Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, February 19
Fort Collins, Colo.
6:30 PM
Colorado State
20-7,11-3Mountain West
68
vs
48
Fresno State
17-11,8-7Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Fresno St.
9
7
9
23
48
Colorado St.
17
17
12
22
68
Rams Roll to Fifth Consecutive Victory
2/19/2025 9:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Leimane keys defensive effort vs. Fresno State
Marta Leimane had a plan, and based off it, a realistic goal.
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That's the best approach to an arduous task, of which she's had more than a few of in her Colorado State career. The task was to keep Fresno State's Mia Jacobs – a player-of-the-year candidate averaging nearly a double-double a game -- from running roughshod Wednesday night at Moby Arena.
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"She doesn't average whatever she's averaging," Leimane said. "As long as it's under that … much under that, that's fine. Five. That was fine."
Â
Better than, as the Rams rolled with it on their way to a fifth-consecutive win, 68-48 leading into a matchup of 1 vs. 2 in the conference when UNLV visits on Saturday.
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Jacobs, averaging 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds on the season, played with Leimane as a shadow all night. She didn't have very many good looks, and after missing a few early, she missed some open shots. Hannah Ronsiek took a turn at times, and so did Kaylee Headrick, but the majority of the assignment went to Leimane. Jacobs hit just one field goal in the first quarter, then the Rams caught a bit of a break when Jacobs picked up her second foul the first minute of the second, sitting for nearly six minutes.
Â
Even then, Jacobs only took 10 shots in the game, four in the second half. It wasn't at all what Leimane expected, but she was more than happy about the results.
Â
"At first, I thought she was going to post up more, but I guess she didn't," Leimane said. "She's scared of me. No, just joking. I feel whenever she started playing and missed those first shots, she maybe got into her head. Then at that point I knew I was not going to let her get the ball and get those shots off, and it worked."
Â
There was a reason CSU coach Ryun Williams turned to the junior forward. She has experience facing off with a player who looks to score and knows how to find and create room. Though not big, Leimane is tougher than she looks, even in the paint. To top it off, her mind thinks along with the foe.
Â
Williams wanted a great effort. He accepted extraordinary.
Â
"I probably wouldn't have said we're going to hold her. I probably would have thought she's going to get double digits," he said, his team now 20-7, 11-3 in conference play. "You just don't want a young lady like that coming in here and going crazy, which she's totally capable of doing. We just wanted to limit her attempts. She missed a few open ones, and we lost her a couple of times, but that exceeded my expectation."
Â
If a team can do that to the opponent's best player, you expect a good night. Kylee Fox led the Bulldogs with 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half. It wasn't just Jacobs who was off, but the entire team as Colorado State saddled them with a 29.8 shooting percentage, going 7-of-23 from 3. Fresno State was limited to single-digit scoring in the first three stanzas.
Â
It sure beats the alternative, which every one of them has seen happen.
Â
"I think it's one of those things where you don't want a team to come onto your home court, or even away games, and have the Mia Jacobs' of the conference just go off and light you up," Emma Ronsiek said. "There is a sense of pride. You don't want their best players to make you look a certain way, and she is a player who can do that. She can definitely get to her shots. Tonight just wasn't her night, and a lot of that was Marty and our defense. You just don't want to be on the receiving end of anybody scoring ball."
Â
There's the thing. Ronsiek is herself a candidate as the top player in the conference, and like Jacobs, both are on the Becky Hammon mid-major list. Fresno State did not have a version of Leimane, however.
Â
Ronsiek would finish with her third double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. For good measure, she led the team with five assists. But she said she didn't view the game as a personal matchup between two of the best.
Â
"No. I don't know if it's because I have a different sense of … I just don't value that stuff as much," Ronsiek said. "It's super cool, super great, but as long as I can contribute to the success of my team and help all my teammates get to where we want to go, which is the Mountain West Championship, then that's good enough for me. She's a great player."
Â
So too is Ronsiek, who hit 8-of-15 from the field, 4-of-9 from deep. The Rams shot a lot of 3s in the game – 27 – they just struggled with range. From Williams' perspective, Ronsiek delivered exactly what her team needed.
Â
He's also pretty sure she realized what was needed.
Â
"Any really good player, which Emma is, they know what's on the other side of the floor. I think she was being very humble, but obviously this was a game she wanted to play well in," he said. "Mia's on the other end, and we have a ton of respect for that team and that young lady."
Â
By the end of the night, Brooke Carlson joined Ronsiek in double figures, scoring 10 with eight coming off a perfect evening from the line. She also notched a career best with seven rebounds, while Leimane and Kloe Froebe added nine each, Hannah Ronsiek eight.
