Tag: Colorado State Basketball

Texas defeats Colorado State in team’s NCAA tourney opener, 56-44

Texas is back to the round of 32 after a huge win over Colorado State.

No. 7 Texas is back in the round of 32 after a gritty win over the No. 10 Colorado State Rams. The team did what it needed to do: Survive and advance.

The Longhorns’ tournament success continues under Rodney Terry who improved to 4-1 in the NCAA tournament as the team’s head coach. Terry’s team had a favorable first matchup.

Colorado State needed to beat Virginia in the play-in game to get there. Offensively, the Rams looked like a team that required a play-in game to reach the round of 64.

The Longhorns locked down the Rams offense in the first half. Colorado State trailed 27-11 at the half. Texas’ physicality and success at the backboard proved valuable.

Much of Texas’ offensive success came off two-point baskets. The team went 1-for-14 from behind the three point arc. The Longhorns’ opponent didn’t do much better going 6-for-24 from three point range.

Texas forward Dylan Disu and guard Max Abmas each scored 12 points despite shooting for a combined 10-for-33 from the field. Forward Chendall Weaver was the next highest scorer with 11 points on 5-for-7 on field goals.

Texas advances to face the winner between No. 2 Tennessee and No. 15 Saint Peter’s.

2024 NCAA Tournament: #10 Colorado State Loses 56-44 to #7 Texas

Colorado State came into this game with high expectations, but a poor first half cost the Rams a chance to make a bigger splash.

2024 NCAA Tournament: #10 Colorado State Loses 56-44 to #7 Texas

The Rams couldn’t continue their momentum from Tuesday

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

A bad first half cost CSU.

After taking it to the Virginia Cavaliers, the CSU Rams faced basically the same fate. A poor first half of just 11 points cost Colorado State. They were able to make a run in the second half, but the Texas Longhorns were just too much to overcome for the Rams.

First Half

The Rams got out to a fast start by opening an 8-2 lead, but then the Longhorns went on a 25-3 run to close out the half. The Rams were getting open looks, but they just weren’t falling. Isaiah Stevens also struggled from the field as he went 0-8 from the field in the first half.

Texas was active on defense as they didn’t allow the Rams to get comfortable. The Rams were held to just one three point make and 4-25 overall from the field with no free throw attempts. The length and physicality kept the Rams in check on both ends of the floor.

Second half

Colorado State tried to make it a game in the second half, but the week of travel they had just left them with dead legs. The Rams were missing a lot of their shots short and just couldn’t overcome the athleticism of Texas. Joel Scott and Isaiah Stevens were able to make it to double figures, but it just wasn’t enough.

Texas was held in check for the most part. Dylan Disu and Max Abmas combined to shoot 10-33 from the floor, 1-12 from three, and 3-6 from the line for 24 points. Chendal Weaver was the other player to step up for Texas. The sophomore guard was able to chip in 11 points and played strong defense for the Longhorns.

Final thoughts

This was a great season for the Rams. They were able to make it to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. Niko Medved now has some things to work on for the Rams. They need to get more athletic and more physical. A lot of times they were outworked and outphysicaled this season. If the Rams can do that, they can go further in the NCAA tournament.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

2024 NCAA Tournament: Colorado State Blows Out Virginia 67-42

Colorado State came into this game with something to prove and they did so in dominate fashion over the Virginia Cavaliers.

2024 NCAA Tournament: #10 Colorado State Blows Out #10 Virginia 67-42

The Rams made a statement for the Mountain West

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

CSU leaves their mark.

The entire basketball community said the Mountian West was underseeded in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The committee basically said prove it. And the Colorado State Rams took that personally. They came into Dayton on a mission and walked out with a giant confidence gaining 67-42 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.

First Half

The game started out in typical Virginia fashion with the under 16 timeout having a score of Virginia 4 – Colorado State 2. Then Isaiah Stevens made a three, one of just two field goals in the game for him, to give the Rams the lead for the rest of the game. Joel Scott, Nique Clifford, and Patrick Cartier led the way for the Rams in the first half offensively. The Rams shot 50% from the floor and 43% from three, which against a Virginia defense is fantastic.

