Rams heat up from three-point range in second half and hold off Denver, 61-56

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DENVER, Colo. – Behind hot second-half three-point shooting and critical defensive stops down the stretch, the Colorado State women's basketball team defeated the Denver Pioneers, 61-56, on Thursday night from Hamilton Gymnasium.

Colorado State (4-2) shot just 1-for-14 (7.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half, but went 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from three-point range in the second half of the game to pull away heading to the fourth quarter. The Rams built that lead to as large as 18 in the fourth quarter, but Denver (4-4) converted on six three-point attempts in the final period and closed the margin within 59-55 with less than two minutes remaining.

However, that would end up being as close as Denver would get to CSU. The Rams forced misses on the Pioneers' final three three-point attempts, and got a crucial layup from freshman guard Grace Colaivalu with 1:01 to play to seal the result. CSU outscored Denver 27-11 in the third quarter, but the Pioneers countered with a 20-9 fourth quarter to tighten the score and set up the late dramatics.

Colaivalu scored a team-high 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Senior guard Hannah Tvrdy joined her in double figures with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting and corralled seven rebounds. Senior guard Stine Austgulen and freshman guard Lore Devos each contributed nine points.

IN THEIR WORDS
Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams
"I thought our first quarter offensively was really good. The execution was really solid. On the defensive end we had some lapses and in that second quarter we just went ice, ice cold, but still had really good execution. DU (Denver) was packed down low – you weren't getting anything in the lane. You were going to have to cast it and make some shots. That's difficult as a shooter sometimes, when you're that wide open. At halftime we talked about how basketball usually balances itself out. We kept some composure and made some plays. We were getting shots. It was just about who's going to make them. There were a lot of positives as far as our poise and shot-making in the second half. A lot of good things for our first road game – I'm really proud of our kids."

NOTES
- Colorado State has won five consecutive games against Denver.
- CSU has won 11 of its past 12 games against in-state opponents.
- The Rams are now 22-6 against in-state foes under sixth-year head coach Ryun Williams.
- The Rams improve to 41-22 on the road during Williams' now-six-year tenure.
- Freshman guard Grace Colaivalu's 13 points are a new season/career high. Her previous best was 12 points against Oklahoma on Nov. 21.

UP NEXT
The Colorado State women's basketball team returns home this Saturday for a 2 p.m. MT contest against the BYU Cougars. The game is CSU women's basketball's annual White Out, and will follow the CSU men's basketball team's 11 a.m. MT game against Colorado on Saturday. Fans are encouraged to attend the game wearing white.

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