Rams Outlast Broncos in MW Quarterfinals

Monday, March 6

Las Vegas, Nev.

8:30 p.m. MT

Boise State

17-16,11-7Mountain West

Colorado State

20-10,12-6Mountain West

Boise St.

Colorado St.

3/6/2023 11:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

LAS VEGAS – Colorado State used a late fourth-quarter spurt to defeat Boise State, 59-52, in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament, Monday.

Abby Muse came out the gate scoring the first six points for the Broncos (17-16). With the game tied at eight, Natalie Pasco and Mary Kay Naro hit back-to-back 3-pointers as Boise State led 14-10 after one.

Trista Hull opened the second quarter with a pair of free throws to extend the lead to six, but the Rams (20-10) responded with an 8-0 run to retake the lead. Pasco added eight points in the quarter to weather the storm as the two teams entered the locker room tied at 26.

Colorado State outscored the Broncos 9-3 to open the second half to take a six-point lead at the media timeout. Boise State locked down defensively, spurring a 9-0 run late in the quarter to take a five-point lead. The Rams cut into the deficit, scoring the quarter's final four points as the Broncos held a 43-42 lead.

The Rams scored the first five points of the quarter to take a four-point lead with 6:44 left. Colorado State maintained a two-possession lead until Mya Hansen hit a critical step back 3-pointer with 2:33 on the clock to cut the lead to 52-50. McKenna Hofschild scored four straight points, allowing the Rams to extend their advantage to six and secure the win from the free throw line.

Top Broncos

- Natalie Pasco shot 3-of-5 from long range to finish with a team-high 15 points.
- Abby Muse notched her ninth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
- Mary Kay Naro recorded eight points and five rebounds on the night. The junior shot 3-of-6 from the field.

Notables

- The Broncos finish the season with a winning record, the 30th winning-season in program history.
- Natalie Pasco scored 15 or more points five times on the season and notched double figures 13 times.
- Pasco also hit three 3-pointers, the fifth time this season the freshman has made three or more shots from deep.
- Abby Muse recorded the 21st double-double of her career.
- Boise State scored 16 second chance points, compared to Colorado State's eight

Quotables

"I thought it was a good game. We played hard and they played hard. We had a tough quarter in the fourth and it was a bad time to have a tough quarter. We really struggled scoring the ball, but I was really proud of our effort. It was a great game." – head coach Gordy Presnell

"I have a lot of optimism about the future of our program. This is a group of kids that just won eight out of the last 11. They're all back if they want to be back for two more years. We have a chance to do some things. I really care about them and I love them. I'm going to miss seeing them every day. I think our future is really bright and I'm really proud of them." - Presnell