DENVER, Colo. (February 28, 2015) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo women's basketball team cut a 26-point halftime deficit to just five points late in the game, but strong free-throw shooting in the final minutes by the Regis Rangers gave the home team a 73-61 win. Despite the loss, the ThunderWolves will host a RMAC Shootout quarterfinal game Tuesday night at Massari Arena. More details on the game will be released later tonight.
CSU-Pueblo concludes the regular season with a 16-10 overall record and a 14-8 mark in league play. Regis improves to 16-10 on the year, including a 12-10 record in conference action.
The Rangers finished the game with a 43.4 percent (23-of-53) mark from the field, including a 40.9 percent (9-for-22) ledger from beyond the 3-point arc. For the ThunderWolves, they shot 21-of-56 (37.5 percent) from the field and struggled from deep, making just 3-of-23 (12.0 percent) attempts from 3-point land.
CSU-Pueblo held the slight edge in rebounding, 36-35, and in blocks, 3-0, while Regis owned the advantage in assists, 9-8, and steals, 8-6. The ThunderWolves finished with a 31-18 advantage in the paint and 24-16 edge in points off turnovers. The Rangers dominated bench play, outscoring the visitors, 20-4.
Ashley Piper (Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa) finished the game with her team-leading fifth double-double of the season for the Pack. The junior tallied 25 points and hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds.
Katie Nehf (C, Broomfield, Colo.) and Angie Moore (So., C, Katy, Texas) both finished in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Nehf added a game-high three blocks and two steals.
Regis' Caresse Williams paced a trio of double-figure scorers with 23 points. Bay'lee Purdy and Jessica Ramos chipped in with 15 points each.
Both teams traded baskets early, and after a Piper layup with 6:37 elapsed in the contest, the ThunderWolves trailed by two, at 12-10.
The remainder of the first half was all Regis. The home team outscored the Pack 32-8 over the final 13:05 to take a 44-18 lead into the intermission.
Trailing by 26, CSU-Pueblo began to chip away at the deficit early in the second half. A jump shot by Dee Arrieta (Jr., Pueblo West, Colo.) at the 15:26 mark cut the Rangers' lead to 20, at 47-27.
The comeback attempt continued as the ThunderWolves pulled to within 15, at 52-37, after a pair of free throws by Tuileisu Anderson (Fr., Vancouver, Wash.) with 10:07 remaining in the contest.
After the Anderson free throws, CSU-Pueblo reeled off a 13-3 scoring run over the next 5:06 to draw within five points, at 55-50. Piper capped the spurt with a layup at the 5:01 mark.
The five points was as close as the Pack got the rest of the way as the Rangers used an 8-1 burst to regain control of the contest, at 63-51, with 3:13 showing on the game clock.
A layup by Arabella DeAngelis (Fr., G, Plano, Texas) with just under a minute remaining trimmed the deficit back to single digits, at 65-57.
Regis put the game away with strong free-throw shooting down stretch, making 10-of-12 attempts to seal the 73-61 victory.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
