Fort Collins – Twelve games into the women’s basketball season, the Colorado State Rams are still trying to find themselves.
But one game into the Mountain West Conference, they find themselves at the top of the standings.
It was not an easy climb against a San Diego State (3-8) team that refused to let the Rams (7-5) pull away. But when the Aztecs’ last, desperate 3-point attempt by star forward Michelle Strawberry missed to the right, CSU had a 68-65 victory.
CSU’s key basket came from senior guard Vanessa Espinoza, who made a 3-pointer from the right wing about 40 seconds earlier. That put the Rams on top 67-62 just after San Diego State’s Veronica Shaw had nailed one from the top of the circle to bring the Aztecs within two.
“It was ugly, but we got the W,” Espinoza said of a game that featured 39 turnovers, 23 by the Rams. “They got a lot of easy buckets, we didn’t box out very well, and they got a lot of O-boards.”
The Rams built leads of at least seven points four times but could never push it beyond that.
“The shots we were taking were the right shots, but they weren’t falling,” new CSU coach Jen Warden said after her first MWC game. “It was clearly gut-check time, and I was pleased we were able to hold on for the win down the stretch. I really have to credit our players for that.
“I get the feeling that we’re about to bust out of the game. I don’t feel that this game was characteristic of our team.”
Espinoza and Sara Hunter took turns guarding Shaw and combined for 25 points (14 by Espinoza). Melissa Dennett (21 points, eight rebounds) outdueled Strawberry underneath.
“We made the game tougher than it needed to be, but I feel like we’re about to bust loose,” Dennett said.
Shaw, in the absence of starting point guard Tamika Lipford (knee sprain), led all scorers with 22 points, mostly on penetration moves and a couple of timely 3-pointers. Her last one set the stage for the tight finish.
“When it’s money time, Espinoza steps up and hits that 3,” San Diego State coach Beth Burns said. “It was a nice play. She got a clean look, stepped back and knocked it down.”
That was the third and final of Espinoza’s 3-pointers, all coming after Aztecs runs.
“That last one was like, ‘Please go in,”‘ she said.
SAN DIEGO STATE (3-8, 0-1 MWC)
Strawberry 5-13 1-2 12, Demus 2-10 0-2 5, Johnson 2-6 3-3 7, Eveland 1-5 2-2 4, Shaw 9-17 2-2 22, Fritz 1-2 0-0 2, Heinrich 3-6 1-2 8, Goldblatt 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 2-2 1-2 5, Green 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-61 10-15 65.
COLORADO STATE (7-5, 1-0 MWC)
Nohr 2-3 3-3 7, Dennett 7-12 7-9 21, Thomas 4-10 0-0 8, Hunter 4-11 2-2 11, Espinoza 4-7 2-2 13, Kramer 0-0 0-0 0, Shepherd 1-4 2-5 4, Moulton 0-1 4-6 4. Totals 22-48 20-27 68.
Halftime – Colorado St. 31-28. 3-point goals – San Diego St. 5-16 (Shaw 2-4, Heinrich 1-1, Strawberry 1-3, Demus 1-5, Fritz 0-1, Eveland 0-2); Colorado St. 4-9 (Espinoza 3-4, Hunter 1-5). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – San Diego St. 31 (Demus, Shaw 7); Colorado St. 38 (Dennett, Thomas 8). Assists – San Diego St. 15 (Eveland 7); Colorado St. 12 (Hunter 6). Total fouls – San Diego St. 21; Colorado St. 12. A – 1,380.
Joseph Sanchez can be reached at 303-820-5458 or jsanchez@denverpost.com.
