PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - Jan. 11, 2013) - Trailing by one score with less than a minute to go, CSU-Pueblo couldn't complete the upset Friday as 8th-ranked Colorado Mesa remained undefeated, winning 70-66.
CSU-Pueblo (9-3 overall, 6-2 RMAC) falls to third place in the RMAC standings following the loss.
Despite the Mavericks' lofty ranking, in the first half, the ThunderWolves did more than just hang with the Mavericks, playing them even most of the way as the game saw five first half lead changes.
Statistically, the ThunderWolves were out-shot, out-rebounded and committed more turnovers than Colorado Mesa, but its saving grace was its foul shooting. The Pack was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe in the first frame, compared to just 3-for-4 for Mesa, as the ThunderWolves stayed close, trailing 36-31 at halftime.
The ThunderWolves began the second half hot, going on a 7-2 run to tie the game up at 38-38, but a quick response by Mesa put the ThunderWolves down again 45-38 and later opened up their lead to as much as nine as the Mavericks would never again surrender the lead.
Despite this, CSU-Pueblo certainly made a game of it and didn't roll over. In fact, far from it.
After staying two to three scores behind the Mavericks, the ThunderWolves received a lucky omen when RMAC scoring leader Kelsey Sigle, who already had scored 21 on the night, fouled out with 5:36 remaining on a controversial charge call, and with the Mavericks' best player out of the lineup, CSU-Pueblo had new life.
The ThunderWolves responded by turning a 61-55 game into a one-point game with 1:27 remaining, trailing 64-63, as the Pack looked to set up a dramatic ending.
Instead of ending with a bang, however, the game spurted to an unsatisfying close.
With 1:02 remaining and Laurel Kearsley (Sr., Victor, Idaho) at the foul line, she missed her final charity as the score remained 64-62. But Taylor Fox (Jr., Santa Cruz, Calif.) came down with a huge offensive rebound as the Pack had the chance to tie or take the lead. But on the ensuing attempt, the three-point try by Tiana Gill (Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.) fell short, and four made free throws down the stretch by Mesa undid the Pack's dreams of victory.
Kearsley led the ThunderWolves and tied for the lead among all scorers with 21 points on the night. Fox added a strong game off the bench with 12 points and eight rebounds. Mesa, meanwhile, had two score over 20 - Sigl with 21 and Sharaya Selsor with 20.
The ThunderWolves will entertain Western State at Massari Arena Saturday night as it again looks for its 10th win of the season.
