Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
14-5, 6-1MW
Utah State
9-9, 2-5MW
Recap: Gustavsson, Nystrom lead Rams past Utah State, 74-43
1/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score: PDF | HTML
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Seniors Elin Gustavsson and Ellen Nystrom combined for 42 points on 18-of-23 shooting to lift the Colorado State women's basketball team to a 74-43 win over the Utah State Aggies on Saturday at Moby Arena.
Gustavsson picked up her third double-double of the season, tallying a team-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting with 12 rebounds and five assists. Nystrom shot 8-of-11 en route to a 20-point, nine-assist performance. Sophomore Callie Kaiser rounded out the Rams' top performers with a 15-point, four-assist game. For the game, the Rams shot 56.6 percent (30-of-53), their highest field goal percentage in a single game this season.
The Rams (14-5, 6-1 MW) took a 18-13 lead after one quarter, and put together the key stretch of the game in a dominant second quarter. CSU opened the period on a 6-0 run, and allowed the Aggies (9-9, 2-5 MW) only one basket throughout the entire second period, a layup at the 7:27 mark. From there, the Rams scored the next 15 points and put a stranglehold on the game with a 39-15 lead at halftime. Gustavsson and Nystrom combined for 24 points on a combined 10-of-12 shooting in the first half.
The Rams would go on to lead for the remainder of the game, and led the Aggies for 35:37 on Saturday. The two teams each scored 18 points in the third quarter, but the Rams outscored the Aggies, 17-10, in the final quarter to put the game away. Kaiser scored five of her 15 points in the final quarter, while Myanne Hamm and Amanda Kantzy added three points each off the bench in that period to help seal the 74-43 win.
IN THEIR WORDS
Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams
"That was a really solid performance. That's two games in a row where I have liked how we have executed offensively. We valued the ball. We had seven turnovers tonight, six against Fresno State. It's fun to watch these kids play right now. They are really active in the zone and everybody was involved offensively and defensively. This was a great team win. I'm proud of our ladies for that."
On the second quarter defensive performance:
"Early on we lost Utah State's (Rachel) Brewster a few times...she's a good player. I have a lot of respect for her. I think like Ellen said, we got familiar with how they were trying to attack. Our defensive rotations were a bit more spot on, we arrived to a shooter a little more on time and we changed the angles at which we played them a little bit. I think it slowed them down, and we were really active. You saw Ellen and Elin in that second quarter playing the wings and Amanda (Kantzy) in the middle. That makes us pretty long. It makes it tough to see if people are open. With some of the length we can put out there, five (players) look like seven."
Senior guard Ellen Nystrom
On CSU's ball movement:
"I think we're getting better chemistry and we know where each other are on the floor. We have a pretty new team compared to last year, so we're just figuring each other out. Right now, it feels really good and it's fun to play."
On the tempo of play for her and Elin on Saturday:
"We are leaders on this team and we want to show it. We want to show our leadership on the court as well as off the court and tonight we showed that."
Senior forward Elin Gustavsson
On CSU's ball movement:
"I feel like this game we were strong with the ball. Before our passes we were under control, and that was one of the keys to all of the assists."
NOTES
- Elin Gustavsson's double-double is her third of the year.
- Gustavsson passed each of Jane Lange (1,174 points) and Lindsay Thomas (1,187 points) on CSU's all-time scoring list. Gustavsson currently ranks 15th with 1,193 career points.
- Ellen Nystrom now has the sixth-most career rebounds in CSU history with 757. Nystrom was previously tied with Sam Martin, who had 753 for her career.
- The Rams did not commit a personal foul until the 0:07 mark in the second quarter.
- CSU has now won 27 of its last 28 games against conference opponents (including postseason) in its last 28 league contests, as well as 29 of its last 30 regular-season conference games.
- CSU has now won five consecutive Mountain West games.
- The Rams have won 25 of their past 26 contests played at Moby Arena.
- CSU now holds a 17-9 record against Utah State in the all-time series.
- CSU has won 12 consecutive games played against Utah State, and all eight games against the Aggies under fifth-year head coach Ryun Williams.
UP NEXT
The Colorado State women's basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 25 for a road contest at San Jose State. Opening tip is set for 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT. Following their matchup with the Spartans, the Rams will return to Moby Arena for a 2 p.m. MT game against the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday, Jan. 28.
