Colorado State University Athletics
Sunday, December 7
Fort Collins, Colo.
1:00 pm
Colorado State
8-2,0-0Mountain West
70
vs
47
Southern Utah
7-2,0-0WAC
1
2
3
4
F
Southern Utah
13
14
10
10
47
Colorado St.
21
16
20
13
70
Rams Regroup in Win Over Southern Utah
12/7/2025 3:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Disciplined defense and meaningful bench minutes define win
Venturing deeper into the season, things are bound to change.
On Sunday Colorado State showed how it wants that change to manifest in a 70-47 win over Southern Utah. Coming off two losses, the Rams weren't about to let a third slip by. Now with experience against a sharp-shooting team, the Rams came out fast and maintained it.
It was apparent from the onset that the Thunderbirds' shooting was going to be difficult to lock down. But the Rams had done their homework.
"Going in, we knew that they were going to be a three-point shooting team, and that's what hurt us against Utah," Lexus Bargesser said "That was something we focused on and needed to grow in in that way. And so going into this game, we were ready to prove that. We were ready to guard that three and be more dynamic that way."
SUU opened up hot and hit five of eight from behind the arc compared to CSU's three makes on the same number of attempts. By the half, the dynamism they wanted started to show up defensively.
After halftime, the Thunderbirds' shooting had cooled dramatically. Fans were left standing for around five minutes waiting for a SUU make. It finally came with its first free throw of the day from Brooklyn Fely. Before then, they hadn't even made it to the foul line.
"They average 25 free throw attempts a game," coach Ryun Williams said. "That's crazy good, so we guarded with great discipline. And so we just did what we were supposed to do. Keep it in front of us and don't foul."
On the flip side, the Thunderbirds couldn't stop fouling. Capitalizing, Bargesser sunk 10 of 11 free throws with two season highs: 23 points and five assists.
She wasn't the only one who had a night to remember though. Lexi Deden continued to force the narrative off the glass with nine points and a season high for minutes played with 18.
"I think I just had a different mentality today and I just fed off my teammates," Deden said. "I also wanted to lift them up as well. And every play, I just don't want to give up. That's kind of who I am and who I've always been. So, that's who I brought out today."
Deden wasn't the only person who got a shot at the limelight though. With around two minutes left, the bench ventured out on the court with players like Jadyn Fife, Gianna Smith and Caitlin Kramer getting some minutes.
They haven't had the chance to the past few games, due to the nail-biting nature, and Williams knows it's an important part of developing a deep team on both sides of the floor.
"We're trying to find some windows here," Williams said. "Our bench—12 to 2 in the first half—I thought that was key to that 10-point lead at halftime. So I thought our bench all night was pretty darn good. But any opportunity kids get to get on the floor, it's very, very valuable. Maybe it's a short time, but if they do it right, perform well and have the right focus, the opportunity's going to come. It just does; that's sports. And when it does come, you've got to be ready for it."
When the buzzer sounded CSU had 22 bench points compared to SUU's six. That kind of production speaks to a culture where players understand their role is continually changing and evolving. Though scoring is important, it was about energy and defense. Looking to make an impact any place possible.
That mindset carried over to starters as well, especially during crunch time. Showing flashes of the team they hope to one day be consistently. Bargesser believes those glimpses are only the beginning.
"I just knew we couldn't afford to lose this one," Bargesser said. "I mean, we work so hard day in and day out and we need to be more consistent showing it on the court. Today we showed pieces of what we could really be. And we can even be better than what we were tonight. We had to win this one, and all of us came ready to do that."
In many ways, Sunday felt like a shift—not a dramatic overhaul, but a quiet re-centering. The Rams didn't fix every flaw, and they didn't need to. What they did was show a version of themselves built on intention rather than reaction, a team that refused to let the past two games dictate the next one.
For a group still defining its identity, that matters.
And as the season winds on, that identity will keep evolving. The Rams know their ceiling sits higher than any one night, even in a 23-point win. But if they can bottle a little bit of what happened on Sunday, they'll continue to evolve as they venture on the road in the coming weeks.
