Rams host North Carolina Central on Saturday

Colorado State Rams (2-2) vs. North Carolina Central Eagles (1-2)
Saturday, Nov. 25 | 4 p.m. MT
Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.
Coverage: CSURams.com/live (MW Network) | CSU Radio Network (KARS 102.9 FM) | Live Stats

Colorado State Women's Basketball: Tickets | Twitter | Weekly Release | Saturday Notes Update

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Colorado State women's basketball team finishes its season-opening five-game homestand this Saturday with a matchup against the North Carolina Central Eagles.

Opening tip for Colorado State's (2-2) meeting with NCCU (1-2) is set for 4 p.m. MT on Saturday from Moby Arena. The Rams enter Saturday with home wins over Gonzaga and Eastern New Mexico, while the Eagles lost in their only road game (at Wofford) this season. NCCU, which placed ninth in its conference last season, was picked 13th out of 13 teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Eagles return seven letterwinners from last year's team.

Tickets for all homes games are now available, and may be purchased at CSURams.com/tickets or through a call to 800-491-RAMS (7267). Parking is available for all home games in the Moby Arena parking lot. A new clear bag system is now in effect for all CSU women's and men's basketball games in an effort to increase the safety of all fans in attendance, and information on that system can be found here.

Live video will be available for Saturday's game at CSURams.com/live via the MW Network, along with a live radio broadcast on KARS 102.9 FM via the CSU Radio Network. Matthew Wozniak will be on the call for each of the video and radio broadcasts. Live stats will also be made available.

Game Day Storylines
- Lore Devos leads the Rams in multiple statistical categories, including points per game (12.0), assists per game (2.5) and free throw percentage (.923), minimum 2.5 made per game). The freshman is also tied with fellow freshmen Grace Colaivalu and Lena Svanholm, as well as Annie Brady, for the team blocks lead (2).
- Devos paced the Rams with 25 points in her collegiate debut against Idaho. No other CSU player has scored as many points in her debut in the now-six-year Ryun Williams era.
- Devos ranks fourth in the Mountain West in free throw percentage (.923). Colaivalu ranks fifth in the conference in that category (.909).
- Two other players lead CSU in multiple statistical categories, Veronika Mirkovic and Sofie Tryggedsson. Mirkovic paces the Rams in rebounds per game (6.5) and steals (4). Tryggedsson is the Rams' leader in three-point field goals made (10) and three-point field goal percentage (.294, minimum two made per game).
- In addition, Mirkovic ranks eighth in the Mountain West in defensive rebounds per game (5.0).
- Hannah Tvrdy ranks among the Mountain West's leaders in multiple statistical categories. She checks in at seventh in the league's rankings in field goal percentage (.519) and eighth in minutes played per game (31.0).
- Stine Austgulen ranks within the Mountain West's top three-point shooters, as her percentage of .500 (6-of-12) from beyond the arc is good for third. Sofie Tryggedsson joins her among the league's top three-point shooters, ranking fourth in three-point field goals made per game (2.5).

Early Season Storylines
- The Colorado State women's basketball team is fresh off its fourth consecutive regular-season Mountain West title, distinguishing the program as one of 12 teams in the nation – women's and men's basketball – to have an active streak at least that long.
- No other basketball team in Mountain West history – women's or men's – has won as many regular-season conference titles consecutively. In addition, the Rams have won all four of those outright. Of teams to win consecutive MW regular-season titles, no other team has won more than two outright.
- Colorado State was picked to finish third in the conference this season by league coaches and select media. The Rams received six first-place votes en route to 211 points and that third place projection. The Rams rank behind only Boise State (seven FPV, 221 points) and Wyoming (six FPV, 216 points).
- The Rams return three of five starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team. Hannah Tvrdy is the Rams' returning leader in each of points (8.3), rebounds (4.6) and assists (2.4) per game.
- CSU also looks to be solid from beyond the three-point arc this season. The Rams return 80 percent of their three-point production from last season, as 203 of 255 threes made last year were made by returning players.
- Mixing with that veteran core returning for Colorado State is a group of eight underclassmen, as sixth-year head coach Ryun Williams grooms one of the youngest CSU rosters over his tenure. In terms of what percentage of the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores (53.3 percent), CSU ranks as the nation's 18th-youngest team.
- Although the Rams' roster is largely composed of youth, the Mountain West also looks to be one of the nation's youngest conferences. The Rams are the fifth-youngest team in the conference when measured by the same criteria above.

