Pack sluggish on glass in exhibition opener

Colorado State 81, CSU-Pueblo 59 (Exhibition)

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A quick start by CSU-Pueblo vs. Colorado State in the season's exhibition opener Thursday quickly melted away as the Pack lost 81-59.

CSU-Pueblo shot well early on, hitting over 50 percent of their shots midway through the first half as the Pack built a 7-0 lead on the Rams.  But the Rams closed the advantage, going on an 8-2 run get within one, 9-8, and a defensive battle began.

CSU-Pueblo's hot shooting at the outset, however, cooled off considerably as the Pack saw its field goal percentage trend toward the low 30 percent range, playing right into the hands of a strong-rebounding Colorado State team.  At halftime, Colorado State had taken a 32-29 lead, and had out-boarded the ThunderWolves a staggering 32-14, a trend that would continue into the second half.

The Rams opened up a 20-point lead behind the hot shooting of Kim Mestdagh, who nailed seven three-pointers and scored 25 points in a double-double performance.  In the end, the Rams had out-rebounded CSU-Pueblo 64-36, marking the first time since 2003 that a CSU-Pueblo team had allowed its opponent to grab more than 60 rebounds in a game.

The ThunderWolves saw encouraging games out of Katrina Selsor (Fr., Glenwood Springs, Colo.) and Caitlyn Jewell (Sr., Pagosa Springs, Colo.), each of which scored more than 10 points in the game.  Selsor was especially strong in her first collegiate action, scoring 13 and netting three three-pointers. 

CSU-Pueblo will continue its exhibition season next Thursday when it travels to Laramie, Wyo. to take on another Division I opponent, the University of Wyoming.