Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, November 15
Fort Collins, CO
6:30 PM
Colorado State
3-0,0-0Mountain West
67
vs
45
New Hampshire
2-2,0-0America East
1
2
3
4
F
New Hampshire
6
16
13
10
45
Colorado St.
16
14
23
14
67
Rams Feel Good Almost All the Way Around
11/15/2023 9:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Hofschild hits a double-double as Clark just misses
Just a feel-good kinda night, almost all around.
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Almost.
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While McKenna Hofschild was notching her ninth career double-double, Colorado State's defensive effort continued to take hold. While Sydney Mech found her stroke from behind the arc, a few others began to collect their range as the night progressed. And while Hannah Ronsiek was stuffing the stat sheet as she continues to grow into her role as the defensive float in the Rams' 67-45 win over New Hampshire on Wednesday at Moby Arena, Cali Clark was finishing one rebound shy of her first career double-double.
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There it is. The almost.
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"That's actually so messed up," Ronsiek said with a smile on her face.
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When Clark came out with around four minutes remaining, it hit her just how good her night had been. She was the early spark offensively, running the floor and taking feeds from Hofschild which produced layups, one a three-point play.
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"That's a big thing, especially as a five, being able to run. That's a big advantage we like to take," Clark said. "I know McKenna, if I'm open she's going to get it to me, even if I have to go and get it a little bit, but I know it's going to get to me."
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Clark's first five baskets of the night all came via Hofschild feeds, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go with her nine rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end.
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She was so close to her first double but took it in stride.
Â
"I didn't (Know) until I looked at the scoreboard when I was coming out, and I was like, 'oh,'" she said. "But that's OK."
Â
A 10-point lead after one dissipated a bit as the Rams struggled from the floor in the second quarter, leading 30-22 at the break. For a team which is used to offensive fireworks, the early going has been of a search for baskets for some folks. Even Wednesday, Hofschild struggled from the field, making just 3-of-12 shots, doing her most damage at the foul line with eight free throws made. She did lead the team with 14 in the end, combined with 13 assists.
Â
Cailyn Crocker has been slow to get going offensively, as has Jackie Carman, but by the end of the night, a few Rams had started to turn a corner.
Â
Primarily Mech, who was 4-of-6 behind the arc to account for all 12 of her points. Marta Leimane came off the bench to score nine, and Ronsiek was solid in everything she did, stuffing the stat sheet line by line.
Â
She shot well, finishing with seven, adding two assists. She defended even better, collecting three steals and as many blocks on the night to go with four rebounds.
Â
"Tonight, we kind of had to make some adjustments. Defensively we've said all along this early season is where we have to make our improvements, and we've yet to give up 50 points," CSU coach Ryun Williams said. "The compete and the focus is there; they're pretty together on a lot of possessions. I thought Hannah Ronsiek and Marty Leimane were outstanding in what we ask them to do."
Â
Which is be the float in the defensive system. Read and react, help defend the post and the perimeter, clog up lanes. As a true freshman backing up the spot last year, Ronsiek would get a big helter skelter at times and collect fouls. She's still aggressive, but it comes with more calm now, and it fits her zone background from high school.
Â
"This year I'm really trying to lock in on executing both offensively and defensively, but I think being able to be a better defender is really going to help me stay out on the floor," Ronsiek said. "I'm able to read my defenders then I get steals. I played zone all throughout high school, so I'm used to playing back and reading where the ball's going and get steals and deflections and stuff like that."
Â
The primary gain through three games is the defensive efforts. None of them are worried about the offense. There's too much on so many resumes to ever believe it won't come.
Â
Instead, the focus remains where it started, which is locking teams down. The best any team has shot from the field so far is 30 percent by Alabama A&M.
Â
"I think depending on what the defense we see, we're going to have different players take advantage of that," Clark said. "Obviously, Kenna is always aggressive to the basket, but if they're denying her, then Hannah's going to be open and she's going to knock it down, or Sydney is going to be open, and she's going to knock it down."
Â
Or it will be Clark, and it may just lead to that first double-double.
Â
Williams made it a guarantee.
Â
"I promise you she will have multiple double-doubles this year. You're hearing that right now," he said. "She played a little over 20 minutes tonight and obviously was outstanding on the glass. She had a great instinct for the basketball and her motor was spot-on tonight. She would have easily got a double-double if she would have played a couple more minutes, but we have other kids we want to see do some things, and she performed her role brilliantly tonight."
Â
Clark's final role, like everybody else on the bench, was to celebrate a big moment for walk-on Taylor Ray. If Clark had been in, she may have chased down the offensive rebound for her double-double. Instead, it was Ray, who has battled her way through health issues to reach this point, who collected the carom, then scored her first career points a possession later.
