Dec. 4, 2004
The University of Texas-Pan American women's basketball team took another hit on the road Saturday (Dec. 4) against Colorado State University who had three players record double figures in the, 77-36, victory over the Lady Broncs.
The Lady Broncs seemed to be unable to handle the pressure of a much bigger CSU squad. CSU scored 32 points inside the paint compared to UTPA's eight and the Rams were dominate on the boards winning the war, 45-30, and leaving UTPA no second chance opportunities. The Lady Broncs recorded a season low eight offensive boards.
"It felt like at times we were just being swallowed inside. For us to be able to get up and down in transition we have to crash the boards hard and we were unable to do that today. They were doing a good job of boxing us out and we were not getting around them," stated head coach DeAnn Craft.
In the first half of play, the Lady Broncs were held to a 25.9 percent shooting performance while CSU shot 48.6 percent. The only offensive spark for the Lady Broncs came from freshman point guard, Kathy Guin (Guthrie OK/Guthrie H.S.), who finished the game with a team high 11 points.
"Kathy shot the ball well for us and was 3-5 from the three point line. She took good shots from the floor and we need that from her," stated Craft.
CSU took the dramatic lead early heading into the locker room up, 42-35, and they were able to sustain the momentum into the second half. A big advantage for the Rams was the 26 point they scored off Lady Bronc turnovers. UTPA finished the game with a season-high of 35 turnovers and was unable to overcome the big lead established by the Rams.
"The points off of turnovers gave them the insurmountable lead and we just never adjusted. This was a very inconsistent effort given by the team tonight. I thought in the first eight minutes of the second half that they were making an effort to play hard, but in the last seven minutes of the game they let this team build an even more dramatic lead," Craft commented.
Junior Dominique Montague (Gilbert, AZ/Central Arizona College) led her team with seven rebounds and six points while Ashley Roberts (Hernando, MS/Butler County C.C.) added another six points to the board and three steals.
The Rams had three players score in double figures and finished the game shooting 43.5 percent from the floor.
"Dominique gave us a good effort on the boards despite the size advantage, and she made some shots for us. It was really their inside play and our turnovers that made the game a big loss for us," Craft said of the defeat.
"We talked about the game in the locker room and the team is really taking the loss hard. I think the way they felt after the game will motivate them to come ready to play on Monday. I know that after this game they are going to be ready to respond," concluded Craft.
The Lady Broncs move to 3-4 on the season and continue play on the road at University of Wyoming on Monday (Dec. 6), tipping off at 7:00 p.m.
UTPA Sports Information
