Photo Courtesy of ASC Sports Information Desk: Chloe Cable
Reggie Thompson
The Paw Print
The Adams State women’s basketball team held their home opener against conference rival Colorado State University-Pueblo on Friday night in Plachy Hall to kick of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, the ThunderWolves came to win and did just that with a 67-57 victory.
Adams State fell to 1-4 and 0-1 in the conference with the loss, which turned out to be the team’s first loss at home since January 29, ending a five game home winning streak and an eight game regular season conference streak.
The two teams were neck and neck consistently, tying six total times.
Senior forward Chloe Cable(Glendale, Ariz.) and freshman Caitlin Boal (Albuquerque, N.M.) led the Grizzlies offensively by both putting up double-doubles. Cable accounted for 24 points and 14 rebounds while Boal added 13 points and 11 boards. Cable did her best to keep the Grizzlies within reach in the second half, scoring 14 points and 8 rebounds in the second half alone.
The Thunderwolves countered with all ten players contributing at least one point and three players reaching double figures, led by guard Alex Evans with 18 points.
The foul line was key to CSU- Pueblo’s win. The Thunderwolves were 14-of-20 (70%) and the Grizzlies struggled to get to the line and convert going just 8 for 13.
2011-12 got off to a good start for the Grizzlies, beating Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies in the season opener, but since, the team hit a rough patch, losing four straight.
The following night, the losing streak ended with another conference game against the Mountain Lions of University of Colorado- Colorado Springs to the tune of a 16-point halftime lead on the way to claiming a 66-49 RMAC triumph.
Adams State now holds a 2-4 overall record this season and 1-1 in the RMAC whereas UCCS falls to 4-3 overall, and are winless to begin of conference play.
The Grizzlies were outstanding from beyond the arc. Boal hit 4-5 from the three-point line in just the first half, notching 16 of her 22 points before the break. Boal certainly did not do it alone offensively.
Cable scored 13 points with eight rebounds and Marissa Petersen (Santa Fe, N.M.) registered 16 points and seven boards.
Good defensive play was the goal for the Grizzlies and, in the first half, they succeeded, allowing just 21 points. ASC challenged UCCS on each shot, forcing them to shoot a disappointing 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from the field. Conversely, in the first half Adams State shot efficiently hitting 13-of-22 from the field (59.1 percent) and very effective with the three-ball, going 5-for-7.
Peterson kept the Grizzlies afloat in the second half, as they fought off the Mountain Lions’ attempts to rally back. She was perfect in going 6-for-6 from the free throw line and 2-of-2 from the field for 10 points.
Free throws were the Grizzlies downfall last night against CSU-Pueblo, going just 8-for-13 from the stripe. Their fortunes reversed Saturday as they went 17-of-20 (85.0 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Grizzlies will wrap up their quick 3-game home stand next Saturday night when they host 4th-ranked Fort Lewis at 6 p.m. in Plachy Hall, preceding an 8 p.m. men’s game. The Skyhawks are off to a 5-1 start this season and are 2-0 in the RMAC after topping Colorado State-Pueblo, 71-61, in Durango on Saturday. Picked as the favorites in the RMAC in the preseason poll while receiving nine of 13 possible first place votes, FLC also boasts this year’s RMAC Preseason Player of the Year in senior forward Dana Schreibvogel.
Fort Lewis claimed both regular season meetings between the two teams last season, but the Grizzlies scored a win over the then No. 5 and regionally top-ranked Skyhawks in March during the NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament by a 77-66 tally in overtime.
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