Hofschild Drives Rams to Victory Over Falcons

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – At just 5-foot-2, McKenna Hofschild could've easily been ruled out and told she didn't belong on the basketball court. Unless this season hasn't already spoken the truth, Hofschild has proven she owns the court.

As she has been all season long, she was practically unstoppable in the game against Air Force (12-15, 7-8). Her success on the court during the Saturday's matinee gave Colorado State (18-9, 11-5) a close 67-64 win over the Falcons.

"Our game plan was to really space the floor to open the gaps in the middle," Hofschild said. "I was trying to not settle for jump shots, but it was tiring. 40 minutes of battling, but we got the win."

While Hofschild's fingerprints were all over the score sheet for points, she also dished to her teammates often. She also finished with a team-high eight assists, two shy of a double-double.

Other notables included Destiny Thurman who reached 11 points in her first home game since her return from injury. Sydney Mech and Meghan Boyd rounded out the highest scorers each with eight points.

"I'm good, my body feels good, my ankle feels good, the win feels good," Thurman said. "That San Diego State game I was able to knock off the rust, and so to get double digits today and get the win was really big."

The early score line seemed to suggest the game was a wrap from the get-go. Colorado State had kept the Falcons scoreless for the opening five minutes of the game, and played superb defense paired along with sub-optimal shooting from Air Force.

But a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter would be cut down to only one point in the closing minutes. After losing the last game at Air Force thanks to a breakdown defensively, the Rams squeaked out a win thanks to a defensive stop on the final play.

"We lost the game at Air Force by a defensive breakdown in the final seconds, so to win it by not allowing them to get a shot was a toughness play," head coach Ryun Williams said. "We had enough toughness in us to get a big win."

The toughness came from the leaders this team has had all season long. Hofschild and Thurman were the ones running the floor, chasing the ball to the perimeter, and creating plays to get chances at the basket.

While tiring for both, Hofschild and Thurman played nearly the entire 40 minutes – it was much needed. For Hofschild in particular, who fell two assists short of her fourth double-double of the season, it only adds to the legacy she will leave behind.

"While she's got one more year, her legacy is just going to a kid that leaves it all out there, every play," Williams said, pointing to Hofschild with a crowd of kids surrounding her pleading for autographs and pictures. "She's got a motor, a great scorer at five-whatever-she-is. It's so great to see all these kids see her play today, looking up to her because that's a player they should be like."

Both Hofschild and Thurman were called into action – particularly late on thanks to foul troubles and turnovers created by the Rams. Cailyn Crocker recorded five fouls, while Kendyll Kinzer had four fouls herself.

Playing the second half with those chips on the shoulder, it was one of the several things the Falcons utilized to get back into the game. The Rams dug deep to end up on the winning side, and it shouldn't go unnoticed by anyone around the program.

"I just have to be a leader and pick up my teammates and what we've been going through," Thurman said. "It was a rough patch in the game, but sticking it out and pushing through it for my teammates is necessary."

Colorado State moves to 18-9 overall and sits third in the Mountain West right with San Diego State with a 11-5 record. UNLV already locked up the regular season title, but a second-place finish is certainly attainable in the closing games.

While only a couple of games remain in the season, up next are the neighbors up to the North, the Wyoming Cowgirls. Of course, drama unfolded last time these two played at Moby Arena with Crocker's game-winning shot in the final seconds. Now, going to Laramie for a nationally televised game on FS1 will come with a week of rest, something the Rams have not had since before the start of conference play.

"It'll be huge, we've been playing a lot of games lately," Hofschild said. "Having some extra rest will be good for our legs, get us into a strong mentality to finish out the season. This is where we really have to be strong physically and mentally."

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