Â
Â
Almost.
Â
While McKenna Hofschild was notching her ninth career double-double, Colorado State's defensive effort continued to take hold. While Sydney Mech found her stroke from behind the arc, a few others began to collect their range as the night progressed. And while Hannah Ronsiek was stuffing the stat sheet as she continues to grow into her role as the defensive float in the Rams' 67-45 win over New Hampshire on Wednesday at Moby Arena, Cali Clark was finishing one rebound shy of her first career double-double.
Â
There it is. The almost.
Â
"That's actually so messed up," Ronsiek said with a smile on her face.
Â
When Clark came out with around four minutes remaining, it hit her just how good her night had been. She was the early spark offensively, running the floor and taking feeds from Hofschild which produced layups, one a three-point play.
Â
"That's a big thing, especially as a five, being able to run. That's a big advantage we like to take," Clark said. "I know McKenna, if I'm open she's going to get it to me, even if I have to go and get it a little bit, but I know it's going to get to me."
Â
Clark's first five baskets of the night all came via Hofschild feeds, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go with her nine rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end.
Â
She was so close to her first double but took it in stride.
Â
"I didn't (Know) until I looked at the scoreboard when I was coming out, and I was like, 'oh,'" she said. "But that's OK."
Â
A 10-point lead after one dissipated a bit as the Rams struggled from the floor in the second quarter, leading 30-22 at the break. For a team which is used to offensive fireworks, the early going has been of a search for baskets for some folks. Even Wednesday, Hofschild struggled from the field, making just 3-of-12 shots, doing her most damage at the foul line with eight free throws made. She did lead the team with 14 in the end, combined with 13 assists.
Â
Cailyn Crocker has been slow to get going offensively, as has Jackie Carman, but by the end of the night, a few Rams had started to turn a corner.
Â
Primarily Mech, who was 4-of-6 behind the arc to account for all 12 of her points. Marta Leimane came off the bench to score nine, and Ronsiek was solid in everything she did, stuffing the stat sheet line by line.
Â
She shot well, finishing with seven, adding two assists. She defended even better, collecting three steals and as many blocks on the night to go with four rebounds.
Â
"Tonight, we kind of had to make some adjustments. Defensively we've said all along this early season is where we have to make our improvements, and we've yet to give up 50 points," CSU coach Ryun Williams said. "The compete and the focus is there; they're pretty together on a lot of possessions. I thought Hannah Ronsiek and Marty Leimane were outstanding in what we ask them to do."
Â
Which is be the float in the defensive system. Read and react, help defend the post and the perimeter, clog up lanes. As a true freshman backing up the spot last year, Ronsiek would get a big helter skelter at times and collect fouls. She's still aggressive, but it comes with more calm now, and it fits her zone background from high school.
Â
"This year I'm really trying to lock in on executing both offensively and defensively, but I think being able to be a better defender is really going to help me stay out on the floor," Ronsiek said. "I'm able to read my defenders then I get steals. I played zone all throughout high school, so I'm used to playing back and reading where the ball's going and get steals and deflections and stuff like that."
Â
The primary gain through three games is the defensive efforts. None of them are worried about the offense. There's too much on so many resumes to ever believe it won't come.
Â
Instead, the focus remains where it started, which is locking teams down. The best any team has shot from the field so far is 30 percent by Alabama A&M.
Â
"I think depending on what the defense we see, we're going to have different players take advantage of that," Clark said. "Obviously, Kenna is always aggressive to the basket, but if they're denying her, then Hannah's going to be open and she's going to knock it down, or Sydney is going to be open, and she's going to knock it down."
Â
Or it will be Clark, and it may just lead to that first double-double.
Â
Williams made it a guarantee.
Â
"I promise you she will have multiple double-doubles this year. You're hearing that right now," he said. "She played a little over 20 minutes tonight and obviously was outstanding on the glass. She had a great instinct for the basketball and her motor was spot-on tonight. She would have easily got a double-double if she would have played a couple more minutes, but we have other kids we want to see do some things, and she performed her role brilliantly tonight."
Â
Clark's final role, like everybody else on the bench, was to celebrate a big moment for walk-on Taylor Ray. If Clark had been in, she may have chased down the offensive rebound for her double-double. Instead, it was Ray, who has battled her way through health issues to reach this point, who collected the carom, then scored her first career points a possession later.
Â
Team Stats
UNH
CSU
FG%
.254
.421
3FG%
.269
.259
FT%
.250
.800
RB
48
43
TO
8
9
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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