LAS VEGAS — The Colorado State women’s basketball team we saw during the regular season showed up at the Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinals.
The 4-28 Rams extended their fame from Tuesday’s monumental upset of 12th ranked Utah for about 4 1/2 minutes Friday. As soon as New Mexico awoke for the noon tip-off on Dionne Marsh’s go-ahead shot with 14:31 left in the first half, the Rams never came closer than 10 points in New Mexico’s 65-41 victory.
New Mexico beat CSU twice in the regular season by an average of 29 points.
It was the final game for senior Sara Hunter who denied an even bigger Lobos blowout with her 15 points, but this team’s future could be bright. The Rams will return everyone else next season and CSU coach Jen Warden immediately turned her attention to the Class 4A girls championship game where CSU signee Meghan Heimstra of Silver Creek played.
“I think this is a young talented program that’s kind of playing beyond their years right now, not because they want to but because they have to,” Warden said.
New Mexico coach Don Flanagan, who runs an established program on the cusp of its seventh consecutive NCAA bid, opened his remarks praising the Rams.
“For a team that did not win a game throughout the regular (conference) season, they had a terrific tournament,” Flanagan said. “They played very, very hard.”
Hunter helped get CSU within 10 points, which made Flanagan nervous.
“My career’s been anything and everything that I would have wanted it to be. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to finish it with,” Hunter said.
Former Heritage standout Amanda Adamson, came off the bench for the Lobos to answer with a three-pointer to spark a modest 6-2 rally for more breathing room.
New Mexico, the No. 4 seed at 19-12, is the defending tournament champ and on the bubble of a seventh consecutive NCAA appearance.
Natalie Meisler: (303) 954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
