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Hunter nets 41 in triple-overtime thriller Rams fall to San Francisco 101-96
Nov. 13, 2007
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -Senior guard Sara Hunter scored a career high 41 points, but it was not enough as Colorado State (0-2) fell in triple overtime to San Francisco (1-1), 96-101. The Rams dropped the home-opening in front of 1,007 at Moby Arena. "That game showed us what our team can do," commented Hunter. "Everyone's heart was in it, we just need to come out on top next time. This team showed a lot of heart." San Francisco took an early 8-2 lead with six points coming from Katie Mihalco who had two of her four three point field goals in the first two minutes. Rams head coach Jen Warden quickly called time-out to get the Rams back on track. The team responded with a 9-0 run over the next 3:30 to take the lead. The Dons were able to tie the game twice in the first half but the Rams took a two point lead, 36-34, with them at halftime. Hunter led all scorers with eleven points. The Dons struck first in the second half with a jumper from Lisa Olden, but the Rams responded with a six minute, 15-4 run, to take a 51-40 lead with 13 minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Dons answered as they went on a 17-7 run led by forward Dominique Carter who scored 9 during the stretch, to cut the Rams' lead to one, 58-57, with 2:30 left in the second half. Hunter, and San Francisco's Heidi Heintz exchanged jumpers, and junior forward Britney Minor added a pair of free throws to give CSU a 62-59 lead with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. Mihalco sent the game to overtime with another 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the game.
The first overtime saw both teams trading baskets. With 55 seconds remaining the Rams were down four, 75-71, when Hunter was able two score two free throws to bring the Rams within two. With 35 seconds left Sophomore Juanise Cornell stole the ball and with 11 seconds left Carine Reimink tied the game for the Rams. San Francisco guard Shay Rollins was unable to convert a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining, sending the game into a second overtime. In the second overtime San Francisco again went ahead early and was up by 7 with 1:56 remaining. However, Hunter once again answered the call with two 3-pointers in the final minute of the period to tie the contest at 82. After a foul by CSU's Minor, Rollins went to the line again with a chance to win the game for the Dons but missed on the front end of a one-and-one, sending the game into a third overtime. The scoring went back and forth in the third overtime but San Francisco's Necolia Simmons proved to be too much on the block for the Rams as she scored nine points to lead the Dons to a win. Simmons had 15 of her 24 points in the overtimes and teammate Heidi Heintz contributed 15 in the overtimes to finish with 23 points. The Rams were led in scoring by Hunter with 41 points. 24 of her points came from beyond the arc (8-for-20). Her eight 3-pointers tied a CSU single-game record. "Sara was Sara tonight," commented Head Coach Jen Warden. She did what her team needed her to do and that's what Sara Hunter does." Freshman Elle Queen had 16 with 11 rebounds and Junior Carine Reimink had 15 points with 10 rebounds. Freshman Juanise Cornell added 11 rebounds 9 in the second period and overtime. Kandy Beemer went 4-for-11 from 3-point distance and had 14 total points. Next for the Rams hit the road to face the UMKC Kangaroos. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT/ 1 p.m. MT on Saturday at the Swinney Recreation Center in Kansas City, Mo. |
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