Â
The win makes it 20 wins in a season for the fourth consecutive season, the ninth time in Williams' 13-year tenure. That's become an expectation, and a realistic goal. One they hit on the head on a night Leimane went beyond hers.
Â
Â
That's the best approach to an arduous task, of which she's had more than a few of in her Colorado State career. The task was to keep Fresno State's Mia Jacobs – a player-of-the-year candidate averaging nearly a double-double a game -- from running roughshod Wednesday night at Moby Arena.
Â
"She doesn't average whatever she's averaging," Leimane said. "As long as it's under that … much under that, that's fine. Five. That was fine."
Â
Better than, as the Rams rolled with it on their way to a fifth-consecutive win, 68-48 leading into a matchup of 1 vs. 2 in the conference when UNLV visits on Saturday.
Â
Jacobs, averaging 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds on the season, played with Leimane as a shadow all night. She didn't have very many good looks, and after missing a few early, she missed some open shots. Hannah Ronsiek took a turn at times, and so did Kaylee Headrick, but the majority of the assignment went to Leimane. Jacobs hit just one field goal in the first quarter, then the Rams caught a bit of a break when Jacobs picked up her second foul the first minute of the second, sitting for nearly six minutes.
Â
Even then, Jacobs only took 10 shots in the game, four in the second half. It wasn't at all what Leimane expected, but she was more than happy about the results.
Â
"At first, I thought she was going to post up more, but I guess she didn't," Leimane said. "She's scared of me. No, just joking. I feel whenever she started playing and missed those first shots, she maybe got into her head. Then at that point I knew I was not going to let her get the ball and get those shots off, and it worked."
Â
There was a reason CSU coach Ryun Williams turned to the junior forward. She has experience facing off with a player who looks to score and knows how to find and create room. Though not big, Leimane is tougher than she looks, even in the paint. To top it off, her mind thinks along with the foe.
Â
Williams wanted a great effort. He accepted extraordinary.
Â
"I probably wouldn't have said we're going to hold her. I probably would have thought she's going to get double digits," he said, his team now 20-7, 11-3 in conference play. "You just don't want a young lady like that coming in here and going crazy, which she's totally capable of doing. We just wanted to limit her attempts. She missed a few open ones, and we lost her a couple of times, but that exceeded my expectation."
Â
If a team can do that to the opponent's best player, you expect a good night. Kylee Fox led the Bulldogs with 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half. It wasn't just Jacobs who was off, but the entire team as Colorado State saddled them with a 29.8 shooting percentage, going 7-of-23 from 3. Fresno State was limited to single-digit scoring in the first three stanzas.
Â
It sure beats the alternative, which every one of them has seen happen.
Â
"I think it's one of those things where you don't want a team to come onto your home court, or even away games, and have the Mia Jacobs' of the conference just go off and light you up," Emma Ronsiek said. "There is a sense of pride. You don't want their best players to make you look a certain way, and she is a player who can do that. She can definitely get to her shots. Tonight just wasn't her night, and a lot of that was Marty and our defense. You just don't want to be on the receiving end of anybody scoring ball."
Â
There's the thing. Ronsiek is herself a candidate as the top player in the conference, and like Jacobs, both are on the Becky Hammon mid-major list. Fresno State did not have a version of Leimane, however.
Â
Ronsiek would finish with her third double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. For good measure, she led the team with five assists. But she said she didn't view the game as a personal matchup between two of the best.
Â
"No. I don't know if it's because I have a different sense of … I just don't value that stuff as much," Ronsiek said. "It's super cool, super great, but as long as I can contribute to the success of my team and help all my teammates get to where we want to go, which is the Mountain West Championship, then that's good enough for me. She's a great player."
Â
So too is Ronsiek, who hit 8-of-15 from the field, 4-of-9 from deep. The Rams shot a lot of 3s in the game – 27 – they just struggled with range. From Williams' perspective, Ronsiek delivered exactly what her team needed.
Â
He's also pretty sure she realized what was needed.
Â
"Any really good player, which Emma is, they know what's on the other side of the floor. I think she was being very humble, but obviously this was a game she wanted to play well in," he said. "Mia's on the other end, and we have a ton of respect for that team and that young lady."
Â
By the end of the night, Brooke Carlson joined Ronsiek in double figures, scoring 10 with eight coming off a perfect evening from the line. She also notched a career best with seven rebounds, while Leimane and Kloe Froebe added nine each, Hannah Ronsiek eight.
Â
The win makes it 20 wins in a season for the fourth consecutive season, the ninth time in Williams' 13-year tenure. That's become an expectation, and a realistic goal. One they hit on the head on a night Leimane went beyond hers.
Â
Team Stats
Fresno
CSU
FG%
.298
.429
3FG%
.304
.296
FT%
.778
.857
RB
34
40
TO
10
7
STL
3
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
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