CSU women’s basketball beats Utah State from free-throw line

“This game can be crazy the ups and downs of a game the ups and downs of a season it seemed like we went through it all in 4 quarters to be honest with you” Ryun Williams CSU women’s basketball head coach.

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Collegian | Michael Giles

McKenna Hofschild (4) focuses with the ball during a game against the Utah State University Aggies Feb. 9. After a close game, the Colorado State Rams won 86-83.

CTV Sports: Leah Cackowski

Michael Giles, Sports Reporter/ Photographer

In tonight’s game, the Colorado State University women’s basketball team took on Utah State University during an orange out game. The Colorado State Rams defeated the Aggies in a close battle, winning 86-83. 

The game started off with a weak defense from the Rams that resulted in a significant point deficit. The first half left CSU trailing behind the Aggies with a score of 43-28.  However, the Rams made a full-circle recovery, winning the game by the end of the night. With intense drive and passion to persist, they were determined to take the win. 

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As the Rams entered the second half, the energy and determination to win not only shifted for the team but also for the crowd. As fans were left gripping the edge of their seats, the deficit between the Rams and Aggies’ scores began to close. The Rams managed to recover, making 58 points, over double what they achieved in the first half. This showed team dedication, ultimately leading to success. The CSU women’s basketball head coach, Ryun Williams, brought attention to the attitude changes seen in the second half. 

“They made the decision — they changed their attitudes to go play with a different mindset, … and that’s why we scored better and got enough stops,” Williams said. “We made a 43-point second half — I mean that’s incredible, and you don’t do that if you’re really not playing with a lot of conviction and will to win.”

According to the box score, the Rams actually scored 58 points in the second half, which still speaks to Williams’ point.

During a swift play, the Aggies caught up to the Rams in the final moments of the game, just barely on their tail with a close score of 84-83 with the Rams still in the lead. This is just one example of the many nail-bitter moments. However, during the last five seconds of the game, Upe Atosu (5) made two successful free throws, bringing home the win for Colorado State.

Some key highlights included remarkable back-to-back successful shots from McKenna Hofschild (4) in the third quarter, when the Rams were up 82-81 and forward Karly Murphy (42) secured a layup, pushing the score to 84-81 in the last 16 seconds of the game. 

 

Atosu and Hofschild lead the team in winning plays during the second half and remain remarkable star players on the Colorado State women’s basketball team. Hofschild ended the game with 23 total points, trailing behind Atosu, who ended with 24

We continue to look forward to seeing how the women’s basketball team will head into the Mountain West Conference Tournament, beginning March 6, with this reassuring boost of confidence from tonight’s win against the Utah State Aggies. 

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The Colorado State women’s basketball team will take on San Jose State University this Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. The matchup will be broadcasted on the Mountain West Network and Power 102.9.

Reach Michael Giles at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @Michaelrenee10.