In a close fought game, the women’s basketball team (10-13, 3-7 in MW) lost to Mountain West foe New Mexico 66-58 at Taco Bell Arena Saturday afternoon. Despite the crushing loss, all was not dark for the Broncos as junior guard Rosalie Cutri had a career game.
A Waterloo, Australia native and Casper College junior college transfer, Cutri lit it up for 16 points, going 6-7 from the field coupled with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. This was Cutri’s second game starting for the Broncos.
“I thought we were a little more aggressive and I thought Rosie (Rosalie Cutri) really opened up and did a lot. She was terrific,” Head Coach Gordy Presnell said.
Senior forward Lauren Lenhardt aided Cutri’s scoring effort, as the standout forward netted 17 points and brought down 11 rebounds. Netti and Lenhardt combined for 33 of the 58 total Bronco points.
The Achilles’ heel for the women were their turnovers, as they totaled an abysmal 21 turnovers.
With giving up the ball and only shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, it was a tough day in terms of Bronco productivity.
New Mexico guard Caroline Durbin gave the Broncos plenty of trouble on the day, scoring 25 points and going perfect from the free throw line at a solid nine for nine.
“We turned the ball over way too much in the first half,” Presnell said. “If we could have taken care of the ball more and had more scoring opportunities maybe it would have been different. We got down to three at one point, but didn’t make some good decisions. We gotta learn from it and keep moving. We got three weeks left.”
This loss is number five for the women’s current losing streak, a streak that comes at an untimely time with Mountain West tournament play coming up just around the corner.
The Broncos currently sit at No. 6 in the women’s Mountain West standings, but are in danger of losing their position to Colorado State and Air Force.
The tournament, which only includes eight out of the nine conference teams, commences on March 12 and the women know what a crushing loss from the Lobos means all too well. Last year, in the tournament’s semifinal play, the then No. 6 Broncos fell to the No. 7 Lobos 51-50 in a last second loss.
The Broncos plan to rebound on the road against Air Force this Wednesday and then at home against Fresno State this Saturday to keep tournament
dreams alive.
The tournament, which only includes eight out of the nine conference teams, commences on March 12 and the women know what a crushing loss from the Lobos means all too well. Last year, in the tournament’s semifinal play, the then No. 6 Broncos fell to the No. 7 Lobos 51-50 in a last second loss.
To keep their postseason hopes alive, the Broncos plan to rebound on the road against Air Force this Wednesday and then at home against Fresno State this Saturday.