The real story of the first half was Virginia’s shooting. It was part just missing shots and part CSU defense. Virginia went almost an hour of real time with out scoring a point. Reece Beekman made a free throw with 9:20 left on the clock in the first half and they didn’t score again until Beekman made a jump shot at the 16:37 mark of the second half. A 12:43 stretch of no points for the Cavaliers.

Second half

You would think Virginia would do better in the second half and they did. It’s just Colorado State continued to dominate the game. Anytime the Cavaliers went on a run, the Rams came right back. Reece Beekman was able to get to the line more in the second half which pushed his point total into double digits, but the Rams were able to hold everyone else to seven or less points.

Nique Clifford and Joel Scott both came away with double-doubles, with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 23 points, 11 rebounds respectively.  The Rams made all the necessary plays even without Isaiah Stevens having a large impact. He drew Virginia’s toughest defender and was held to just five points, but he chipped in six rebounds and four assists.

Final thoughts

This was just a great performance from a Rams team that definitely need this type of performance after the past few months. They also fired a shot at the commitee for underseeding the Mountain West like they did. Everyone was watching and it became the talk of the sports world on twitter.

Some fun facts from Reddit, courtesy of u/longconsilver13:

  • UVA had 42 points and 42 missed field goals.
  • UVA over 40 minutes only outscored second half Colorado State by just 2 points.
  • If we take out Colorado State’s highest scorer, they still win by 2.
  • UVA scored 12 points fewer than their NET ranking.
  • And one from u/morrisjr1989, CSU had more rebounds than Virginia had points (CSU had 43 rebounds).

Next UP

The Rams now travel to Charlotte to face the Texas Longhorns and a couple familiar faces. Former Fresno State head coach Rodney Terry is the Longhorns head coach and the Rams will see former Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas as well.

This will be a matchup of two very similar teams and almost a complete opposite game from the Virginia game. If you look at the stats, both teams are very similar across the board. The other player to watch for Texas is Dylan Disu, the 6’9″ 225lbs forward is shooting 50% from three. So this will be a fun one.

Thursday, March 21st 4:50 pm MT in Charlotte vs #7 Texas

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

2024 NCAA Tournament: #10 Virginia vs. #10 Colorado State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Virginia Cavaliers face off with the Colorado State Rams in a First Four matchup. Here’s what to look out for.

2024 NCAA Tournament: #10 Virginia vs. #10 Colorado State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams and Cavaliers face off in the First Four

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

Can the Rams move on?

WHO: #10 Virginia Cavaliers (23-10) vs. #10 Colorado State Rams (24-10)

WHEN: Wednesday, March 19th — 7:10 p.m. MST / 6:10 p.m. PST

WHERE: UD Arena; Dayton, OH (13,409)

TV: TruTV

STREAM: Max will be carrying the entire NCAA Tournament

SERIES RECORD: This will be the first ever matchup between the two schools.

ODDS: Colorado State -2.5

It’s not the expected First Four matchup, but we’re here now. Colorado State was not predicted to be the final team in the tournament and Virginia was not predicted to be in the tournament at all. Now both squads face off to send themselves to the first round.

Colorado State finished 7th in the Mountain West and lost to New Mexico in the Mountain West semi-finals. Virginia finished 3rd in the ACC and lost to NC State in the ACC semi-finals. Both squads lost to the eventually tournament champions.

Players to Watch

F Jacob Groves – Virginia

The senior forward form Spokane, WA will be a player for the Rams to key on on defense. Groves is a 6’9″ forward who isn’t afraid to let it fly from deep (He has three or more attempted threes in 20 out 33 games for Virginia). Limiting Groves from deep will be a big factor for CSU.

F Joel Scott – Colorado State

The former D2 Player of the Year has stepped up in a big way for the Rams at the end of the season. Since a defeat to San Diego State in February, Scott has been averaging 16.4 points on 58.7% shooting from the floor. His inside game has been key for the Rams since they’ve struggled from the outside in conference play.

Keys to the Game

Virginia

Limiting the Rams open looks and keeping them on the outside will be the keys on defense for Virginia. The Cavaliers defense is one of the best in the nation, but the CSU offense is one of the best at ball movement. If Virginia wants to play on Thursday, they’ll have to stay consistent the entire game.

