Fort Collins – The game began with the focus on the two new coaches. It quickly shifted to the two most pertinent players on the floor, Vanessa Espinoza of Highlands Ranch and Whitney Law of Littleton, veteran point guards going head-to-head in a game-long tug-of-war.
But in the end, it was junior backup center Marilyn Moulton of Longmont who rescued the Colorado State women at Moby Arena on Wednesday night against Colorado in the 37th game of their in-state rivalry.
With Moulton scoring five of the last six points for the Rams and forcing a final turnover by the Buffs, CSU ended its three-game losing streak to CU in an 86-83 victory that wasn’t secured until the final play of the game.
Rallying from an 11-point deficit with 2:13 left, the Buffs called a timeout with 10 seconds left to set up a three-point play. But when CU guard Lauren Lubin made her move at the top of the arc, Moulton jumped out to guard her, and Lubin lost the ball off the center’s foot – the 23rd turnover of the game by the Buffs.
“That’s the best I’ve ever felt after a game,” Moulton said.
“How big was Marilyn from start to finish?” asked CSU coach Jen Warden, a former CU player and assistant coach facing her former team for the first time. “She made that big shot on the offensive end, then she stepped out hard and forced that turnover at the other end.
“Marilyn and Vanessa, clearly, we rode their shoulders tonight. That’s the best game I’ve ever seen Vanessa play.”
Espinoza, the 5-foot-4 spark plug for the Rams (3-1) for the past two seasons, finished as the game’s top scorer with 23 points, one more than her former club-team teammate, Law. Espinoza had three 3-pointers, including the one that started a 14-6 run that put the Rams ahead 57-48 with 12:10 to play.
The Buffs (2-3) hung tough behind Law and center Jackie McFarland, but Moulton made it 82-71 with 2:13 left on a power drive, giving the Rams just enough cushion to ride out the late CU rally led by Lubin and Law.
“I just didn’t want to lose; I’m a senior,” Law said. “We had a chance, but we were playing catch-up all night, and you just can’t do that against a good team. Vanessa was great. She knows how to run her team.”
For Espinoza, who also had five assists and two steals, it was an inspired performance.
“Every year we’ve been getting beat by them, and tonight it was like, ‘No more,”‘ she said.
New CU coach Kathy McConnell-Miller was proud that her team never gave up, but was disappointed with the final play.
“That should not happen,” she said.
Joseph Sanchez can be reached at 303-820-5458 or jsanchez@denverpost.com.