A Colorado State Win on Saturday Would…
- Be the Rams' first win against North Carolina Central. The two teams have never previously met.
- Improve the Rams' record to 71-15 at Moby Arena under head coach Ryun Williams.

Scouting the North Carolina Central Eagles
- North Carolina Central has not won 10 games or more since 2013-14, but won seven games in conference play last season, its most since 2011-12. NCCU won its season opener against Longwood, 87-75, in its first game under new head coach Trisha Stafford-Odom, but dropped its next two contests.
- NCCU was predicted by head coaches and sports information director to finish 13th out of 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams this season. The Eagles finished ninth in their conference last season.
- Rodneysha Martin leads the Eagles in nearly every major statistical category, including minutes (30.7), points (16.3), rebounds (6.0) and assists (2.3) per game.

Rams' Four Consecutive Regular-Season Conference Titles Ranks Among Nation's Elite
- The Colorado State women's basketball team made history this past season by winning its fourth consecutive regular-season Mountain West championship. That feat had never been previously accomplished by any women's or men's basketball team in conference history.
- That active streak of four consecutive regular-season conference titles ranks the Rams among the nation's elite. Between both women's and men's NCAA Division I basketball, only 11 other programs in the nation have a current streak that is as long or better.
- On the women's side, the programs are Baylor, Chattanooga, Connecticut, DePaul, Green Bay, Notre Dame and defending national champion South Carolina.
- Only four men's teams have a streak at least as long at the CSU women: Gonzaga, Kansas, Villanova and Wichita State.

Rams Enter 2017-18 as One of Nation's Youngest Teams
- While the Rams' 2017-18 roster is largely made of a veteran group of seven upperclassmen, the bulk of the Rams' roster this season comes from the ranks of underclassmen. A combined eight freshmen and sophomores make up 53.3 percent (eight of 15) of the roster, while the six freshmen make up 40 percent.
- In terms of what percentage of the roster is comprised of underclassmen, Colorado State ranks as the nation's 18th-youngest team. If measured by percentage of freshman relative to the overall roster, CSU's 40 percent is the ninth-highest in the nation.
- However, the Mountain West also shapes up to be a very young conference this season. Each of San Jose State (80 percent), Utah State (76.9 percent), Air Force (76.5 percent) and Fresno State (69 percent) are younger than Colorado State by underclassmen on the roster.

Rams Projected to Finish Third in the Mountain West in 2017-18
- The Colorado State women's basketball team has been voted by league coaches and select media to finish third in the Mountain West in 2017-18, as announced by the conference on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
- Colorado State, which is coming off an unprecedented fourth consecutive regular-season Mountain West title, earned 211 points and six first-place votes en route to its third-place projection. The only team to earn more first-place votes was Boise State, which received a league-best 221 points and was picked to win the conference by seven voters. Wyoming (216 points, six first-place votes) narrowly edged CSU for second in the voting.
- New Mexico and UNLV, which were picked fourth and fifth respectively, were the only other schools to receive first-place votes. The Lobos received four first-place votes and 186 points, while the Lady Rebels received 185 points were picked No. 1 by two voters.
- The Rams had been picked to win the Mountain West in each of the past three preseason Mountain West polls and four times overall. Behind only those three first-place projections, this is the Rams' fourth-highest projection under sixth-year head coach Ryun Williams. The Rams were picked seventh before winning the conference in 2013-14 and fifth before Williams first season at CSU (2012-13).

Devos Makes Historic Debut for Rams
- Freshman guard Lore Devos made her first official appearance for Colorado State on Friday, Nov. 10 in the Rams' season-opener against Idaho. The Kortrijk, Belgium native opened her CSU career with 25 points, the most by any CSU freshman in her debut in head coach Ryun Williams' six-year tenure.
- Devos was the Rams' leading scorer against Idaho, scoring her 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the floor and 5-for-5 shooting from the free throw line.
- The only other player to score at least 20 points in her debut for Williams was two-time Mountain West Player of the Year Ellen Nystrom. The former CSU standout from Sweden scored 20 points in her first career game for CSU, a win over UCCS on Nov. 8, 2013.

