Colorado State University Athletics
Sunday, November 10
Fort Collins, CO
12 PM MT
Colorado State
3-0,0-0Mountain
56
vs
47
Western Colorado
0-1,0-0RMAC
1
2
3
4
F
Western Colo.
11
12
15
9
47
Colorado St.
20
8
15
13
56
Defense Carries Rams to 56-47 Win
11/10/2019 2:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State women's basketball implores its fans to "Stand for D" at the start of every game. Their legs were tired Sunday.
For the first 3:16 of the game, the Rams held Western Colorado without a single point. The 56-47 win was one that didn't come easy, but showed the defining facet of the team. The Rams improved to 3-0 on the season.
"There are going to be nights when you just don't have it," CSU head coach Ryun Williams said. "You have to still find a way to win those games. These are good games to learn some very important basketball lessons."
Defense is a pillar of the program Williams has built. Nothing calms an offense, facilitates fundamental basketball and breeds winning more than stingy defense.
It just so happens that the roster he's put together is deep. It's as deep as it is fast – two ingredients which make for a punishing day for opposing offenses. They forced 30 turnovers, led by Katia Stamatelopoulos' seven steals – a season high for all Rams.
"I just try to get after the ball," Stamatelopoulos said. "If we stick to our principles, then we're going to get steals."
The stats all say one thing: The Rams are going to be a hassle. Watching the team allow offensive rebounds and play through foul trouble tells Williams that they're merely on the precipice of what they could become.
"We created a lot of their points for them," Williams said. "They scored 11 or 12 points in the first half (off free throws). Half of their offense was because we hacked and fouled."
The same sentiment goes for the still-seeking-a-groove offense. In just their first game of the year, the Rams lost a returning starter from last year in Lore Devos who will miss some time with a lower leg injury.
When the Rams failed to score for a near 8-minute stretch in the second quarter, the defense helped them keep the lead they'd built in the first stanza. Without it, the game's script would've read far different.
How many teams can survive a quarter with only eight points – six of which didn't come until the final two minutes? How many of those teams can also withstand 17 turnovers in a game? If Williams has his way, the Rams will be the rare exception.
"That was obviously a really tough quarter for us offensively," Williams said. "You still have to play the other end. You can struggle (some) nights shooting the ball, but you can always play the right way defensively.
"You can surely credit our defensive effort for keeping us afloat."
They were able to withstand the pressure against a team that competes in Division II. None of their remaining opponents fit the same description.
Both the conference and out-of-conference schedule are going to challenge the Rams. Next up is Idaho and the first non-Colorado journey for the team – another possible stepping stone for this year's squad.
"It's exciting for us," Megan Jacobs said. "It's just us together, it's a way to build chemistry and a way to just work through tough times. Playing on the road isn't easy, so we'll go to Idaho and play better basketball."
For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
For the first 3:16 of the game, the Rams held Western Colorado without a single point. The 56-47 win was one that didn't come easy, but showed the defining facet of the team. The Rams improved to 3-0 on the season.
"There are going to be nights when you just don't have it," CSU head coach Ryun Williams said. "You have to still find a way to win those games. These are good games to learn some very important basketball lessons."
Defense is a pillar of the program Williams has built. Nothing calms an offense, facilitates fundamental basketball and breeds winning more than stingy defense.
It just so happens that the roster he's put together is deep. It's as deep as it is fast – two ingredients which make for a punishing day for opposing offenses. They forced 30 turnovers, led by Katia Stamatelopoulos' seven steals – a season high for all Rams.
"I just try to get after the ball," Stamatelopoulos said. "If we stick to our principles, then we're going to get steals."
The stats all say one thing: The Rams are going to be a hassle. Watching the team allow offensive rebounds and play through foul trouble tells Williams that they're merely on the precipice of what they could become.
"We created a lot of their points for them," Williams said. "They scored 11 or 12 points in the first half (off free throws). Half of their offense was because we hacked and fouled."
The same sentiment goes for the still-seeking-a-groove offense. In just their first game of the year, the Rams lost a returning starter from last year in Lore Devos who will miss some time with a lower leg injury.
When the Rams failed to score for a near 8-minute stretch in the second quarter, the defense helped them keep the lead they'd built in the first stanza. Without it, the game's script would've read far different.
How many teams can survive a quarter with only eight points – six of which didn't come until the final two minutes? How many of those teams can also withstand 17 turnovers in a game? If Williams has his way, the Rams will be the rare exception.
"That was obviously a really tough quarter for us offensively," Williams said. "You still have to play the other end. You can struggle (some) nights shooting the ball, but you can always play the right way defensively.
"You can surely credit our defensive effort for keeping us afloat."
They were able to withstand the pressure against a team that competes in Division II. None of their remaining opponents fit the same description.
Both the conference and out-of-conference schedule are going to challenge the Rams. Next up is Idaho and the first non-Colorado journey for the team – another possible stepping stone for this year's squad.
"It's exciting for us," Megan Jacobs said. "It's just us together, it's a way to build chemistry and a way to just work through tough times. Playing on the road isn't easy, so we'll go to Idaho and play better basketball."
For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
Team Stats
WC
CSU
FG%
.429
.340
3FG%
.462
.250
FT%
.786
.800
RB
27
25
TO
30
17
STL
5
18
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
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