Colorado State women's basketball team loses in NCAA Tournament opener

The 12th-seeded Rams fell short against 5th-seeded Michigan State in the first round

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:05am

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The Colorado State women's basketball team's season came to an end on Friday night with a 65-62 loss to Michigan State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Rams led 29-27 at halftime but couldn't hold off a second-half rally by the Spartans. CSU was playing without leading scorer Lexus Bargesser, who suffered a non-contact injury during the team's conference tournament run.

Why it matters

Colorado State had a strong 27-8 season and won the Mountain West Conference title, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The early tournament exit is a disappointing end to what was otherwise a successful campaign for the Rams.

The details

The 12th-seeded Rams led 29-27 at halftime against 5th-seeded Michigan State in the first-round matchup in Norman, Oklahoma. But the Spartans rallied in the second half, and CSU couldn't regain the lead. The Rams were playing without leading scorer Lexus Bargesser, who suffered a non-contact injury during the team's conference tournament run. Brooke Carlson had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for Colorado State, but Hannah Ronsiek's 3-point attempt at the buzzer to force overtime fell short.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 21, 2026.

The players

Colorado State Rams

The women's basketball team from Colorado State University, which had a 27-8 record this season and won the Mountain West Conference tournament title to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

Michigan State Spartans

The women's basketball team from Michigan State University, which was seeded 5th in the NCAA Tournament.

Lexus Bargesser

The leading scorer for the Colorado State Rams, who missed the NCAA Tournament game due to a non-contact injury suffered during the team's conference tournament run.

Brooke Carlson

A player for the Colorado State Rams who had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the NCAA Tournament loss.

Hannah Ronsiek

A player for the Colorado State Rams who missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.

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What they’re saying

“We're disappointed that our season had to end this way, but I'm proud of the effort our team gave all year long. This was a special group that accomplished a lot.”

— Ryun Williams, Head Coach, Colorado State Rams

The takeaway

Despite the early NCAA Tournament exit, Colorado State can look back on a successful 27-8 season that included a Mountain West Conference tournament title. The Rams will look to build on this season's accomplishments and make another run at the NCAA Tournament next year.