PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team struggled shooting the ball from the 3-point line as the ThunderWolves saw its four-game winning streak snapped with a 64-56 setback to Westminster College in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at Massari Arena.
With the setback, CSU Pueblo fell to 8-5 overall and 5-2 in the RMAC, while Westminster improved to 7-6 overall and 5-2 in the league. Despite the loss, which was the first for the Pack since a 76-71 setback at Colorado Christian on Dec. 3, CSU Pueblo remains in a tie for second place in the league standings.
In Saturday's game, which came 24 hours after the Pack picked up 67-66 home win over Colorado Mesa, the ThunderWolves were 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) from the 3-point line, including a 2-for-11 effort from downtown in the second half.
Graduate student forward
Charisse Fairley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Fresno State) paced the Pack with her second straight double-double as she had 13 points and 11 rebounds. The only other CSU Pueblo player in double figures was graduate student guard
JaNaiya Davis (Hewitt, Texas/Midway), who tallied 11 points. Sophomore guard
Landri Hudson (Aurora, Colo./Wyoming) just missed double digits as she scored nine points.
CSU Pueblo got off to a strong start in Saturday's contest as they scored nine of the first 11 points to lead 9-2 a little more than three minutes into the game and led 14-9 after the first quarter. In the period, CSU Pueblo made four of its 13 3-point attempts as they shot 33 percent from the field and held Westminster to 27 percent shooting from the field.
The Griffins won the second period 22-14 to take a 31-28 lead at the half. In the period, CSU Pueblo led 17-13 just 62 seconds into the quarter, Westminster used an 11-3 run to take a 25-19 lead. The Pack responded with a 6-2 run to pull within 27-25, before the Griffins closed the half by scoring four of the final seven points.
Westminster shot 75 percent from the field and 67 percent from the 3-point line in the second quarter, while CSU Pueblo shot 46 percent from the field and 28.6 percent (2-for-7) from the 3-point line.
The Griffins opened the third quarter on a 7-3 run to push out to a 38-31 lead and led 41-35 with 3:50 left in the period when the Pack closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 43 heading into the final period. The closing run was aided by back-to-back baskets from junior forward
Teona Pop Stojanova (Skopje, Macedonia/Dodge City CC).
CSU Pueblo would retake the lead just 14 seconds into the fourth quarter in a lay-up by Davis, but the Griffins responded with a 7-2 run to take a 50-47 lead with 5:43 left in the quarter. The Pack, though, used a 6-0 run capped by back-to-back baskets from Davis to take a 53-50 lead.
That lead, though, would be shortlived as the Griffins used a 12-0 run to push out to a 62-53 lead with 32 seconds left. After Davis connected on a trey with 15 seconds left to drop the deficit to 62-56, Ashley Greenwood capped the scoring with two free throws with 11 seconds left to seal the win.
Margarita Satini paced Westminster with 19 points, while Lyndzi Rich and Greenwood each scored 13 points in the win. Greenwood also added a game-high 17 rebounds.
For the game, CSU Pueblo shot 35 percent (23-for-65) from the field and shot just two free throws in the game as they were 2-for-2 from the line. Westminster shot 49 percent from the field and 26 percent from the 3-point line. The Griffins were 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) at the free throw line.
Westminster held a 39-31 edge on the boards, but CSU Pueblo had nine offensive rebounds that led to 11 second chance points.
CSU Pueblo committed 11 turnovers, but Westminster scored 15 points off those 11 turnovers. The Griffins had 13 turnovers in the game and blocked three shots.
The Pack will look to get back in the win column this coming Friday, Jan. 6 as they travel to Golden, Colo., for a 5 p.m. game against Colorado School of Mines, who is 10-1 overall and 6-0 in the RMAC.
