Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, January 2
Fort Collins, CO
7 p.m. MT
Colorado State
7-5, 1-0MW
52
vs
49
UNLV
2-10, 0-1MW
1
2
3
4
F
UNLV
12
7
14
16
49
Colorado State
10
11
16
15
52
Brocke’s last-minute three lifts Rams past UNLV, 52-49
1/2/2019 10:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Brocke puts Rams ahead on decisive three-pointer with 24 seconds to play
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A three-point field goal from freshman guard Lauren Brocke with 24 seconds remaining proved to be the decisive basket between the Colorado State women's basketball team and the UNLV Lady Rebels as the Rams won their Mountain West opener, 52-49, on Wednesday night from Moby Arena.
Colorado State (7-5, 1-0 MW) took the lead with 2:04 on the clock in the third quarter, and had led by as many as eight points with just over seven minutes in the fourth. Ignited by three, three-pointers from Alyssa Anderson, defending MW regular-season co-champion UNLV (2-10, 0-1 MW) went on a 12-2 run, taking the lead back at 47-45 with 2:10 to play.
With under a minute remaining, sophomore guard Lore Devos converted on a pair of free throws to tie the game for the sixth time at 47 apiece, but UNLV's Katie Powell responded with a layup 19 seconds later to put the Lady Rebels back up by two. With 24 seconds to play, Brocke found open space beyond the three-point arc and knocked down a triple to put the Rams up for good. UNLV had two more offensive possessions, but was unable to convert on either before the final buzzer sounded in the 52-49 CSU victory.
Colorado State was paced offensively by Devos, who was a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line en route to a game-high 17 points. Devos added seven boards to her line. Brocke finished with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 shooting from three-point range. Sophomore guard Grace Colaivalu led the Rams in rebounds (nine, career high) and assists (six).
CSU and UNLV had been tied five times prior to the final minute of the game, and the lead changed hands between the two teams nine times. The Rams' only extended stretch without the lead was at the start of Wednesday's game, when the Lady Rebels sustained the lead at a 12-5 advantage with 1:40 to go in the first. The Rams battled back to make the next four field goals by either team, as the lead changed for the first of those nine times at a 13-12 CSU edge at the 8:57 mark in the second quarter.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Colorado State women's basketball team has won its last nine home games played against UNLV, dating back to 2009. The Rams have won all five home contests against the Lady Rebels under seventh-year head coach Ryun Williams.
IN THEIR WORDS
Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams
"Just a good, gutty win. That team (UNLV) won the league last year, and we played them the right way tonight. I thought defensively the kids just defended their tendencies and defended the scouting report really well. We let No. 20 (Alyssa Anderson) go a little bit late, but we made big shots. This team, this group, is coming. They're coming. They just found a way to win. Big free throws late, big rebounds, a big three by (Lauren) Brocke. That was just a fun win against a really good team."
Freshman guard Lauren Brocke
On her go-ahead three-point field goal:
"I've just shot so many three-pointers in these past couple of weeks that I just knew that when my time was to come, I would be able to step up and knock down that shot. My teammates have so much confidence in me, and my coaches, and they've just been telling me 'when your time comes be ready to knock down that shot.' So, it was pretty easy once the ball was in my hands. Just let it fly."
NOTES
The Colorado State women's basketball team closes its opening week of Mountain West play at home vs. Fresno State on Saturday. Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT from Moby Arena.
Colorado State (7-5, 1-0 MW) took the lead with 2:04 on the clock in the third quarter, and had led by as many as eight points with just over seven minutes in the fourth. Ignited by three, three-pointers from Alyssa Anderson, defending MW regular-season co-champion UNLV (2-10, 0-1 MW) went on a 12-2 run, taking the lead back at 47-45 with 2:10 to play.
With under a minute remaining, sophomore guard Lore Devos converted on a pair of free throws to tie the game for the sixth time at 47 apiece, but UNLV's Katie Powell responded with a layup 19 seconds later to put the Lady Rebels back up by two. With 24 seconds to play, Brocke found open space beyond the three-point arc and knocked down a triple to put the Rams up for good. UNLV had two more offensive possessions, but was unable to convert on either before the final buzzer sounded in the 52-49 CSU victory.
Colorado State was paced offensively by Devos, who was a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line en route to a game-high 17 points. Devos added seven boards to her line. Brocke finished with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 shooting from three-point range. Sophomore guard Grace Colaivalu led the Rams in rebounds (nine, career high) and assists (six).
CSU and UNLV had been tied five times prior to the final minute of the game, and the lead changed hands between the two teams nine times. The Rams' only extended stretch without the lead was at the start of Wednesday's game, when the Lady Rebels sustained the lead at a 12-5 advantage with 1:40 to go in the first. The Rams battled back to make the next four field goals by either team, as the lead changed for the first of those nine times at a 13-12 CSU edge at the 8:57 mark in the second quarter.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Colorado State women's basketball team has won its last nine home games played against UNLV, dating back to 2009. The Rams have won all five home contests against the Lady Rebels under seventh-year head coach Ryun Williams.
IN THEIR WORDS
Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams
"Just a good, gutty win. That team (UNLV) won the league last year, and we played them the right way tonight. I thought defensively the kids just defended their tendencies and defended the scouting report really well. We let No. 20 (Alyssa Anderson) go a little bit late, but we made big shots. This team, this group, is coming. They're coming. They just found a way to win. Big free throws late, big rebounds, a big three by (Lauren) Brocke. That was just a fun win against a really good team."
Freshman guard Lauren Brocke
On her go-ahead three-point field goal:
"I've just shot so many three-pointers in these past couple of weeks that I just knew that when my time was to come, I would be able to step up and knock down that shot. My teammates have so much confidence in me, and my coaches, and they've just been telling me 'when your time comes be ready to knock down that shot.' So, it was pretty easy once the ball was in my hands. Just let it fly."
NOTES
- Colorado State has won three of its past four Mountain West openers.
- Sophomore guard Lore Devos has led the Rams in scoring in eight of 12 games this season.
- Devos has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games this season.
- Prior to her nine-rebound performance on Wednesday, sophomore guard Grace Colaivalu had a previous personal best of seven against Northern Arizona on Dec. 5.
- Wednesday marked the first time that Colaivalu had led the team in rebounding this season.
- Colaivalu has led CSU in assists in eight of 12 games this season.
The Colorado State women's basketball team closes its opening week of Mountain West play at home vs. Fresno State on Saturday. Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT from Moby Arena.
Team Stats
UNLV
CSU
FG%
.300
.365
3FG%
.200
.294
FT%
.727
1.000
RB
38
36
TO
15
17
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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