FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Interstat) — The Colorado State Rams used a dominant third-quarter surge to overcome a slow start and pull away from the Nevada Wolf Pack for a 70-59 victory in a Mountain West women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Moby Arena.

A crowd of 1,351 watched the Rams improve to 20-7 overall, solidifying their position in the upper tier of the conference. Nevada, which led for much of the first half, fell to 8-18.

The most critical juncture of the contest arrived immediately after halftime. Trailing 32-33 at the break, Colorado State seized control with a 20-5 third-quarter blitz. The Rams’ defense completely stifled the Wolf Pack offense, holding Nevada to just two made field goals in the period on 2-of-15 shooting. Meanwhile, the Rams’ inside-out attack found its rhythm. Senior forward Madelyn Bragg of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was instrumental during the run, scoring six of her team-high 17 points in the quarter. The Rams also capitalized at the free-throw line, making all five of their attempts in the period to build a commanding 53-38 lead heading into the fourth.

Nevada had opened the game with purpose, leveraging an active defense to create transition opportunities. The Wolf Pack led 19-16 after a competitive first quarter, thanks in part to early contributions from guard Skylar Durley of Oklahoma City, who finished with 13 points and five assists, and forward Maia Rosarion of Vancouver, Canada. Rosarion was a bright spot for Nevada, scoring a game-high 16 points and adding a block in just 18 minutes of action.

The Wolf Pack extended their lead to as many as seven points in the second quarter before Colorado State closed the half on a 9-2 run, capped by a Kloe Froebe three-pointer and two free throws, to trim the deficit to a single point. Froebe, a guard from Lincoln, Illinois, matched Bragg with 17 points and added three assists.

The Rams’ third-quarter explosion rendered Nevada’s late push moot. The Wolf Pack outscored Colorado State 22-17 in the final period, with Ahrray Young of Sacramento, California, scoring eight of her 10 points, but could never cut the lead to single digits. Colorado State’s efficiency proved decisive; they shot 44.1% from the field and a sharp 86.7% from the free-throw line, compared to Nevada’s 39.3% and 56.3%, respectively. The Rams also dominated points in the paint, 30-16.

Beyond Bragg and Froebe, Colorado State received balanced scoring. Guard Lexus Bargesser of Grass Lake, Michigan, scored 12 points, while Brooke Carlson of Batavia, Illinois, added nine points and five assists. For Nevada, Britain Backus of Winnemucca, Nevada, contributed six points off the bench.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Colorado State, which defeated Nevada 61-48 in Reno on Dec. 17. The Rams entered the game as overwhelming favorites according to advanced metrics, with a projected win probability exceeding 96%.

Colorado State will look to carry its momentum into a road game at Wyoming on Saturday. Nevada, mired in a two-game skid, faces a quick turnaround with a road contest at UNLV, also on Saturday.