Another one bites the dust as Colorado State University lost their third straight game and concluded their 11-game winning streak against San Diego State.
The Rams had a slow start to their game, but Lena Svanholm scored the first seven points for the team. Her three baskets kept the team from falling severely behind.
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The Aztecs held an early seven-point lead, but shots from both teams sailed wayward as the team’s struggled to find a rhythm.
Though the Rams were behind, the team made two baskets in the first few minutes to progressively close the gap. Lauren Brocke scored the second 3-pointer for CSU that gave the team momentum after falling behind.
Tatum Neubert was injured and escorted to the locker room after fouling one of the Aztec, players, adding difficulty to their climb back from an early deficit. A timeout was called shortly after to get the Rams back on track.
In the last three minutes of the second quarter, the Rams pushed ahead of the Aztecs after making a seven-point run. Grace Colaivalu attempted her first basket and sunk a 3-pointer to counter the Aztecs comeback as the Rams garnered the lead, 24-21.
SDSU scoring in the last twenty seconds of the first half closed the small divide the Rams had created. The end of the quarter was only the beginning for the dogged periods that followed, and both teams refused to back down with a one-point difference.
Mollie Mounsey scored the first basket of the third period after another three minutes of woeful shooting from both squads. Her 3-pointer provided only a temporary lead for the Rams because of the lack of successful offense from both teams.
Mounsey drilled her second 3-pointer of the quarter shortly after and was the only scorer in the first seven minutes. The Aztecs had not made a basket within those seven minutes, but the seven-point margin did not last long.
With one minute left, SDSU sank a 3-pointer and made a pair of free-throws that put them ahead, 33-30. The Aztecs retrieval of the lead caused the Rams to put pressure on their own offensive strategy.
Lore Devos’ two free throws brought the Rams back to trailing by a single point. The Aztecs tested the Rams defense by scoring 11 points, and they increased their lead over CSU to nine.
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Devos converted a 3-pointer out of the timeout. Another stoppage came on the subsequent possession when the game was interrupted by an official call review of SDSU’s made basket. The call was reversed, limiting the Aztecs ability to pull away.
True to form, Colaivalu aggressively made her way to the basket to tip in a bucket.
Devos swished her second 3-pointer for the final quarter and the difference after additional Colaivalu free throws was only four points, 47-43. The gap, though minuscule in number, felt much larger due to the bevy of failed attempts from both teams.
The Aztecs dribbled to run out the clock before a final Colaivalu drive to the basket to score, bringing her total to nine points for the Rams, besting her average of six points.
Her effort was for naught as the Rams lack of success on offense in the third eventually caught up to them.
The Rams play against San Jose State in Moby Arena Jan. 20th in hopes of ending another losing streak. The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m.
Jess Boxrud can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @Jessica_boxrud.
