CSU-Pueblo 66, Adams State 49
It may have been impossible to overstate the magnitude of Friday
night's CSU-Pueblo/Adams State matchup.
At stake in the game, which featured two squads tied at 10-3 in
conference play and tied for second place in the RMAC
West Division standings, was the right to potentially host a home
playoff game between the two schools, as well as solidify their
respective places in the NCAA Division II Central Regional
Rankings, which will ultimately decide which teams qualify for the
national tournament.
A number of factors worked in the ThunderWolves' favor Friday,
and CSU-Pueblo, which opened the week ranked eighth in the Central
Region, were dominant from the outset against the third-ranked team
in the region in Adams State. It also helped that Adams
State's top scorer, Vera Jo Bustos, suffered a knee injury prior to
the start of Friday's game, and she was a late scratch from
the lineup.
Tied at 12 midway through the first half, CSU-Pueblo went on
13-3 run to open up a 25-15 lead near the end of the half.
Katrina
Selsor (Fr., Glenwood Springs, Colo.) nearly took down
a double-double in the first half alone, ending the half with eight
point and seven rebounds. She ended the night with 14 points
and eight boards
The second half, though, belonged to the strong play at post by
Caitlyn
Jewell (Sr., Pagosa Springs, Colo.). Jewell had
one of her top games of her career, knocking down a team-high 16
points. A number of Jewell's points was set up by Kendall Babler
(So., Rifle, Colo.), who came through with four steals,
part of the Pack's 15 steals overall.
Defensively, the ThunderWolves were stout, overcoming a 37-25
disadvantage on the glass by forcing 22 turnovers. The
ThunderWolves' perimeter defense was also tough, holding the
Grizzlies to an 0-for-7 night from beyond the arc.
Now in sole possession of second place in the RMAC West
Division, the ThunderWolves will seek to put an exclamation point
on their weekend when they host the number-six team in the nation
in Fort Lewis Saturday night.
