Reggie Thompson
The Paw Print
Adams State’s women’s basketball team put up a remarkable 51 points in the second half to pull off a convincing 77-57 win on Tuesday night against the Mavericks of Mesa State College to kick off the 2011 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout and earn the team’s first postseason victory since 1992.
Mavericks’ redshirt sophomore guard Sharaya Selsor started with the game’s first five points. From there, the Grizzlies answered with a 14-0 as the Mavs went scoreless for nearly 11 minutes. Adams State then began to struggle offensively. In the first half, the team shot 10-29 (34.5%) of their field goals. Mesa State continued to play hard in the first and the half ended with the score being 26-23.
The Grizzlies’ issues on offense faded early on in the second half. With 16 and a half minutes in remaining in the second half, they began their 21-3 run that ended with a 20 point lead over their opponents. ASC easily won the field goal percentage battle in this half as they went 14-25 from the floor (56.0%) compared to Mesa State’s 9-25 (36.0%).
Adams State’s all-time career points leader, senior guard Vera Jo Bustos reached another milestone when her four three-point shots put her at a total 260 three-pointers made for her career, which is also an ASC best. Bustos scored 22 points as a result of a strong 9-15 (60.0%) overall field goal percentage and tied fellow Adams State senior guard Crystal Loch, who was also a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. Yet another senior, guard/forward Kendra Coveal gave a full, competitive effort earning 18 points and led both sides with nine total rebounds and five steals.
The Grizzlies are riding a nine game winning streak into Pueblo, where they are set to play the Metropolitan State Roadrunners in the semifinals. The Roadrunners, led by the RMAC Coach of the Year, Tanya Haave, first team All-RMAC forward Cassondra Bratton, and second team All-RMAC guard Jasmine Cervantes, are the number one seed in the tournament that coasted through a 70-50 win over Western State on Tuesday. They are an overall dominant team that is ranked #10 in the NCAA Division II national polls. Metro State has 26 wins to just one loss this season, which is the best in the school’s history, and they are on a streak of their own; the Roadrunners have won 18 consecutive games at home. In their one meeting this season, the Grizzlies were edged out by the Roadrunners in a 54-53 loss.
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. on Friday March 4 at the Colorado State Fair Events Center in Pueblo, CO. The first 200 Adams State College students that arrive with valid student I.D.s will be able to enter the game for free.
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