On offense, the Cavaliers need to keep the Rams moving. CSU’s defense doubles the post a decent amount which leaves 4 on 3 for the offense. This causes the Rams to rotate to cover the open man and they have a tendency to overrun their rotation leaving a wide open shot or cut to the basket.

Colorado State

Wait for your shot. The Virginia defense allows for ball rotation and the CSU Princeton-style offense wants to keep the ball moving back and forth. The Cavaliers defense is suffocating, so the Rams can’t force a shot like they have been. They need to be patient and get inside looks.

When CSU is on defense, it’s a similar story. Virginia plays at the slowest tempo in the NCAA. This can lull teams to sleep at times. So the Rams will need to maintain their patience and cover their man until they get the ball back on offense.

Predictions

This one will be a dog fight. CSU has the better offense and Virginia has the better defense. The Rams have been doing damage inside and win when they do so. The Cavaliers smothering defense will keep this close. This could come down to the last couple minutes, but the Rams will use that chip on their shoulder to come out on top.

Final Score: Colorado State 62, Virginia 57

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Preview: No. 10 seeds Virginia, Colorado State battle to play Texas

Texas finds out its next opponent on Tuesday night.

March Madness is here. The NCAA tournament begins Tuesday, and perhaps with more relevance to the Texas Longhorns than usual.

The Longhorns battle the winner of the No. 10 play-in game between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Colorado State Rams.

The teams narrowly reached the tournament in a more competitive field than usual. Their contrasting styles will play a role in the matchup and could determine how likely are Texas’ chances to advance.

Virginia’s style is straightforward. The Cavaliers want to play suffocating defense. The team allows 59.6 points per game.

While its defense led the team to a national title victory over Texas Tech and former Texas head coach Chris Beard, its lack of offense has also led to some of the more memorable upsets in recent tournament history. The list includes the first ever round of 64 upset of a No. 1 seed when the No. 16 UMBC Retrievers upset the Cavaliers.

Virginia isn’t separating from teams offensively this season. Its 63.6 points per game average has lifted it to a 1-3 record vs. Top 25 opponents. The Cavaliers rank No. 254 nationally in field goal percentage (43.4%) and No. 355 in free throw percentage (63.7%).

On the opposite side is a Colorado State squad that can score in droves. The team averages 76.4 points per contest and has gone 2-0 vs. Top 25 opponents for the season. The Rams have not fared as well defensively allowing 68.4 points per game.

The teams are scheduled to play Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. CT on TruTV.

Jaedon LeDee Helps Lift San Diego St. Past Colorado St., 71-55 At Home

Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55 San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

 Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55

San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from Jaedon LeDee.

Both the Aztecs and Rams have experienced high & lows this season. A theme no Mountain West team has evaded thus far. Still, both programs find themselves in a four-way tie for second place, just one game behind league leader Utah State.

The last time these two teams met was on January 30th in Fort Collins. That first win stayed with the hosting Rams, thanks to two twenty point performances from Isaiah Stevens & Nique Clifford. Now fast forward a couple of weeks and both squads are in very similar places. Fighting the juggernaut that is the top-7 or so teams in the Mountain West at the moment.

With only six remaining regular season games to not only help these teams vie for beneficial seeding in the Mountain West Conference Tournament but also boost their chances at at-large bids should things not pan out in Las Vegas, time and winning are of the essence.

The Rams didn’t let a second go to waste. After giving up the first points of the game to a Jaedon LeDee Dunk, Colorado State went on an 14-0 before the Aztecs found their next point. The credit for that run goes to the outstanding three point shooting of Josiah Strong, who made three of Rams four opening three pointers.

The Aztecs needed a few moments but they responded. Chipping away at their visitors lead while Colorado State continued their long distance bombardment inside Viejas Arena. Sending their hosts back to their locker rooms down 44-30 at the half.

Brian Dutcher’s group didn’t necessarily have a bad offensive half. Colorado State simply had a great first half from beyond the arc & the Aztecs didn’t have many free throw opportunities to help fill the gap. While Niko Medved’s squad shot over 50% from the floor (16-28) & from deep (7-14).

