Cailyn Crocker drills game-winning 3-pointer as CSU women’s basketball picks up important win over Wyoming
FORT COLLINS — As Colorado State coach Ryun Williams said postgame, welcome to February.
The stretch run is underway for all college basketball teams across the country and the CSU women kicked it off with a bang.
On Saturday, the Rams did something it hadn’t done all season — win a close game.
Williams’ team was 0-6 in games decided by five points or less heading into their first Border War matchup of the season and this just seemed like the perfect opportunity.
With the game tied up at 63 in the final seconds and with everyone inside Moby Arena on their feet, junior guard Cailyn Crocker made sure everyone left happy.
“Welcome to the Border War,” Williams said postgame. “It’s always that type of game. They’re pretty experienced over there, so we knew they were going to come in here really ready to go and I thought our kids showed a lot of fight today. Nothing’s ever easy when you play a game like this. To come out on top in a game like this, which we haven’t done yet, [I’m] really proud of our kids.”
Colorado State senior guard McKenna Hofschild (4) surveys the defense during the second quarter of a game against Wyoming on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
Just like the entire Wyoming team did on the game-winning play, the attention around this Rams team has surrounded senior guard McKenna Hofschild.
The 5-foot-5 Minnesota native may not be the most intimidating player upon first glance, but it only takes a few possessions to understand how good she is.
After a 25-point game against Wyoming that featured a perfect 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line, Hofschild is now averaging over 21 points per game this season, nearly four points per game higher than the next closest player in the conference.
A good reason she’s likely headed toward Mountain West Player of the Year honors in a few weeks was illustrated on the game’s final play.
Hofschild is also by far the conference’s leader in assists and wasn’t hesitant to give the ball up in the final seconds.
The pass to Crocker wound up being her ninth assist on an afternoon where every one of them counted.
Colorado State senior forward Kendyll Kinzer (0) looks at the scoreboard during the second quarter of a game against Wyoming on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
This was an important win for the Rams, who now sit tied for second in the conference with San Diego State and coincidentally, Wyoming. With just two of their final six games coming at home, they’ll need every ounce of momentum they can get.
“We’re walking off the court with smiles on our faces and you’re feeling good and it just grows a belief that you can finish,” Williams said. “That’s how it is in February and March, in conference play and in the conference tournament. You’re going to see a lot of games like that. Our kids are playing good basketball. Even in our tough losses, we’ve played pretty good. Just proud that we got this done today for our fans.”
COLORADO STATE 66, WYOMING 63
WHAT HAPPENED: The Colorado State women’s basketball team (15-8, 8-4 MW) won the first iteration of the Border War series this season against Wyoming (15-8, 8-4) by a final of 66-63 on Saturday afternoon at Moby Arena. McKenna Hofschild, the leading scorer in the Mountain West, led the way with 25 points and 9 assists, but it was Cailyn Crocker who delivered the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds. Crocker finished with 12 points, despite playing much of the game in foul trouble.
STAR OF THE NIGHT: Despite another excellent performance from Hofschild, senior forward Kendyll Kinzer played arguably the biggest role in the win for CSU. She finished with 17 points and made a few big 3-pointers down the stretch, but it was her defense against a taller Cowgirls squad that was just as important.
QUOTABLE: “We just wanted to win. I told McKenna at the timeout that we were all going to be ready because we knew they were all going to collapse on her. I just wanted to do something that could help the team.” — Crocker on her game-winning shot
UP NEXT: The Rams won’t play another home game for two weeks as they hit the road for three straight games. The first comes on Thursday at 9 p.m. against San Jose State.
Colorado State junior guard Cailyn Crocker waits to take a free throw during the second quarter Saturday against Wyoming at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
