Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, November 2
Fort Collins, CO
6:30 PM
Colorado State
0-0,0-0Mountain West
87
vs
50
UCCS (Exh.)
0-0,0-0RMAC
1
2
3
4
F
UC-Colo. Springs
6
13
13
18
50
Colorado St.
21
29
18
19
87
Rams Check All the Boxes in Exhibition
11/2/2023 9:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Season tips off officially Monday at home
The thing about exhibition games is coaches are kinda worried about them. They don't count, but the last thing Ryun Williams wanted to see on Thursday night at Moby Arena was a team which looked unprepared for game action. It took all of three minutes and a 10-0 lead for Colorado State's women's basketball team to put its coach's mind at ease, running away with an 87-50 victory over the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
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"Honestly, I think the team was pretty calm and confident before the game," newcomer Sanna Strom said. "I think for coaches it's always going to be like that, but we were confident from the start."
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The Rams led 21-6 at the end of the first quarter, giving Williams essentially three quarters to test out what he wanted. He was able to put different combinations on the floor together because a game – even an exhibition – brings out something different in a player than does a practice.
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Williams wanted to see a myriad of actions on the floor, and as always, he was looking to see where they were defensively.
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Hit and miss, to be honest.
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"I think the biggest thing we're going to take away is we played some stretches where we were really good defensively and locked in and connected, and we had stretches where we weren't," he said. "To be the team we want to be, I want that every single possession. Not that you're going to hold people scoreless, but we had some mental breakdowns. We didn't crawl into some shooters and let them get shots off, so we took some breaks where we shouldn't have been taking breaks tonight."
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For one player, defense has been a personal mission.
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Hannah Ronsiek has earned a starting role, one which carries more expectations than in her freshman campaign. The Rams know she can shoot, and she finished with nine on the night, but she herself wanted to see an improved effort on the defensive end.
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She's always played with tenacity as a freshman, but after spending her high school career playing zone, the man concept was strikingly different.
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"I think the first half I showed better defensive skills than I did the second half. I came out more determined to play," she said. "The second half, I came out, 'oh, we're up 30,' so I let myself go back to being a zone kid and I got a little worked, but I came back."
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McKenna Hofschild was herself, scoring 19 and dishing out six assists in 26 minutes of play. Cailyn Crocker was herself, scoring 15. Meghan Boyd finished with 12 – all off 3-pointers – and Marta Leimane added 11, giving the team four in double figures.
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Those were pretty much things Williams knew. What he sought was how newcomers like Strom and Jackie Carman fit into the rotation after coming over as transfers. Carman's shot looked quick and smooth, the only thing it lacked was finding the bottom of the net. Not a concern for Williams, nor was the fact she didn't get many chances to run the offense from the point.
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For Strom, the game carried a bit more meaning considering she's missed some time due to injury and hasn't been a constant at practice.
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"Sanna played just very poised. She played like a veteran, and she played explosive. This was really her 10th or 11th practice with us, so she's just kind of working back into full swing," Williams said. "Jackie's probably been one of our better performers in practice and in our scrimmage leading up to this game, so I was a little surprised at Jackie. Good looks. She was aggressive and she kept shooting it. She went 0-fer tonight, but she could have a 7-for-7 night just like that."
Â
For her part, Strom came away feeling better, though she surmised there's more work to be done on her part due to the lost time.
Â
Either way, she checked some personal boxes, playing with a new set of teammates and taking advantage of most her chances, scoring seven on 3-of-5 shooting.
Â
"I think so, and also coming to a new place, so a lot of nerves. I can get those out in a game like this before a real season starts, that was pretty important for me," she said. "I feel like it was a good thing for me before Monday.
Â
"I think it went pretty well. I feel like I still need to get in the rhythm of playing with them, and obviously that's something that comes with time, and also get back in my game rhythm after my injury. I feel pleased with the game."
Â
So did Williams. His team allowed him to calm down early, and the Rams also gave him talking points when they watch film. A few days of practice, and they'll be set to begin Monday at home as the first half of a hoops doubleheader with the men, facing Le Moyne College in a 5:30 tip.
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"Honestly, I think the team was pretty calm and confident before the game," newcomer Sanna Strom said. "I think for coaches it's always going to be like that, but we were confident from the start."
Â
The Rams led 21-6 at the end of the first quarter, giving Williams essentially three quarters to test out what he wanted. He was able to put different combinations on the floor together because a game – even an exhibition – brings out something different in a player than does a practice.
Â
Williams wanted to see a myriad of actions on the floor, and as always, he was looking to see where they were defensively.
Â
Hit and miss, to be honest.
Â
"I think the biggest thing we're going to take away is we played some stretches where we were really good defensively and locked in and connected, and we had stretches where we weren't," he said. "To be the team we want to be, I want that every single possession. Not that you're going to hold people scoreless, but we had some mental breakdowns. We didn't crawl into some shooters and let them get shots off, so we took some breaks where we shouldn't have been taking breaks tonight."
Â
For one player, defense has been a personal mission.
Â
Hannah Ronsiek has earned a starting role, one which carries more expectations than in her freshman campaign. The Rams know she can shoot, and she finished with nine on the night, but she herself wanted to see an improved effort on the defensive end.
Â
She's always played with tenacity as a freshman, but after spending her high school career playing zone, the man concept was strikingly different.
Â
"I think the first half I showed better defensive skills than I did the second half. I came out more determined to play," she said. "The second half, I came out, 'oh, we're up 30,' so I let myself go back to being a zone kid and I got a little worked, but I came back."
Â
McKenna Hofschild was herself, scoring 19 and dishing out six assists in 26 minutes of play. Cailyn Crocker was herself, scoring 15. Meghan Boyd finished with 12 – all off 3-pointers – and Marta Leimane added 11, giving the team four in double figures.
Â
Those were pretty much things Williams knew. What he sought was how newcomers like Strom and Jackie Carman fit into the rotation after coming over as transfers. Carman's shot looked quick and smooth, the only thing it lacked was finding the bottom of the net. Not a concern for Williams, nor was the fact she didn't get many chances to run the offense from the point.
Â
For Strom, the game carried a bit more meaning considering she's missed some time due to injury and hasn't been a constant at practice.
Â
"Sanna played just very poised. She played like a veteran, and she played explosive. This was really her 10th or 11th practice with us, so she's just kind of working back into full swing," Williams said. "Jackie's probably been one of our better performers in practice and in our scrimmage leading up to this game, so I was a little surprised at Jackie. Good looks. She was aggressive and she kept shooting it. She went 0-fer tonight, but she could have a 7-for-7 night just like that."
Â
For her part, Strom came away feeling better, though she surmised there's more work to be done on her part due to the lost time.
Â
Either way, she checked some personal boxes, playing with a new set of teammates and taking advantage of most her chances, scoring seven on 3-of-5 shooting.
Â
"I think so, and also coming to a new place, so a lot of nerves. I can get those out in a game like this before a real season starts, that was pretty important for me," she said. "I feel like it was a good thing for me before Monday.
Â
"I think it went pretty well. I feel like I still need to get in the rhythm of playing with them, and obviously that's something that comes with time, and also get back in my game rhythm after my injury. I feel pleased with the game."
Â
So did Williams. His team allowed him to calm down early, and the Rams also gave him talking points when they watch film. A few days of practice, and they'll be set to begin Monday at home as the first half of a hoops doubleheader with the men, facing Le Moyne College in a 5:30 tip.
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Team Stats
UCCS
CSU
FG%
.309
.492
3FG%
.318
.414
FT%
.563
.810
RB
38
33
TO
19
7
STL
3
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
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