San Diego State utilized the break to regroup and come out swinging. With the Aztecs going opening the scoring with a 7-0 run, including 5 straight points from their potential All-American Jaedon LeDee.

Colorado State responded with a 5-0 run of their own to help extend their lead back to double-digits (49-37). After that the Rams went several minutes without a made field goal. Which was enough for LeDee to go to work, scoring his team’s next seven points to add to his already fourteen.

The profound defensive juggernaut that is normally San Diego State held the Rams to just 10 points off of 3-17 shooting in the first thirteen minutes of second-half action. Outrebounding Colorado State 22-5 during that same stretch.

Though it wasn’t until the 9:47 mark that the Aztecs too their first lead of the game with a Jay Pal free throw, putting them up 53-52. San Diego State would slow the game down & rely on knocking down free throws to extend their lead.

Scoring became scarcer for the Rams. With a 7-1 run capped by a Lamont Butler Layup before a media timeout grew the Aztecs’ lead to a whopping fifteen points with 3:39 left in the game.

Both sides went scoreless over the next few minutes as Colorado State found themselves still down by fifteen points with a little over a minute to go. After that Brian Dutcher cleared the bench. Sending his star big man to the bench for the night with 27 points, a whopping 22 of them coming in the second-half.

With that San Diego State secured the 71-55 win at home and took sole possession of second place for the time being. LeDee was joined in the scoring column by two 11 point outings from backcourt members Darrion Trammell & Lamont Butler. While Niko Medved had four rams reach double-figures, with the lone exception being starter Joel Scott. Also receiving little to no help (4 points total) from their bench.

Player Spotlights

Colorado State G-Josiah Strong

Stat line: 14 points, 2 assists on 5-12 (41.6%) from the floor & 3-7 (42.8%) from deep in 29 minutes of action

Strong started things off, well strong for the Rams Tuesday night. Although recruited as a scoring sharpshooter, Strong has struggled with his rhythm & injuries during his time in Fort Collins. His three made 3-pointers were a season high and his most since transferring from Illinois State back in 2022.

It’s hard to highlight a good first-half performance after a nearly completely absent second-half (3 points, 1-6 shooting, 0-3 from deep). But let’s look for the silver lining Rams fans.

San Diego State F–Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 27 points & 6 rebounds on 10-14 (46.6%) shooting from the floor, including 7-11 (63.6%) from the line in 26 minutes of action

After beginning the season averaging 26.8 PPG & 10.6 RPG over the Aztec’s first five games. LeDee placed his name in contention for national award watch lists. Not to say that reputation has dimmed over the course of the season, I mean the 6-9 big man hasn’t failed to reach double-digit scoring not once the entire season. Not to mention his current season averages of 20.0 PPG & 8.6 RPG thanks to his 54.9% field goal percentage.

But, his effectiveness to not only dominant a game but help his team win one came into question after San Diego State dropped four games since conference play began. None of that came into LeDee’s head on Tuesday night. As his team emerged from half-time down by 14 points, he went to work. Scoring 22 of his 27 points all in the second half and shooting an impressive 8-11 (72.7%) while doing it.

I can’t see the Aztecs winning so comfortably without that second-half dominance. Which could be extremely useful going forward in San Diego State’s remaining six regular season games.

Three Takeaways:

  • San Diego State made a comeback that came with a side of defensive stalwart that only the Aztecs could have made. It spoke to the always dangerous program that Brian Dutcher has continued to mold since taking over. It made for must see Mountain West TV while kicking off what turned out to be an exciting night for basketball in the conference.
  • Colorado State shot lights out in the first half. It’s always hard to keep offensive momentum going after a half-time break. Which, combined with the Aztec’s infamous defense, led way to a horrendous second-half performance inside Viejas Arena. As ugly as this loss became, it doesn’t spell doom for the Rams. There are plenty of other opportunities to help climb themselves up the conference ladder & better build their Tournament resume.
  • With the Aztecs win, the conference race was better defined Tuesday night. Gone was a huge four way tie for second place. And with it San Diego State helped further solidify their place as a top-3 finish team in this league.

