CSU-Pueblo's dream falls short vs. Winona State

Pack's dream falls short vs. Winona State

NCAA Division II Central Region Quarterfinal: No. 3 Winona State 78, No. 6 CSU-Pueblo 55

by Anthony Sandstrom, CSU-Pueblo Sports Information Director

MANKATO, Minn. - How can it be wrong when it felt so right?

That is the emotion the ThunderWolves grappled with Friday following its shocking loss to Winona State by a 78-55 score in the NCAA Division II Central Region Quarterfinal, held at Minnesota State University-Mankato in Mankato, Minn.

It wasn't the fact the Pack lost that was so shocking - it was how they lost.

CSU-Pueblo committed 23 turnovers, the second highest turnover total of the season, and were the victim of 17 Winona State steals, the highest number an opponent had logged against the Pack, as CSU-Pueblo was virtually out of the game before the first half was completed.

The ThunderWolves were able to jump out to a 12-7 lead, but lost grip from there when the Pack turnovers started to mount.  CSU-Pueblo committed 14 turnovers in the first half, a season high for most turnovers in a half.

It undid a 46 percent shooting performance by the Pack, but incredible guarding by Winona State assured that the ThunderWolves wouldn't be successful in much else besides shooting.  The Pack was out-boarded 37-25.

Perhaps more telling was the way Winona State shut down CSU-Pueblo's seniors.  Aside from the 11-point peformance by Jonnie Draper (Sr., Littleton, Colo.), Mary Rehfeld (Sr., Juneau, Alaska) was held to five points and Michelle Ambuul (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) was held scoreless.  The ThunderWolves were led in scoring by Rachel Espinoza (So., Pueblo, Colo.) and Amanda Bartlett (So., Kiowa, Colo.), each turning in 13-point efforts.

Meanwhile, four lady Warriors scored in double digits, led  by a 19-point game by Jenny Steffen.

The loss dashed the hopes of the ThunderWolves, who perhaps came into the national playoffs for the first time with the true belief that they were going to win.  In their previous two trips to nationals (vs. North Dakota in 2006, South Dakota in 2008), the ThunderWolves were the eight seed, meaning a loss was nearly pre-destined.

This season, facing a Winona State team that had never qualified for nationals in school history, the stars seemed aligned for the ThunderWolves, but to no avail.

The Pack finishes the season with a 22-9 mark, breaking the school record for wins in a season (21, set by the 2008 team).  The CSU-Pueblo women's basketball team became just the third athletic program in school history to qualify for nationals three times in four years (baseball from 2001-04, wrestling from 1998-01).