LAS VEGAS — Two seasons ago, Colorado State women’s basketball was knocked out of the Mountain West Tournament by UNLV.
And now?
There’s a chance for redemption.
The Rams barely escaped with a win against Grand Canyon, as Madelyn Bragg made the winning layup with only a second left before overtime. The tension in Thomas and Mack Center could have been cut with a knife as the game ran right down to the wire.
But it’s time for the Rams to set their sights on the semifinals game against No. 2 UNLV as CSU fights for the opportunity to compete in the Mountain West Championship game.
“I think (it’ll be) a game (that’s) super gritty and just (has) lots of defense,” Hannah Ronsiek said. “Who’s going to just want it more? Because at this point, scouts are out. Yeah, I think it’s just going to come down to toughness.”
The first time the teams met this season was Jan. 31 at UNLV, which resulted in a 64-51 loss. The Rams started off slow, which ended up making it even more of a challenge to take back the game in the fourth quarter.
Lexus Bargesser brought the power to that game and more than doubled what anyone for CSU scored, notching 26 points. Bargesser only saw two minutes without action.
On the Rebels’ side, they shared the wealth with four players hitting double digits in points — Meadow Roland led with 14. Bargesser tried to fight back and sunk a late ball from deep with a few seconds left, but it wasn’t enough to come out on top.
Less than a month later, the Rebels traveled to CSU, and the Rams were ready this time, pulling out a 77-61 win.
Even though UNLV knew what Bargesser was capable of, they couldn’t stunt her power as she ended the night with the most points of anyone who saw action with 19. She almost hit a double-double with nine rebounds.
Three other Rams hit double figures: Brooke Carlson, Kloe Froebe and Marta Leimane.
Aaliyah Alexander led the Rebels with 18 points — Roland was one point behind — two assists and one rebound. But this win wasn’t just another tally mark; it was putting a stop to a streak. Before the win, UNLV had won the past 10 games, including a loss that resulted in the end of McKenna Hofschild’s career with the Rams.
Although CSU has since broken the Rebels’ winning campaign, the stakes are high once again, as they were on March 12, 2024. This time, several seniors are fighting for one more game as a team and a chance to make it to the Big Dance.
As the second seed, UNLV also got a first-round bye and took on Fresno State Sunday. The Rebels managed to lead the game and swiftly secure a spot in the semifinal game with a 79-65 win.
Roland will be walking into Monday’s game as the Rebels’ highest decorated players statistically, averaging 15.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and has a season-total of 56 assists.
CSU has its chance to rewrite history and dominate UNLV on its home turf, taking back the loss that ended its season in 2024 and begin building a streak for itself. It starts with the basics and not letting the Rebels get an early start; from there, it’ll come down to consistency and grit.
The MW Network will be streaming the game that starts at 7:30 p.m. PT Monday.
Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @sophgwebb.
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