Rams Start Three-Game Road Trip at Utah State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Looking to get back in the win column, the Colorado State women's basketball program will take to the road, starting with a Wednesday 6 p.m. MT tip against Utah State in Logan, Utah.

After a 1-2 home stand, Colorado State will now play three-straight games on the road in a span of six days. The final game at Fresno State on Monday, Jan. 24th was a rescheduled contest that was originally on Jan. 6th but was postponed due to COVID complications in the Fresno State program. CSU's first two opponents, Utah State and Boise State, are a combined 1-10 in conference play, while the Bulldogs sitting fourth in the standings at 3-1.

"Aside from the second game [Air Force loss], we played some impressive basketball at home," head coach Ryun Williams said. "In the New Mexico game, we were down 17 and clawed back into it, showing no quit against one of the best offenses in the country. We learned from it and now have to go on the road to get on track, which is always tough no matter the opponent in this league. That paired with the start of school will mean that we will need to focus and prioritize properly in preparation for the next few games."

Utah State (14-3, 5-0) was picked to finish last in the Mountain West. The Aggies are reeling on an eight-game losing streak as their last win came on Dec. 8th. In the 2020-21 season, CSU swept USU at home, outscoring the Aggies by 31 in game one and 15 in game two. Utah State averages 38.19 rebounds per game to rank just outside the top-10 all-time in program history.

RAMS NOTEBOOK

Last Time Out
• Last time out, the Rams lost in a shootout to New Mexico, MW's top scoring offense. CSU overcame a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to tie it going into the final frame, but NM added another seven 3s to total 19 triples in the game, which sealed the win. The 85 points were the most the CSU defense has given up all season and Antonia Anderson's 30 points marked the most individually as well. McKenna Hofschild notched her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while falling two rebounds short of a triple double. With the Air Force loss prior, CSU is on its first losing streak of the season.

What to Watch for vs. Utah State?
• CSU Scoring Defense (59.8; #4 in MW) vs. USU Scoring Offense (66.3; #6 in MW)
• CSU FG% (41%; #4 in MW) vs. USU FG% defense (43.5%; #10 in MW)
• CSU Turnovers Per Game (10.0; #1 in NCAA) vs. USU's Steals/G (8.2, #5 in MW)
• CSU's Defensive Reb/G (31.5,#1 in MW) vs. USU's Offensive Reb/G (13.13, #2 in MW)

Scouting Report on Utah State
• The 2020-21 Aggies finished in last place in the Mountain West standings with a 4-20 overall record and a 2-16 conference mark. The Aggies returned four starters and eight letterwinners, while losing just three letterwinners and one starter. They have six newcomers.
• The Aggies rank in the top-three in several statistical categories in the Mountain West in the 2021-22 campaign, including offensive rebounds per game (13.13, 2nd), free throws attempts per game (17.44, t-2nd), free throws made per game (12.44, 3rd) and turnovers forced per game (16.81, 3rd).

On All Cylinders vs. San Jose State
• Against SJSU, CSU notched seasons highs in total points, points in a quarter, points in a half, field goals made, and assists. Upe Atosu had a career-best 32 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including six 3s and an 8 for 9 free-throw clip. Additionally, she dished out five assists, which were all 3s thus having a hand in 47 points on the night. Karly Murphy notched her fifth double-double of the season, while McKenna Hofschild tallied 10 assists for her third double-digit assist game of the season. Team-wise, the Rams also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Spartans 44 to 24.

Assist Legend in the Making
• McKenna Hofschild is on pace (assuming there is 13 more games) for 172 assists this season, which would be fourth all-time in CSU's single-season records. The top 10 list starts at 132. Last season, the MW Newcomer of the Year had 114 in 21 games played.
• Career-wise at CSU, that same projection would put her assist total at 286. CSU's career assist top 10 starts at 301. The junior has another season of eligibility. She had 31 assists at Seton Hall as a freshmen.

Protecting the Rock Better than ALL
• CSU continues to lead the NCAA in turnovers per game (10.0) and is second in assist to turnover ratio (1.49). Last season, CSU finished second and fifth, respectively, in those two categories. This season the Rams have had the same or less turnovers than their opponent in nine of 15 games. Also, CSU has eight games with single-digit turnovers with two in conference play.

Murphy on the Glass
• Karly Murphy is second in the MW in boards per game (8.71) and fifth in total rebounds (122), but has played in less games than the four players ahead of her. She is on pace (assuming there is 13 more games) to have 235 rebounds, which would shatter her career best for a season. If she got close to that number she would be flirting with CSU's top 10 list that starts at 248.

From the Line
• Last season, Ryun Williams' squad ranked 19th in the nation in free-throw percentage at 76.3%, which also went down as the second-best percentage in CSU history. Picking up where they left off, CSU is 159 for 211 (75.4%) from the charity strike thus far, ranking 55th in NCAA. The trio of Karly Murphy, McKenna Hofschild and Upe Atosu are 125-of-162 for 77.1%. That means the rest are 34-of-49 for 69.4%.
• However, the Rams did hit a colder streak from the line vs. Boise State, San Diego State and Air Force, going 42-of-66 shooting for a 63.6% clip, which dropped them from 81% to 75.4% on the season. Although, the Rams have responded vs. San Jose State (14-of-17) and New Mexico (9-12).

CSU Home Promotional Schedule
• Aggie Game - Feb. 9th vs. Utah State
• Pink Out Game - Feb. 16th vs. Wyoming
• State Pride Game & Empower Women Day - Feb. 24th vs. San Diego State
• Senior Day/Green Out - Feb. 26th vs. UNLV

At the Helm
• A two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year and the winningest coach in program history, Ryun Williams enters his 10th season at the helm of the Colorado State women's basketball program in 2021-22. CSU's 5-0 start marked the first since the 2000-01 campaign. The win over Boise State made it the sixth time the program has started 10-1. For Williams it is his second such start, joining the 2015-16 team that finished 31-2 overall, winning the MW outright and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Williams and Tom Collen ('97-98, '98-99, '00-01 and '01-02) are the only CSU coaches to have 10-1 starts.

Series History: Colorado State – Utah State
Overall: CSU leads, 22-13
In Fort Collins: CSU, 12-5
In Logan: Tied, 6-6
Neutral: CSU, 4-2
Current Streak: CSU, 4
Largest CSU Victory: 31
Largest CSU Defeat: 40
Last: CSU 88, USU 73 (1/22/21) at CSU
More on the matchup on pg. 8 of the Game Notes

A Colorado State Wednesday Win Would Mean…
• The Rams are back to .500 in the conference and have won five straight against the Aggies.
How to Follow Along
Attached: Game Notes.
Live Stats: http://csura.ms/WBBStats
Live Stream: http://csura.ms/Live
Television: Evoca
Radio: THE X 94.3 FM | https://csura.ms/Listen
Audio Stream: Varsity Network | https://csura.ms/VarsityNetwork

For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball

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