Eric R. Flores
The Paw Print
In what was a lazy Thanksgiving for many, the Adams State College Women’s basketball team had a full plate of action on Friday and Saturday as they were one of four teams that participated in the 2010 Colorado State-Pueblo Chuck Stephens Classic tournament in Pueblo at Massari Arena.
The Grizzlies were in a thriller on Friday night as they played Drury (Mo.) University in a game that was tied with just 2.3 seconds left in regulation and then won by the Grizzlies, 82-79, in the overtime period. The story of the game for senior guard Vera Jo Bustos was her record-breaking performance of 36 points and eight 3-pointers.
The 36 points was Bustos’ career best and Adams State’s NCAA Division II era single game record. The eight 3-pointers record is now ASC’s new single-game record in available history (1997-98 to present).
Adams State started the game quickly and jumped out to a 14-point lead with 7:25 left in the opening half. Drury was able to close the gap to just one point with just nine seconds remaining in the half before senior Crystal Loch put a layup through as the buzzer sounded and the Grizzlies led 31-28.
The second half started great for the Grizzlies as they were able to match a couple of baskets by Drury and nabbing a 5-point lead with 16:00 left in regulation.
That lead would not last however, as Drury went on a 7-0 run to get a 40-42 lead with 13:50 remaining. The two teams traded baskets with Drury getting 5-point leads twice and the last time being with 2:53 left. The Grizzlies’ high-pressure defense then worked like head coach Kelley Kruger planned and Adams State chipped away at the lead.
With 46 seconds remaining and Drury with a 3-point lead, ASC junior Chloe Cable was injured on a rough foul and Loch was placed into the game to take her free throws. Loch hit the second of two.
Drury got the ball and tried to score to make the lead impossible to tie, however the tough Grizzly defense caused Ja’Nell Jones to miss a jumper that eventually went out of bounds on the rebound and the Grizzlies getting possession.
With Drury all over Bustos so she could not hit a 3-pointer to win the game, Kruger elected to have the ball pass to the hands of Loch who was able to drive and hit the tying layup with 2.3 remaining.
Bustos opened up the overtime period with an electrifying 3-pointer and then was fouled on her next 3-point attempt and nailed all three of the free throws while Loch followed with a jumper of her own and the Grizzlies opened a 7-point gap with 3:43 remaining.
This did not stop Drury from clawing back as they closed the gap to 1 point with 10 seconds left before Loch had a fast break for a layup to seal the deal and the Grizzlies won 82-79.
Because of the 36-point effort by Buston on Friday, she only needed four points to break the previous scoring leader record by Adams State great Meagan Hoffman who tallied 1,378 points during her 2001-05 career.
Bustos nabbed 10 points during the game as the Grizzlies ran away with an 80-56 victory over the University of Dubuque (Iowa) where she tied the record with 5:10 to go and became the D-II era career scoring leader with 3:28 left in the first half.
A trio of ASC starters joined Bustos with double-digits in the game, including senior Kendra Coveal, who posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and junior Kelsie Kruger who put in a career-best 21 points against the Spartans while going 9-of-13 from the field.
Sophomore Jamonica Hudgins (was the fourth Grizzly starter to reach double-digits with 10 points and was 2-for-3 from 3-point range in the game.
Aimee Reyzer also had a strong night for the Spartans, pouring in 16 points and grabbing Dubuque-best five boards.
Adams State continued to pour it on in the second half, as a layup from senior Ruchelle McCracken gave the Grizzlies a 30-point advantage with 6:47 left in the game. McCracken was one of three ASC players with 10 rebounds in the game and scored season-high six points as well.
Turnovers continued to haunt the Grizzlies, who committed 27 in the game, but the Spartans managed to translate ASC miscues into just 11 points as the Grizzly defense held Dubuque to 27.1 percent (16-of-59) shooting in the game.
On Friday the Grizzlies will be back in Pueblo, this time facing the ThunderWolves in both teams’ Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) openers at 6 p.m.
The Grizzlies were 1-2 against CSU-Pueblo last winter, earning a 78-61 at Plachy Hall in their first meeting of the season, but falling 66-49 at Massari Arena on Feb. 12 and again in Plachy Hall on March 2 in the first round of the RMAC Shootout, 70-61.
Adams State will also face UC-Colorado Springs on the opening weekend of league play, travelling to Colorado Springs for a 6 p.m. match-up with the Mountain Lions on Saturday night.
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