Colorado State women’s basketball won a physical game 70-47 against Southern Utah Sunday. In what started as a back-and-forth game with tough defense from both sides, the Rams eventually broke away and did not look back.
The third quarter was the turning point for CSU, as it opened with 13 unanswered points. Defense was a huge factor in that turnaround.
“I think the defense feeds into our offense,” forward Lexi Deden said. “I mean, looking down the court and also like getting those fun scrappy plays, that build momentum for your offense. And also getting to the rim like (Lexus Bargesser) amazingly does. I think that just works in our favor.”
Bargesser, a senior who has led the team in scoring four of the last five games and finished Sunday with 23 points, has used experience as a transfer from the Big-10.
She led the way in offense on paper, but she was also a huge piece of the defense, which in turn created momentum.
“We talked about at halftime, coming out with force, not letting them back in and growing our lead more,” Deden said. “Lex played a big part in that. She was aggressive on the post inside, getting touches, and even if she wasn’t getting the steal, she was disrupting the post inside. And it really hurt their offense, and we got the momentum on offense.”
The Rams’ defense was tough and disruptive; however, it was also calm and collected, as SUU waited until the second half to shoot from the free-throw line.
“Going in, we knew that they were going to be a 3-point shooting team, and that’s what hurt us against Utah,” Deden said. “And that was something we focused on and needed to grow in that way. And so, going into this game, we were ready to prove that we were ready to guard that 3, and it’ll be more dynamic that way.”
The Rams were coming off a tough loss, just their second of the season. Perhaps it came at the right time as they learned a lot from it before facing the Thunderbirds, which, up until this game, averaged more than 80 points.
CSU kept it well below that.
“It could have been a trap game,” head coach Ryun Williams said. “You know, (we had) the emotional loss (against Utah), all the energy we put into that Utah game. So, (after) just a short turnaround, and here comes Southern Utah. This could have been flat, and our kids really came out ready to go. And coaches like that.”
Another key player during Sunday’s win was senior Madelyn Bragg.
She finished with the second-most offensive rebounds on the night. She scored six points, but also opened opportunities for her teammates down low, making it tough for opponents to defend the Rams.
“Maddie is a strong girl,” Bargesser said. “She has a big presence in the paint, and when all of our pieces are lined up perfectly, she’s tough to guard inside.”
CSU is set to start conference play Dec. 17 against Nevada, but before that will face San Francisco on the road as the first of a two-game road trip.
“We set a great example of what we want to maybe do in conference (play), and I think that will really help us guide us through conference and (help us) do really well,” Deden said.
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Reach Aron Medrano at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @AronMedrano27.
