The Colorado State University women’s basketball team opened their season by hosting Brigham Young University in a whiteout game Nov. 8. After BYU controlled the lead for the first half, CSU rode an explosive second half to a blowout 82-62 victory over the visiting Cougars.

BYU, who compiled a 26-4 record last season, entered the game as a 10.5-point favorite.

“They went for it in that second half, and it’s fun to see them have fun.” -Ryun Williams, CSU women’s basketball head coach

The game began with both teams trading baskets before BYU began to pull away on an early 8-2 run. The Rams countered with a 9-3 run of their own to end the quarter, cutting BYU’s lead to 18-17 on a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by guard Hannah Ronsiek.

The second quarter mirrored the first, with both teams trading 3-pointers to open the quarter before BYU began to build a lead. Colorado State refused to go away, however, and at halftime, BYU’s lead was held at a manageable 39-35.

The Rams came out of the locker room on a mission to start the second half, opening with a 10-0 run to take an early 45-39 lead. CSU held their lead through the quarter, outscoring BYU and taking the quarter 63-52. 

Colorado State outscored BYU 15-2 in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, with all of their scores coming on 3-pointers. The Rams rode out the rest of the quarter with a comfortable lead to win 82-62.

A HUGE second-half gives us a season-opening W 🔥👌

CSU 82 // BYU 62
RAMS WIN!#Stalwart x #CSURams pic.twitter.com/QPXFtlKvo6

— Colorado State Women’s Basketball (@CSUWBasketball) November 9, 2022

“That was a fun game for our team — (I’m) just proud of the effort and execution that they played with, especially in that second half,” head coach Ryun Williams said. “They went for it in that second half, and it’s fun to see them have fun.”

“They played the right way,” Williams said. “They played very unselfishly in that second half, and I think we shot the ball well … because we shared the basketball.”

Forty of CSU’s 82 points came from players coming off the bench, highlighting the team’s depth. Meanwhile, just three of BYU’s 62 points came from their bench players.

“The depth has been something that we’ve known we’ve had,” Williams said. “It wasn’t just the points; it was the overall play. I thought they played with great toughness.”

Guard McKenna Hofschild led the Rams in scoring with 18 points, while guard Cailyn Crocker scored 17 coming off the bench. Hofschild also recorded a game-high nine assists.

The Rams will look to ride their momentum into their next game: a home matchup against the University of Montana Nov. 11.

Reach Kaden Porter at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @kqporter5.