Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, December 3
Fresno, CA
7 PM MT
Colorado State
3-0
89
at
83
Fresno State
1-2
1
2
3
4
F
Colorado State
20
16
24
29
89
Fresno State
24
14
22
23
83
Rams Shock Defending Champ Bulldogs, 89-83
12/3/2020 9:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Colorado State shows strong conference opening win at Fresno
FRESNO, Calif. – A relentless Colorado State women's basketball team went on display in Thursday night's 89-83 win against the reigning Mountain West's champion Fresno State Bulldogs at The Save Mart Center.
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With 6:21 left in a tied fourth quarter, the Rams took control of the game on 12 unanswered points that provided the Colorado State defense with more than enough room to stave off the preseason conference favorites. The Rams improved to 3-0 overall and grabbed their conference-opening win. Fresno State dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference.
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Five Rams notched double-digit scoring games led by senior guard Lore Devos' double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Devos did majority of her damage around the hoop or with midsize jumpers as did Sydney Mech who finished with 15. Tori Williams chipped in 16 points on a team-high four 3s, while McKenna Hofschild and Ellie Boni contributed 13 and 14, respectively. Eight of Boni's 14 occurred in the fourth quarter in a stretch that strengthened the Rams hold on the lead resulting in the victory.
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The defense had its hands full with the Fresno State's twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder who put up 24 and 22 points respectively. Preseason Player of the Year Maddi Utti collected 16 points and seven boards to add to the Bulldog offensive attack that shot 46.4 percent. However, the Rams outdid FS by shooting 49.3 percent and taking the rebound margin by a dozen.
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"We weren't overly alarmed early when they were making tough shots and we couldn't get some to fall," head coach Ryun Williams said about the poise shown. "The Cavinder twins are special players, but we just kept improving the defense and then our looks and shots started to follow. At the break, we wanted to clean some things up defensively and that is what we did. I love how we went at them tonight. It was a high-level basketball game. We got the upper hand tonight, but we have to turn around and be ready tomorrow."
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The first half consisted of Fresno State going on a few runs, stretching their lead to eight points on three separate occasions, but the Rams each time had a timely answer to make sure the deficit never grew. In the second quarter, Williams connected on her first trey of the night at 4:36 to stop FS's eight unanswered run. In the last 2:35, the Rams converted on a backdoor Mech layup and a Hofschild straight-away 3 that made it a two-point Fresno State lead at half, 38-36.
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Devos flexed her game the most in the third with 11 points, four rebounds – two of which on the offensive end – and a block. A spot-up 3 by the senior Beligum product gave the Rams their first lead since the opening possession. It didn't last long though as the Bulldogs were doing just as much fight. A momentous seven-point CSU run concluded the third frame with Boni, a freshman from Spokane Valley, Wash., cashing in a buzzer-beating shot to tie it at 60-all.
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Back-to-back treys from Williams and Hofschild in the fourth put the Bulldogs on their heels with a four-point lead. Again, the Bulldogs answered, but the 12-point outburst put a blow to Fresno's ability to overcome with CSU's defense. Williams' fourth 3 of the game ignited the Rams' run which Mech, Boni and Devos joined in on. In a blaze, Boni blocked a Cavinder shot, drained a 3 for the initial 12-point lead and then when FS brought it down to nine again, Boni hit another from downtown with 2:29 left. Smart free throws off the bench from Katia Stamatelopoulos and Jamie Bonnarens sealed it.
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The Rams and Bulldogs return to the Save Mart Center tomorrow at 7 p.m. MT for the two-game series finale.
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For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
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With 6:21 left in a tied fourth quarter, the Rams took control of the game on 12 unanswered points that provided the Colorado State defense with more than enough room to stave off the preseason conference favorites. The Rams improved to 3-0 overall and grabbed their conference-opening win. Fresno State dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference.
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Five Rams notched double-digit scoring games led by senior guard Lore Devos' double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Devos did majority of her damage around the hoop or with midsize jumpers as did Sydney Mech who finished with 15. Tori Williams chipped in 16 points on a team-high four 3s, while McKenna Hofschild and Ellie Boni contributed 13 and 14, respectively. Eight of Boni's 14 occurred in the fourth quarter in a stretch that strengthened the Rams hold on the lead resulting in the victory.
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The defense had its hands full with the Fresno State's twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder who put up 24 and 22 points respectively. Preseason Player of the Year Maddi Utti collected 16 points and seven boards to add to the Bulldog offensive attack that shot 46.4 percent. However, the Rams outdid FS by shooting 49.3 percent and taking the rebound margin by a dozen.
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"We weren't overly alarmed early when they were making tough shots and we couldn't get some to fall," head coach Ryun Williams said about the poise shown. "The Cavinder twins are special players, but we just kept improving the defense and then our looks and shots started to follow. At the break, we wanted to clean some things up defensively and that is what we did. I love how we went at them tonight. It was a high-level basketball game. We got the upper hand tonight, but we have to turn around and be ready tomorrow."
Â
The first half consisted of Fresno State going on a few runs, stretching their lead to eight points on three separate occasions, but the Rams each time had a timely answer to make sure the deficit never grew. In the second quarter, Williams connected on her first trey of the night at 4:36 to stop FS's eight unanswered run. In the last 2:35, the Rams converted on a backdoor Mech layup and a Hofschild straight-away 3 that made it a two-point Fresno State lead at half, 38-36.
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Devos flexed her game the most in the third with 11 points, four rebounds – two of which on the offensive end – and a block. A spot-up 3 by the senior Beligum product gave the Rams their first lead since the opening possession. It didn't last long though as the Bulldogs were doing just as much fight. A momentous seven-point CSU run concluded the third frame with Boni, a freshman from Spokane Valley, Wash., cashing in a buzzer-beating shot to tie it at 60-all.
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Back-to-back treys from Williams and Hofschild in the fourth put the Bulldogs on their heels with a four-point lead. Again, the Bulldogs answered, but the 12-point outburst put a blow to Fresno's ability to overcome with CSU's defense. Williams' fourth 3 of the game ignited the Rams' run which Mech, Boni and Devos joined in on. In a blaze, Boni blocked a Cavinder shot, drained a 3 for the initial 12-point lead and then when FS brought it down to nine again, Boni hit another from downtown with 2:29 left. Smart free throws off the bench from Katia Stamatelopoulos and Jamie Bonnarens sealed it.
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The Rams and Bulldogs return to the Save Mart Center tomorrow at 7 p.m. MT for the two-game series finale.
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For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
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Team Stats
CSU
FS
FG%
.493
.464
3FG%
.385
.304
FT%
.786
.632
RB
44
32
TO
10
6
STL
4
7
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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