Rams Look to be Strong from Three-Point Range
- Although the Rams lost substantial production in many categories with the departure of last year's senior class, one area the team did not lose much in is three-point shooting. As a team, the Rams return 80 percent of their three-point field goals made from last season.
- 203 of the 255 threes made by the Rams last year were made by returning players. Stine Austgulen led the Rams last season with 53 three-point field goals made.
- Austgulen and Hannah Tvrdy return as two of the top three-point shooters in the Mountain West, ranking No. 14 and No. 7 in three-point field goal percentage last season, respectively.
- Notably, junior Myanne Hamm ranked fifth in MW in three-point field goal percentage during conference play (.400), while junior Sofie Tryggedsson ranked 14th in the MW with 1.5 three-point field goals per game during conference play.

Williams Chasing CSU Al-Time Wins Record
- Sixth-year head coach Ryun Williams entered the 2016-17 with a record of 115-46 in his tenure thus far at Colorado State. That wins total ranks only behind Tom Collen (129 wins) for most all-time as CSU head coach.
- With the Rams' 70-67 overtime over San Jose State on Jan. 4, 2017, Williams earned his 100th win as CSU head coach, becoming third coach in program history to reach that milestone. Besides Ryun Williams and Tom Collen, the only other coach in school history to reach that mark was Greg Williams (108 wins).
- Ryun Williams already owns the most conference wins in program history, as his teams have gone 70-18 in Mountain West play over his tenure. The previous record was held by Collen, who won 56 games as CSU head coach from 1997-02.

Dropping Knowledge
- Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams has been selected as one of 32 voters for the USA TODAY Sports Women's Basketball Coaches Poll. The panel, which is chosen by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), votes weekly throughout the regular season.
- The voters are chosen based upon the 32 conferences that receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Each conference has one representative, and the names of the voters are published along with each week's poll.

The 2016-17 Season at a Glance
- Colorado State accomplished many feats in 2016-17, but none was greater than winning its historic fourth consecutive regular-season Mountain West championship. No other basketball team in Mountain West history – women's or men's – has won the conference in four consecutive seasons other than the CSU women.
- CSU reached the postseason for the fourth straight season under now-sixth-year head coach Ryun Williams with an automatic berth to the Postseason WNIT. The Rams defeated Saint Mary's at Moby Arena in the first round of the tournament, marking the Rams' first postseason win since 2003.
- On Dec. 18, 2016, CSU defeated Seattle, 66-62, to record the team's 22nd consecutive win at Moby Arena. That broke the previous record for consecutive wins at home, which was previously 21 straight from 1998-99.
- The Rams also set two different records for consecutive conference wins between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. The Rams had won 22 straight games against conference foes when including postseason games, and 25 games against conference opponents in regular-season contests.
- Overall, the CSU's 25 wins tie for the fourth-most in program history, while the Rams' 15 conference wins tie for the second-most in program history.
- Ryun Williams posted his fourth consecutive season with 15 Mountain West wins or more, bringing his career MW record to 70-18. His current MW win percentage of .795 ranks as the best of any coach in Mountain West history.
- Williams also became the third coach in program history to reach 100 wins at CSU, and has the second-most wins at CSU (115) in school history. Tom Collen owns the all-time record with 129 wins at CSU.
- Williams' 70 Mountain West wins also rank as by far the most conference wins in CSU history.
- Ellen Nystrom, who graduated after the 2016-17 season, repeated as Mountain West Player of the Year after earning that honor in 2015-16. The Rams have had the conference player of the year in three consecutive seasons, as Gritt Ryder earned honor as a senior in 2014-15.
- Nystrom and fellow 2016-17 senior Elin Gustavsson departed CSU as the winningest players in conference play in Mountain West history. The senior duo from Sweden won 63 MW games over their careers at CSU, which is by far the most of any athlete – women's or men's basketball – in conference history.

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