Dec. 29, 2008

By Danny Mattie
Athletic Media Relations

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Sophomore guard Zoi Simmons posted her first career double-double, tallying  career highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds, but the Colorado State women’s basketball team was unable to hold off a late second-half surge by Texas-San Antonio, falling 67-58 in front of 653 fans at the Convocation Center in the first round of the Wells Fargo New Year’s Classic. 

Colorado State led by as many as nine points after halftime, and held a 52-48 lead with 5:27 left in the game after senior forward Carine Reimink spun on the baseline and converted the layup and the free throw to complete a three-point play. 

The Roadrunners responded by closing the game on a 19-6 run – punctuated by two clutch three-pointers by junior guard Alysse Davis – over the final 5 minutes of action.  UTSA’s leading scorer, senior guard Monica Gibbs, added six of her game-high 22 points from the free-throw line during that stretch to seal the UTSA victory. 

Gibbs added 12 rebounds while Davis finished with 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. 

The Rams jumped out to an early lead to open the game when senior guard Kandy Beemer drained her first three-pointer just 10 seconds into the contest.  Following an 11-3 run that included six points from junior forward Juanise Cornell, the Rams led by eight points, 21-13, midway through the half. 

The Roadrunners answered with nine straight points to take their first lead of the game, 22-21, with 6:39 remaining.  The UTSA advantage would be short-lived, however, as the Rams answered with 12 of the game’s next 18 points – including eight consecutive free throws in the final 2 minutes – to take a 33-28 lead into halftime. 

The Rams continue action at the Wells Fargo New Year’s Classic Tuesday night, facing off against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at 4 p.m. MT.