On Sunday Colorado State showed how it wants that change to manifest in a 70-47 win over Southern Utah. Coming off two losses, the Rams weren't about to let a third slip by. Now with experience against a sharp-shooting team, the Rams came out fast and maintained it.
It was apparent from the onset that the Thunderbirds' shooting was going to be difficult to lock down. But the Rams had done their homework.
"Going in, we knew that they were going to be a three-point shooting team, and that's what hurt us against Utah," Lexus Bargesser said "That was something we focused on and needed to grow in in that way. And so going into this game, we were ready to prove that. We were ready to guard that three and be more dynamic that way."
SUU opened up hot and hit five of eight from behind the arc compared to CSU's three makes on the same number of attempts. By the half, the dynamism they wanted started to show up defensively.
After halftime, the Thunderbirds' shooting had cooled dramatically. Fans were left standing for around five minutes waiting for a SUU make. It finally came with its first free throw of the day from Brooklyn Fely. Before then, they hadn't even made it to the foul line.
"They average 25 free throw attempts a game," coach Ryun Williams said. "That's crazy good, so we guarded with great discipline. And so we just did what we were supposed to do. Keep it in front of us and don't foul."
On the flip side, the Thunderbirds couldn't stop fouling. Capitalizing, Bargesser sunk 10 of 11 free throws with two season highs: 23 points and five assists.
She wasn't the only one who had a night to remember though. Lexi Deden continued to force the narrative off the glass with nine points and a season high for minutes played with 18.
"I think I just had a different mentality today and I just fed off my teammates," Deden said. "I also wanted to lift them up as well. And every play, I just don't want to give up. That's kind of who I am and who I've always been. So, that's who I brought out today."
Deden wasn't the only person who got a shot at the limelight though. With around two minutes left, the bench ventured out on the court with players like Jadyn Fife, Gianna Smith and Caitlin Kramer getting some minutes.
They haven't had the chance to the past few games, due to the nail-biting nature, and Williams knows it's an important part of developing a deep team on both sides of the floor.
"We're trying to find some windows here," Williams said. "Our bench—12 to 2 in the first half—I thought that was key to that 10-point lead at halftime. So I thought our bench all night was pretty darn good. But any opportunity kids get to get on the floor, it's very, very valuable. Maybe it's a short time, but if they do it right, perform well and have the right focus, the opportunity's going to come. It just does; that's sports. And when it does come, you've got to be ready for it."
When the buzzer sounded CSU had 22 bench points compared to SUU's six. That kind of production speaks to a culture where players understand their role is continually changing and evolving. Though scoring is important, it was about energy and defense. Looking to make an impact any place possible.
That mindset carried over to starters as well, especially during crunch time. Showing flashes of the team they hope to one day be consistently. Bargesser believes those glimpses are only the beginning.
"I just knew we couldn't afford to lose this one," Bargesser said. "I mean, we work so hard day in and day out and we need to be more consistent showing it on the court. Today we showed pieces of what we could really be. And we can even be better than what we were tonight. We had to win this one, and all of us came ready to do that."
In many ways, Sunday felt like a shift—not a dramatic overhaul, but a quiet re-centering. The Rams didn't fix every flaw, and they didn't need to. What they did was show a version of themselves built on intention rather than reaction, a team that refused to let the past two games dictate the next one.
For a group still defining its identity, that matters.
And as the season winds on, that identity will keep evolving. The Rams know their ceiling sits higher than any one night, even in a 23-point win. But if they can bottle a little bit of what happened on Sunday, they'll continue to evolve as they venture on the road in the coming weeks.
Team Stats
SUU
CSU
FG%
.263
.397
3FG%
.333
.333
FT%
.750
.818
RB
38
43
TO
16
14
STL
5
9
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballColorado State Basketball (W): Deden (L) and Bargesser (R) Post-Game (SUU, 25-26)
Sunday, December 07
CSU Basketball (W): Ryun Williams Postgame (SUU, 2025)
Sunday, December 07
Colorado State Basketball (W): Bargesser (L) and Ronsiek (R) Post-Game (Utah, 25-26)
Thursday, December 04
CSU Basketball (W): Ryun Williams Postgame (Utah, 2025)
Thursday, December 04