Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, November 12
Fort Collins, CO
5:30 PM
Colorado State
61
vs
50
Northern Colorado
Rams Buckle Down Defensively in Home Win
11/12/2021 8:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Stops lead to transition baskets as CSU rallies in second half
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The season is still young.
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With the Colorado State women's basketball team opening the campaign earlier this week, there is still much to be worked out.
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After playing Northern Colorado on Friday night, it was clear there was room for improvement, but there were also moments of celebration in the late 61-50 victory at Moby Arena.
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"I was really impressed with their toughness," head coach Ryun Williams said. "The fact that they just kept grinding after they got down early, they found a way out of that deficit and they just made plays. The ones people are going to remember are the 3s and the fun offensive plays, but these kids have really dug deep defensively. I thought what was really impressive about tonight was our defense guarded so well that most of their possessions were late into the shot clock."
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The first quarter of the match was hard on the defense, allowing the Bears to shoot 8-16 on the basket and 5-8 from 3, where the Rams put up 5-of-13 and 1-of-5, respectively.
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And while the second quarter was an improvement from the first, the Rams still struggled to close the gap with their opponent.
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By the time the half rolled around, Colorado State was trailing the Bears 30-20 before turning up the heat in the second half of the game. After the break, the Rams shot 8-of-15 in the third frame and went 1-of-2 from the 3-point mark.
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"Our toughness really just kicked in," McKenna Hofschild said. "We really got aggressive on the defensive end which helped us offensively. When we hit all our stops and we can run, that's when we're at our best. When we could do that in the second half, that's when we can turn the corner."
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The team improved from a shot percentage of 34.6 in the first half a 45.2 in the second half, and more impressively, improving from a 3-point percentage from 18.2 to 55.6.
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Williams is especially excited for what the team carried away from this contest, being experience in real-time situations with authentic intensity on the court.
Â
"This is a great opportunity to grow," he said. "We had to make free throws, we had to get the ball in bounds, we had to handle a little pressure. A lot of situations that's hard to simulate in practice, our kids handled really well."
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Karly Murphy, Kendyll Kinzer and Hofschild led the team offensively, with Kinzer and Hofschild scoring 10 and 12 points, respectively. Defensively, the team had three blocks from Kinzer and two steals from Murphy. Murphy also led the team in rebounds with 13, where she coupled 14 points to post a double-double.
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To close up the game, the Rams took a late lead with a 3-point basket made by Upe Atosu, giving the team the confidence they needed to finish the contest. Â
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And such a win holds more merit for junior Sydney Mech, who has been struggling with injuries throughout her career as a Ram. Mech went 4-of-5 from the field, making her lone 3-pointer.
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"It feels great," Mech said. "I missed a lot last year so it's fun to be out here this year with this new group and playing together."
Â
And even though the team is now riding on a two-game winning streak at the very beginning of their season, their biggest obstacle is still in front of them.
Â
Starting slow is frustrating for the team, and it's something to work on in the future. But for now, the team will celebrate the small victories and carry the momentum forward into the rest of their season.
Â
"I feel like coming out right away will be important," Mech said. "Especially defensively, I feel like we have things we could work on. We've always started second half out of the gun."
Â
The Rams remain at home to take on Oral Roberts on Monday at 6:00 p.m.
Â
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With the Colorado State women's basketball team opening the campaign earlier this week, there is still much to be worked out.
Â
After playing Northern Colorado on Friday night, it was clear there was room for improvement, but there were also moments of celebration in the late 61-50 victory at Moby Arena.
Â
"I was really impressed with their toughness," head coach Ryun Williams said. "The fact that they just kept grinding after they got down early, they found a way out of that deficit and they just made plays. The ones people are going to remember are the 3s and the fun offensive plays, but these kids have really dug deep defensively. I thought what was really impressive about tonight was our defense guarded so well that most of their possessions were late into the shot clock."
Â
The first quarter of the match was hard on the defense, allowing the Bears to shoot 8-16 on the basket and 5-8 from 3, where the Rams put up 5-of-13 and 1-of-5, respectively.
Â
And while the second quarter was an improvement from the first, the Rams still struggled to close the gap with their opponent.
Â
By the time the half rolled around, Colorado State was trailing the Bears 30-20 before turning up the heat in the second half of the game. After the break, the Rams shot 8-of-15 in the third frame and went 1-of-2 from the 3-point mark.
Â
"Our toughness really just kicked in," McKenna Hofschild said. "We really got aggressive on the defensive end which helped us offensively. When we hit all our stops and we can run, that's when we're at our best. When we could do that in the second half, that's when we can turn the corner."
Â
The team improved from a shot percentage of 34.6 in the first half a 45.2 in the second half, and more impressively, improving from a 3-point percentage from 18.2 to 55.6.
Â
Williams is especially excited for what the team carried away from this contest, being experience in real-time situations with authentic intensity on the court.
Â
"This is a great opportunity to grow," he said. "We had to make free throws, we had to get the ball in bounds, we had to handle a little pressure. A lot of situations that's hard to simulate in practice, our kids handled really well."
Â
Karly Murphy, Kendyll Kinzer and Hofschild led the team offensively, with Kinzer and Hofschild scoring 10 and 12 points, respectively. Defensively, the team had three blocks from Kinzer and two steals from Murphy. Murphy also led the team in rebounds with 13, where she coupled 14 points to post a double-double.
Â
To close up the game, the Rams took a late lead with a 3-point basket made by Upe Atosu, giving the team the confidence they needed to finish the contest. Â
Â
And such a win holds more merit for junior Sydney Mech, who has been struggling with injuries throughout her career as a Ram. Mech went 4-of-5 from the field, making her lone 3-pointer.
Â
"It feels great," Mech said. "I missed a lot last year so it's fun to be out here this year with this new group and playing together."
Â
And even though the team is now riding on a two-game winning streak at the very beginning of their season, their biggest obstacle is still in front of them.
Â
Starting slow is frustrating for the team, and it's something to work on in the future. But for now, the team will celebrate the small victories and carry the momentum forward into the rest of their season.
Â
"I feel like coming out right away will be important," Mech said. "Especially defensively, I feel like we have things we could work on. We've always started second half out of the gun."
Â
The Rams remain at home to take on Oral Roberts on Monday at 6:00 p.m.
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Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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