Next Up:

The Aztecs will stay in San Diego to end their two game homestand against longtime conference rivals New Mexico. The Lobos won the first leg of this series back in Albuquerque on January 13th. That 88-70 loss came at the hands of a red hot New Mexico squad. Since then Richard Pitino’s squad has succumbed to the gauntlet that is the Mountain West.

Regardless of previous games, any team can win on any given night, so Viejas arena needs to show up to help avenge their loss at home last season to New Mexico. That rare Friday night game will tip-off at 7:00 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

While Colorado State returns home to defend Moby Arena against league leaders Utah State on Saturday February 17th. Aside from being the feel good story of the year, the Aggies are a dangerously good team.

But the Rams gave them a run for their money last time out in Logan, so stay tuned for what could be the marquee game on Saturday.That game tips off at 3:30 PM MT and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Wednesday January 30th Results

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 30th Results Colorado State defends Moby Arena against visiting Aztecs. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Colorado State drives MWC narrative further with home win over San Diego State, Wyoming …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 30th Results

Colorado State defends Moby Arena against visiting Aztecs.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Colorado State drives MWC narrative further with home win over San Diego State, Wyoming gets road win & Danny Sprinkle owns 100th win.

Conference action was in full swing Tuesday night with four matchups around the Mountain West. With a marquee lacking the heavy hitting & nationally televised battles fans are craving for as we approach February.

Tuesday night felt light on the high stakes matchups but was filled with pure Mountain West basketball. Though there were some surprises & milestones to highlight.

Wyoming 83, Air Force 72 

Wyoming have made Arena-Auditorium a fortress this season. Posting a respectable 8-1 at home. They haven’t found that success on the road just yet, posting an 0-8 record on the road & or neutral court games. The Cowboys were looking for their first road win of the season as they traveled south to face Air Force inside Clune Arena. While Air Force was hoping to defend their home court & secure their second conference win.

Joe Scott has plenty of firepower in Colorado Springs this year, but in an everchanging Mountain West, it takes more than just scorers to steal a conference win. Someone didn’t tell sophomore Kellan Boylan that. Who out shot Wyoming’s D-II transfer Akuel Kot (12 1st half points, 2-3 3FGs) enroute to surpassing his career high in the first twenty minutes of gameplay (16 points, 4-7 3FGS).

“Our game plan was we were going to let 23 hit some shots, and did he do that, I was a little bit pissed in the first half, but we got it back.” Brendan Wenzel told the Caspar Star Tribune.

The second half was much of the same from Boylan. But unlike Wyoming who had two more players score double figures in the second-half. Outscoring their hosts 49-36, and achieving a milestone within the program, their first road win.

The Wyoming win placed the Cowboys in a tie for 4th place with San Diego State. A position for which the gauntlet style of the Mountain West this year can explain. As other teams lose, Jeff Linder and company seem to be figuring some things out in Laramie.

Jeff Linder had three separate players log 20+ points in Colorado Springs. Brendan Wenzel with a team high 25 points, Akuel Kot with 20 points & 5 assists & 22 points & 7 rebounds from Mason Walters. The Cowboys shot 63.2% from deep, behind a barrage of 10-15 made shots from Wenzel & Kot.

While the Falcons did their best to keep the win in Colorado. With three players in double-figures but a monster night from Kellan Boylan. Who dropped a career high 32 points off of 11-16 shooting (68.7%) from the floor and a whopping 9-14 (64.2%) from down town.

Mason Walters return has a lot to do with that, but still, I can’t see too many teams excited to face Wyoming for the remainder of conference play. As an esteemed member of the Mountain West online community phrased it, “Laramie is where the six bid Mountain West goes to die”.

No. 17 Utah State 82, San Jose State 61

The Aggies came in Tuesday as one of the toughest teams in the nation. In sole possession of first place in the Mountain West and an AP top-25 ranking for the fourth week in a row. While San Jose State is seeking their second win in conference play.

Both teams find themselves on opposite ends of the standings, but that doesn’t matter. Tim Miles group traveled west to Logan, for a potential road upset to talk about for years to come.

It was a tall task, one maybe too tall for the Spartans on Tuesday night. As things started off well, staying neck and neck with their hosts while exchanging buckets & exchanging the lead several times. They’d go into the half only down by single digits (37-30).

