battle all the way to the very end, and it was Colorado State that came out on top, 57-56 at Taco Bell Arena.
After an early layup for Boise State (10-9, 3-3 MW), CSU (6-13, 2-4) went on a 9-0 run, hitting three from beyond the arc. The Rams first five out of six baskets were past the three-point line. They tallied 10 on the evening, a season-high. Six different players for Colorado State made threes in the contest.
CSU held the lead until midway through the second frame, when the Broncos took over. Boise State gained a five-point lead three times, but the Rams tied the match-up with just over 1 minute to play. A Caitlin Duffy layup gave the Rams a two-point lead, but it was quickly taken away with a Broncos three-pointer. With the shot clock turned off, CSU had the ball with 26 seconds remaining. A missed shot by Alicia Nichols was corralled by Hayley Thompson, who got the put-back for the win.
"Our kids have been very resilient, and we've had some tough stretches along the way (this season)," commented Head Coach Ryun Williams. "They were tuned in. Our concentration level was really good. We just concentrated on winning those first four minutes."
Sam Martin had a stellar first half, with 11 points in the first 10 minutes of play. Her eighth point of the evening put her at 1,000 in her career. The Colorado native joins the ranks of 16 other Ram greats who have scored 1,000 points at Colorado State. She ended with 22 on the night, the third 20-plus scoring game for a Ram this season. She shot 9-of-19, including a career-high four treys.
Martin is the second junior in two years to reach 1K before her senior campaign. Kim Mestdagh hit the mark her junior season in 2011. Martin is the only active junior in the Mountain West with 1,000 points.
"We emphasized we we're going to play together as a team today," said Martin. "We grew a lot over the past few games. We're playing together now."
Sophomore Ladeyah Forte recorded a team-high seven assists to just one turnover. It was her best performance since dealing 11 vs. South Dakota Mines.
Hayley Thompson registered a season-high 11 points and she grabbed seven boards, also a season-high.
Though the teams were fairly even on defensive rebounds, the Broncos had the advantage on the offensive glass 16-7. Boise State converted 16 second-chance points to CSU's four. The Rams had the upper hand in points off turnovers, however, with 17 to the Broncos seven.
Ladeyah Forte re-entered the Rams' starting five Wednesday. She was joined by Thompson, Meghan Heimstra, Martin and Duffy.
Colorado State will wrap up the week with the first installment of the Border War in Larmaie, Wyo., on Saturday. Tip-off at the Cowgirls is at 2 p.m. Fans can listen free online at CSURams.com/AllAccess or on AM 1410 KIIX.
