Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, November 13
Moscow, ID
7 PM MT
Colorado State
54
at
61
Idaho
Fourth Quarter Comeback Just Short at Idaho, 61-54
11/13/2019 9:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MOSCOW, Id. – After a 14-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, Colorado State scored eleven unanswered to pull within a bucket, however the Rams could not get any closer in the 61-54 loss Wednesday night to Idaho at the Memorial Gym.
At the 6:09 mark of the fourth, the Rams trailed 51-48, marking the closest margin since the game's start. Next, the two teams exchanged baskets until Idaho hit its ninth three of the game to edge ahead to four. Again, both sides traded scores, keeping the game at four points with less than a minute remaining. A few final empty possessions gave the Vandals the ability to hold on at the free throw line.
Offensively, redshirt-junior Liah Davis and graduate forward Makenzie Ellis each had a team-high 12 points, while Ellis shared the rebounding lead with redshirt-senior Andrea Brady with seven. On the defensive side of the floor, Ellis and redshirt-sophomore Tori Williams tallied three steals and freshman guard Katia Stamatelopoulos added two of her own.
Colorado State dropped its first game of the season to move to 3-1. For the Vandals, it was their first as they improve to 1-1.
"That is the way they play [Idaho on playing fast]," head coach Ryun Williams said. "They start fast and shoot a lot of threes. They kept at us with really, good speed. We had great shots. As far as first quarter goes, we had as good as shots as we've had all season, but you must convert. Our team showed a lot of toughness and a lot of fight to get back and claw into this thing. It was a one possession game. We have to get that ball in that basket, and we did not at some times tonight."
The first quarter featured close play despite a slow start from CSU. Graduate forward Myanne Hamm converted on a bucket-and-one opportunity for the Rams' first points. Shortly after, a Davis post move sent the Rams into the first media timeout trailing 6-5. Williams closed the scoring in the first frame with a high-arching floater in the lane, leading to the 13-9 deficit.
At the half, the Rams trailed 36-24 due to a big second quarter from the Vandals that included six 3-pointers from four different players. Idaho first led by a dozen at 27-15, but the Rams went on a 9-5 run to narrow the gap, however a Vandals' three with 28 seconds left stumped momentum. Davis led CSU in scoring with 10 points – all field goals, while UI's Caitlyn Jones had a team-high nine – all from distance.
Idaho picked up right where they left off, starting the second half with a three from a yet another different Vandal. A minute later, redshirt-junior guard Jamie Bonnarens came off a screen to splash her first three of the game to ignite a 7-0 run that also included a three from Ellis. The Rams slimmed the margin to eight, but the Vandals extended it out to a 14-point margin, 51-37, at the quarter's end.
The Rams' run in the fourth was kindled from back-to-back jumpers from Ellis. One of Stamatelopoulos' steals led to a fast break layup for sophomore Taylor Mole. Lastly, Williams hit a three and Brady a step-back to bring CSU back in the game. With 40 seconds left, Williams had a drive off the glass to pull within four, but it was then that Idaho closed the door defensively.
The Rams slightly outshot the Vandals 37.5-percent to 36.8-percent, however Idaho's nine threes trumped Colorado State's four, which marked the stark difference in the contest.
Next
The Rams return home to play Northern Illinois at Moby Arena this Sunday at noon.
For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
At the 6:09 mark of the fourth, the Rams trailed 51-48, marking the closest margin since the game's start. Next, the two teams exchanged baskets until Idaho hit its ninth three of the game to edge ahead to four. Again, both sides traded scores, keeping the game at four points with less than a minute remaining. A few final empty possessions gave the Vandals the ability to hold on at the free throw line.
Offensively, redshirt-junior Liah Davis and graduate forward Makenzie Ellis each had a team-high 12 points, while Ellis shared the rebounding lead with redshirt-senior Andrea Brady with seven. On the defensive side of the floor, Ellis and redshirt-sophomore Tori Williams tallied three steals and freshman guard Katia Stamatelopoulos added two of her own.
Colorado State dropped its first game of the season to move to 3-1. For the Vandals, it was their first as they improve to 1-1.
"That is the way they play [Idaho on playing fast]," head coach Ryun Williams said. "They start fast and shoot a lot of threes. They kept at us with really, good speed. We had great shots. As far as first quarter goes, we had as good as shots as we've had all season, but you must convert. Our team showed a lot of toughness and a lot of fight to get back and claw into this thing. It was a one possession game. We have to get that ball in that basket, and we did not at some times tonight."
The first quarter featured close play despite a slow start from CSU. Graduate forward Myanne Hamm converted on a bucket-and-one opportunity for the Rams' first points. Shortly after, a Davis post move sent the Rams into the first media timeout trailing 6-5. Williams closed the scoring in the first frame with a high-arching floater in the lane, leading to the 13-9 deficit.
At the half, the Rams trailed 36-24 due to a big second quarter from the Vandals that included six 3-pointers from four different players. Idaho first led by a dozen at 27-15, but the Rams went on a 9-5 run to narrow the gap, however a Vandals' three with 28 seconds left stumped momentum. Davis led CSU in scoring with 10 points – all field goals, while UI's Caitlyn Jones had a team-high nine – all from distance.
Idaho picked up right where they left off, starting the second half with a three from a yet another different Vandal. A minute later, redshirt-junior guard Jamie Bonnarens came off a screen to splash her first three of the game to ignite a 7-0 run that also included a three from Ellis. The Rams slimmed the margin to eight, but the Vandals extended it out to a 14-point margin, 51-37, at the quarter's end.
The Rams' run in the fourth was kindled from back-to-back jumpers from Ellis. One of Stamatelopoulos' steals led to a fast break layup for sophomore Taylor Mole. Lastly, Williams hit a three and Brady a step-back to bring CSU back in the game. With 40 seconds left, Williams had a drive off the glass to pull within four, but it was then that Idaho closed the door defensively.
The Rams slightly outshot the Vandals 37.5-percent to 36.8-percent, however Idaho's nine threes trumped Colorado State's four, which marked the stark difference in the contest.
Next
The Rams return home to play Northern Illinois at Moby Arena this Sunday at noon.
For More on Colorado State Women's Basketball follow: Twitter – CSUWBasketball | Instagram – csuwbasketball | Facebook – @CSUWBasketball
Players Mentioned
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