It’s OK to take a step back to breathe.
And that’s something Colorado State women’s basketball had to do reinforce Saturday for its Senior Day game. After a narrow two-point win over Air Force Jan. 14, the Rams asserted their dominance for a second time with a 66-52 win, handling the pressure of the game.
AFA came out aggressive, attacking the paint and applying defensive pressure, briefly knocking the Rams off their rhythm. But CSU didn’t panic, it just adjusted.
“I thought we just did a nice job of adjusting to how they were playing us,” head coach Ryun Williams said. “I love that we just stayed aggressive the whole game … we stayed on the attack.”
But this game was more than just a chance to beat a team for the second time this season. It was a chance to keep a high seed in the Mountain West conference and send seniors off on a high note, that emotion came through — especially in the first quarter.
The six senior players that were celebrated for their impact they have had on the court prior to the matchup were forward Madelyn Bragg, guard Lexus Bargesser, guard Hannah Ronsiek, forward Jadyn Fife, guard Marta Leimane and forward Lexi Deden.
The Rams trailed early during the start of a fast-paced back-and-forth game before the nerves settled and reality hit of the impact of the game.
“Sometimes you just have to get the game calmed down in your heads,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of emotion with the start of Senior Day. … We (just) needed to get the game calmed down in our heads.”
Once the pressure calmed down, CSU settled in.
The turning point of the game came as Bargesser sunk in the Rams’ first 3-pointer of the night. A spark of energy erupted within Moby, and the Rams felt it too.
“Our losses aren’t by much and our wins aren’t always by much,” Bargesser said. “So we just needed to stay composed, which we did, and realize that basketball is a game of runs. They went on theirs, so it was time for us to win ours.”
3-pointers, however, have been a point of struggle for the Rams this season, with Saturday being no different. CSU shot 26.7% from deep, making just four of the 15 attempts.
That didn’t stop the Rams from making those plays as Bargesser made two 3’s followed by Leimane also picking up two 3-pointers, a goal that she had been wanting to make reality.
“I was really happy,” Leimane said. “There was definitely a lot of emotion out there today.”
But Leimane wasn’t the only player who added new life into the game.
Sophomore guard Kloe Froebe notched 20 rebounds, putting her up in the program record book for single-game rebounds alongside assistant coach Annie Brady, who achieved that record in 2020. With the Rams out-rebounding AFA 46-32, they found ways to limited its second chances at controlling possessions.
“We put Kloe (in), and I told her today, ‘You better be the best rebounder, not (Jayda) McNabb‘,” Williams said. “Kloe is very determined, and she probably took that to heart, and she was the best rebounder, and (I’m) not surprised. We needed every one of them.”
By the third quarter CSU found its space through outpacing the Falcons and attacking the paint, pushing to a 10-point margin. The Rams maintained that lead with 4:58 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, not letting AFA come close again.
If Saturday proved anything, it’s that CSU doesn’t panic, it give themself time to breathe. With the MW Tournament approaching, the Rams’ ability to calm the game down may be their greatest asset.
“When you play in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament, it’s gonna be the same thing,” Williams said. “So get used to it. Don’t let it knock you off your game.”
Reach Abigail Wood at sports@collegian.com or on social media @Abigaiil_Wood.
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