Last night Colorado State University took on Utah State in the most important game of their season thus far. And with a 91-64 victory, the Rams broke the school record for longest win streak, previously held by the 1998-99 team, with 20 in a row.
And while the Associated Press remains steadfast in their refusal to rank the Rams in their Top-25, they may no longer have a choice; only the top-ranked UConn Huskies hold along win streak.
For coach Ryun Williams, though, none of that matters. Right now, as it has been all season, the only thing on CSU’s mind is their next game.
“I’m proud this team has that (the record), that’s exceptional, and I know we shared that with a really good team,” Williams said. “But we’re 1-0. Tomorrow we’ll be 0-0.”
And really, it’s not that surprising; winning is all these women know.
“I’ve always been on winning teams, so I just have that winning mentality and I want to win every game, I hate losing,”Ellen Nystrom said. “So when coach brought people in here, he wanted to bring people with that winning mentality, so we could turn the program around. The recruiting people did a great job on that, everybody stepped up my freshman year, we just started winning because that’s what we all knew.”
Nystrom, a junior guard from Sweden, leads the Rams in both assists (124) and steals (42), and she leads the entire Mountain West in turnover-to-assist ratio. Led by Nystrom, Colorado State is known for their suffocating defense, where their relentless effort leads to constant turnovers and bad shots for the opposing team. So far, through the first 24 games, the Rams have forced 396 opponent turnovers and 202 steals and have become the seventh-best scoring defense in the nation.
It is behind Colorado State’s defense that the offense has been able to create easy shots, leading to the Rams beating teams by an average of 18.7 per game.
And that offense is led by Jamie Patrick, whose seven three pointers last night set a school record.
“She (Jamie) is playing like a senior right now,” says coach Williams.
With such a deep team, the Rams know that their wins are not just courtesy of one or two great players. Each player is comfortable in her role and plays incredibly in that role.
This team milestone is a result of just that: Team.
Keyora Wharry is a defensive threat, who makes 50 percent her shots on the offensive end. Elin Gustavsson leads the team in blocks and is dominates the post, on both sides of the court, each and every game. Emilie Hesseldal leads the team in rebounds, securing 141 on the year, limiting second chance opportunities for opponents. And off the bench, Alana Arias makes every time she comes onto the floor.
And that’s just the start.
“It’s fun to watch” Williams said. “When the ball goes in the basket, its surely a lot more fun.”
This team is arguably part of a new era of greatness. Starting back in the Sam Martin era, the girls continue to fight and this record-breaking moment is well deserved.
Get out and support the Rams as they continue their streak and push for the NCAA tournament.
