BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE | COACH JIMENEZ POSTGAME COMMENTS
SEASIDE, Calif. — Senior guard
Erika Ward (Simi Valley/Ventura College) drained a school–record six three–pointers, the Otter defense set a school record with 15 steals and the Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team lead wire–to–wire in a 70–67 triumph over Colorado State–Pueblo Thursday night in the opening game of the CSUMB Thanksgiving Shootout at The Kelp Bed.
Ward's six treys broke the previous record of five, set twice by Dana Andrews in the 2008–09 season. Led by Ward's sharpshooting, the Otters tied the school record for threes in a game for the second consecutive game with 11.
Senior forward
Kris King (Simi Valley/Ventura College) added a career–high six steals, one shy Andrews' CSUMB record seven, as the always relentless Otter defense broke the school record of 13 set at San Francisco State on Feb. 18, 2009.
Ward nailed three threes in each half, helping CSUMB (2–0 overall) build a 10–point lead in the first half and a 21–point lead midway through the second. But the Otters got a bit sloppy down the stretch and Pueblo used 11 extra trips to the free–throw line in the second half to chip away at the lead. Although the Thunderwolves never got closer than two possessions of the lead until Jennelle Branting knocked down a three of her own in the final possession, they kept the Otters honest until the final horn.
“This was a good game for us,” said CSUMB Head Coach Renee Jimenez. “Not that we got comfortable, but our new kids have to understand that this is going to be a tough season.”
Jessica Fontenette (Chino Hills/Bishop Amat) knocked down a three, a deuce and a pair of free throws as CSUMB raced to a 12–2 lead out of the gate. The Thunderwolves never got within four points of the lead again until the final buzzer.
Ward banked in a long three at the buzzer to give the Otters a 35–26 lead at the half then hit a three on CSUMB's first possession of the second half. The lead grew to as many as 21 at 55–34 on back–to–back threes by
Holly Holcomb (Ventura/Buena HS) and
Stefanie Corgel (Manhattan Beach/UCSB).
That's when Pueblo began chipping away. The Thunderwolves clawed back to within single digits at 62–53 on a Paige Ramm jumper at the six–minute mark. The Otter lead was just 62–57 when a Ward steal and coast–to–coast layup stemmed the tide and CSUMB rebuilt a 10–point lead inside the final two minutes. Pueblo used a 9–2 run over the last 1:33 to account for the final margin.
Ward led all scorers with a career–high 22 points and five assists. Fontenette added 14 points and four steals.
Branting and Kendall Babler led three players in double figures with 16 points apiece for Pueblo (2–1). Laurel Kearsley added a 10–point, 10–rebound double–double for the Thunderwolves.
Pueblo returns to action Friday afternoon, playing Simon Fraser University in the second game of the CSUMB Thanksgiving Shootout at 1 p.m. The Otters will tipoff against Simon Fraser Saturday at 1 p.m. Admission for both games will be free.
COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO (67)
Kendall Babler 5-12 5-8 16; Jennelle Branting 5-12 4-4 16; Laurel Kearsley 5-13 0-0 10; Katie Nehf 4-6 0-0 8; Paige Ramm 2-7 2-3 6; Alex Evans 2-2 0-0 4; Erica Hicks 0-7 3-4 3; Taylor Fox 0-0 2-2 2; Alexa Ward 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 23-59 18-23 67.
CAL ST. MONTEREY BAY (70)
Erika Ward 8-18 0-0 22;
Jessica Fontenette 4-7 5-6 14;
Holly Holcomb 3-11 0-0 8;
Brandi Stephens 3-8 1-2 7;
Brittani Jefferson 3-6 0-2 6; Brittany Lewis 2-2 0-0 4;
Stefanie Corgel 1-3 0-1 3;
Danielle Padilla 1-4 0-0 3;
Kris King 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 26-62 7-13 70.
Halftime: CSUMB 35-26. 3-point goals--CSUP 3-16 (Branting 2-6; Babler 1-1; Ramm 0-2; Hicks 0-5; Kearsley 0-2), CSUMB 11-32 (Ward 6-12; Holcomb 2-7; Padilla 1-3; Fontenette 1-2; Corgel 1-3; Stephens 0-5). Fouled out--Jeffrerson. Rebounds--CSUP 41 (Kearsley 10), CSUMB 36 (Jefferson 8). Assists--CSUP 11 (Branting 4), CSUMB 18 (Ward 5). Total fouls--CSUP 13, CSUMB 20. Technical fouls--None. A-183
