Pack finds shot, scores sweep of Adams

ALAMOSA, Colo. - The ThunderWolves’ last two games, both losses, were typified by a cold shooting and a collective loss of concentration on fundamentals.Tuesday night, to put it lightly, the Pack learned from its past mistakes.

The ThunderWolves shot nearly 48 percent from the floor and committed only five turnovers, one of the team’s lowest single game outputs in school history, in claiming an 80-66 win over Adams State. Their five-turnover performance comes on the heels of a 20-turnover game in their previous game against Mesa State.

“I trusted that this club would bounce back from a bad weekend,” Pack coach Kip Drown said, “and that’s what they did.”

The ThunderWolves did it by getting off to a hot start that buried the Grizzlies before they could even get warm. After beginning the game with an 11-7 score, the Pack went on a 20-4 run to take a 20-point lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half. It put the Pack in a familiar spot - playing with the lead.

The ThunderWolves claimed that first-half lead on the back of a career-best performance by junior Michelle Ambuul. Ambuul set career highs in three-pointers (4), field goals made (7), and points (19) - in just the first half alone. She finished with 21.

“Michelle really came up big for us in the first half,” Drown said. “Their defenders really lost her in the first half, and when you have somebody who can go out there and contribute like that, it really helps you to relax and take the pressure off.”

In the second half, it was the Pack’s inside game that rose to dominance and never let the Grizzlies get back into it. Center Sarah Staggs was a force on the post, scoring 12 second half points, part of her 16 overall, while Lindsay Black was lights out in the low post, going 5-for-5 from the field.

“I was proud of the way we finished the game,” Drown said. “We did a good job getting Sarah the basketball, and boy, can she finish. As a team, we like to shoot threes, but you have to go old school too, and win it from inside out, and Sarah finishes about as well as anybody in the league.”

The Pack’s win raises their mark to 9-5 in conference play and 15-7 overall. The ThunderWolves will look to grab their second win of this four-game road swing when they travel to Gunnison Saturday to take on Western State.

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