Pack's shooting woes continue in loss to Mesa

PUEBLO, Colo. - Just a week ago, it seemed unimaginable that ThunderWolves head coach, Kip Drown, would take the coaching approach of "throwing everything on the wall and seeing what sticks."

Saturday night against Mesa State, nearly nothing seemed to stick as the Pack lacked consistency and rhythm for the second consecutive game, losing 81-67 to an amped up Mavericks squad.

The game was practically over before it began, as Mesa State jumped out to a 14-2 lead while the ThunderWolves were 1-for-9 from the field to start the game. The Pack nearly climbed back into the game, going on a 10-2 run to get within four, 16-12, before Mesa State pulled away and never looked back.

In attempts to get anything to work, Drown tried countless combinations on the floor, looking for anybody to give the team a spark. As a result, the Pack had only one player, Michelle Ambuul, who logged over 30 minutes of floor time. Overall, aside from small, isolated spurts here and there, the ThunderWolves never got in any real rhythm and posed a real threat to the Mavericks.

"In the first half, [Mesa State] really came out ready to play," Drown said. "We were trying put anybody in to give us some fire."

No matter how much fire the ThunderWolves could have conceivably created, it was no match for the Mavericks' two-headed monster of Kelsie Gourdin and all-conference standout, Brittany Fowler. Fowler buried five threes and scored 21 points. Gourdin added 21 as well, absolutely dominating on the post.

"Brittany really is an outstanding player, and I have to take my hat off to Mesa State for playing an outstanding game," Drown said. "But we just weren't playing at the same level we had been prior to this weekend's games and we didn't have an answer to them."

The loss, the Pack's second straight, suddenly changes the face of what was turning into a dominant season. The loss drops them to 14-7 overall or 8-5 in RMAC play, and down to third place in the RMAC West Division. Mesa State surges to second place in the division with the win, despite only having an 11-10 overall record. It sets the stage for a four-game road trip the next few weeks before the Pack comes back to town Feb. 22.

"We've really got to turn it around during the next games," Drown said. "It really puts us behind the 8-ball. Hopefully, this will be a real wake up call for us."

The Pack will have a short layover before heading to Alamosa Tuesday to take on the Adams State Grizzlies.