PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - Dec. 8, 2012) - All year long, the ThunderWolves' game has been to dominate the post and trap defenders to ensure wins.
Saturday, Metro State beat the Pack at its own game.
Relying on tenacious rebounding chiefly from undersized guards, Metro State upended the ThunderWolves 54-43 to hand the Pack its first RMAC loss of the season.
The first half was all about taking advantage of mistakes - and the fact that CSU-Pueblo barely ever took advantage of a Metro mishap.
Despite forcing seven Roadrunner turnovers in the first half, the Pack didn't register a single point off turnovers.
And though the CSU-Pueblo defense was solid, holding the Roadrunners to just 24 percent shooting in the first half, it was killed on the offensive glass as the Roadrunners took down 13 offensive boards - which equaled the Pack's total defensive output. As a result, CSU-Pueblo trailed 18-15 at the break.
As the second half began, the offensive output of both squads opened up considerably, but a ThunderWolf comeback was made even tougher by a 6-0 Metro State run to open the half, giving the Roadrunners a 24-15 lead.
The ThunderWolves responded well, though, hitting its first three of the game after seven missed tries as Katie Nehf (So., Broomfield, Colo.) drained a trey from the top of the key, and suddenly the Pack's confidence level rose, going on a 9-2 run that equalized the game at 26-24.
But Metro would maintain its lead and slowly extend it, hitting five straight field goals and going up 40-31 with 6:34 left. Being close enough to flirt with a double-digit lead forced the Pack to foul, and the ThunderWolves couldn't close the gap down the stretch.
The ThunderWolves were led by their post players, Laurel Kearsley (Sr., Victor, Idaho), who had 18 points, and Nehf, who scored 11, but the rest of the ThunderWolves only scored a combined 14 points.
The loss becomes crucial as CSU-Pueblo loses out on a chance to keep pace with 25th-ranked Colorado Mesa at the top of the RMAC standings, falling to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in RMAC play.
CSU-Pueblo will go on the road next weekend, travelling to New Mexico to take on Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands.
