Rams wear down UNM women in late-night TV contest

Tuesday night was all about efficiency in the Pit.

Colorado State was all of that and then some, wearing down the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team 69-63 in a late-night, nationally televised game.

The Rams ran a clinic on offense, working the ball patiently for open shots, getting to the foul line frequently and never giving the Lobos a chance to mount an extended run. CSU’s Ronsiek sisters, Hannah and Emma, combined for 33 points and the Rams avenged an earlier loss to the Lobos in Fort Collins.

There was no UNM meltdown quarter this time. The Lobos battled gamely and stayed within striking distance until the final minutes. But UNM simply couldn’t match the Rams’ offensive efficiency.

Colorado State (16-7, 7-3 Mountain West) shot 48% from the field, got to the foul line 19 times and had just 9 turnovers. UNM shot 41.7%, was just 2-for-6 from the foul line and had 14 turnovers.

“Give CSU credit, they’re really good offensively,” Lobos coach Mike Bradbury said. “In the first half we made some mistakes, let them get way too comfortable and they got out front. We were a lot better in the second half, but we just couldn’t reel them in.”

Destinee Hooks paced the Lobos with 16 points, while Joana Magalhães scored 12. But Colorado State slowed the Lobos by swarming senior Viané Cumber virtually everywhere she went. Cumber scored six points on 2-for-6 shooting and rarely had any looks at the basket.

Bradbury was relatively satisfied with his team’s offensive performance. UNM went 11-for-22 from 3-point range and got the ball to the basket regularly. The Lobos did not convert as well as the Rams did, however, missing numerous layups and not getting nearly as many free-throw opportunities.

“Better,” Bradbury said. “Offensively, we got the ball in the paint more often than last game, and we got better shots. We turned it over a little too much, though, and didn’t quite make enough shots around the basket.”

For the second straight game, UNM spent the evening playing catch-up. The Rams came out blazing hot, jumping to a 21-13 lead, and effectively fought off one Lobo comeback try after another.

CSU also made the Lobos spend long stretches on the defensive end, working the ball patiently as the shot clock wound down. Frequently, the Rams’ long possessions ended with a layup.

“It is tough when teams want to take the whole shot clock,” said UNM’s Alyssa Hargrove. “It’s a smart approach, making us play defense like that. We probably need to answer and take the whole shot clock on them a little more often.”

UNM, which was an icy 3-for-29 from 3-point range in Saturday’s loss to San Diego State, was more dialed in Tuesday. Hargrove and Paris Lauro hit late 3’s in the second quarter and CSU led 41-36 at intermission.

But the Rams, who shot 53% in the first half, were able to keep up the pace in the third quarter. UNM hit eight 3s in the first half, but just one in the third quarter as CSU built its lead to 58-45.

UNM continued to battle in the fourth, twice trimming the deficit to eight points. But CSU hit the key shots when it needed them, and forced a few key turnovers to seal the win away.

The Lobos (13-11, 6-5) get no breaks in the schedule and will travel to face first-place UNLV on Saturday at 3 p.m.

RAMS 69, LOBOS 63

COLORADO STATE (16-7, 7-3 Mountain West): Headrick 3-5 2-2 9, E Ronsiek 6-17 3-6 16, Leimane 2-8 0-0 4, H Ronsiek 5-8 5-6 17, Simental 6-9 0-2 14, Froebe 4-6 1-3 9, Fife 0-1 0-0 0, Carlson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 26-54 11-19 69.

NEW MEXICO (13-11,6-5 Mountain West): Joaquim 1-3 0-0 2, Hooks 7-13 0-0 16, Hargrove 3-9 0-0 9, Magalhães 5-13 0-2 12, Cumber 2-6 0-0 6, Lauro 1-3 0-0 3, Padilla 3-7 1-2 8, Moreland 3-6 1-2 7, Langermann 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-60 2-6 63.

Colorado State 25 16 17 11 -- 69

New Mexico 23 13 9 18 -- 63

3-point FGs: CS 6-17 (Headrick 1-2, E Ronsiek 1-5, Leimane 0-2, H Ronsiek 2-3, Simental 2-4, Froebe 0-1); NM 11-22 (Joaquim 0-1, Hooks 2-3, Hargrove 3-4, Magalhães 2-4, Cumber 2-4, Lauro 1-3, Padilla 1-2, Moreland 0-1). Rebounds: CS 30 (Headrick 3, E Ronsiek 8, Leimane 7, H Ronsiek 4, Simental 2, Froebe 2, Fife 1); NM 38 (Joaquim 5, Hooks 1, Hargrove 3, Magalhães 4, Cumber 8, Lauro 7, Moreland 5). Assists: CS 15 (Headrick 1, E Ronsiek 5, Leimane 5, H Ronsiek 2, Froebe 1, Fife 1); NM 16 (Hooks 1, Hargrove 8, Magalhães 3, Cumber 2, Padilla 2). Steals: CS 8 (E Ronsiek 1, Leimane 1, H Ronsiek 1, Simental 5); NM 4 (Hargrove 2, Padilla 2). Blocks: CS 7 (Headrick 2, Leimane 3, H Ronsiek 1, Froebe 1); NM 5 (Hargrove 1, Lauro 1, Moreland 2, Langermann 1). Turnovers: CS 9, NM 14. Team fouls: CS 8, NM 14. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

UNM women’s basketball falls to Colorado State: Photos