The Aggies separated themselves from their visitors in the second-half. A problem the Spartans have dealt with all conference slate, losing steam after half-time. They cut the lead to as low as five, before an 11-0 Aggie run just before the 18:10 mark was the buffer needed to extend that lead and eventually stomp out their opponent.

It wasn’t necessarily San Jose State’s fault either, Great Osobor had a big night with 31 points & 7 rebounds off of 9-15 shooting (32.3%) & 13-19 free throws. Joining him was Ian Martinez, who has been lights out late. Shooting 100% from the field on Tuesday, including 4-4 from deep. Not to mention Darius Brown II’s third double-double on the year, 11 points & 10 rebounds.

The Spartans struggled to generate any sort of offense. Shooting 39.3% from the floor, 21.7% from deep and only 10 free throw opportunities, they were simply outgunned Tuesday night. They still managed double figures from their backcourt, Myron Amey Jr. had 14 points & 7 rebounds & Alvaro Cardenas chipped in 11 points & 5 assists.

Danny Sprinkle’s group did a great job of taking care of the Spartans at home. They may have been favored but San Jose State has the players to light it up any given night. With the Aggies taking care business at home on Tuesday, they can now focus their sights on a visit to sunny San Diego on Saturday to display their dominance over Mountain West royalty.

No. 24 Colorado State 79, San Diego State 71

Colorado State played host to maybe the biggest Mountain West game on the docket Tuesday night. A top-half standings clash between the Rams and the visiting San Diego State Aztecs. Both teams were predestined for a place atop the Mountain West back in October.

But both programs have struggled in conference play thus far. Posting checkered conference records with quality wins along with quality losses. Tuesday night was a chance at another one of those quality wins for both sides, but that’s not how the game is played is it.

Colorado State was feeling it early, taking advantage from a possibly jet lagged San Diego State squad, by taking the early 21-7 lead midway through the first-half. The Aztecs in turn took advantage of the Rams cold hand after that, using a 10-2 run to attempt to make things closer before the half.

Colorado State was able to extend their lead to thirteen before going into half-time. Which may have been just what was needed to hold off a strong San Diego State second-half (42-42 scored).

The Rams shooting wasn’t pretty across the board, but a very respectable 53.8% from the floor and a positive assist to turnover ratio (1.8:1) gave them the edge. Not to mention stellar defensive play on the perimeter (11 steals, 9 by backcourt players).

Niko Medved’s group was led by 20 point performances from Nique Clifford & Isaiah Stevens. With Joel Scott (15 points) & Josiah Strong (10 points) playing a key supportive role. Clifford’s stat line on the night was all over the place, with 10 rebounds, 5 assists, & 4 steals to go along with his 20 point performance.

While the Aztecs had three players reach double figures in Reece Waters (17 points), Lamont Butler (16 points) & All-American candidate Jaedon LeDee (13 points). LeDee’s dip in production over his last three games (14.3 PPG during this time) is beginning to effect his teams ability to win. It’s not all up to him, but for a team renowned for their defense, there aren’t many other options on the roster who can make up for that drop.

This conference is brutal. That is all. Is something I could have said given the Ram’s 8-point win over the visiting Aztecs Tuesday night. Colorado State hasn’t had the easiest time in conference play thus far.

Sitting in fifth place with a .500 record, holding quality wins over red hot New Mexico & now San Diego State. But their win over Brian Dutcher’s squad is just another testament to what we’ve been saying all month long, “Any team. Any given night”.

UNLV 78, Fresno State 69

It was the 40th anniversary of the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday night. Kevin Kruger’s Runnin’ Rebels are trying to build on their road win in San Jose over the weekend in hopes of breaking into the conference’s top-half. While Justin Hutson’s Bulldogs are using every game as an opportunity to dig themselves out of the conference’s basement.

Fresno State has some pieces to make a run at a amid-table position come February’s end. like their near 7-foot duo of Enouch Boake & Eduardo Boayke down low. Along with a veteran backcourt trio who combined bring over twelve years of Mountain West experience every night. But would it be enough to ruin UNLV’s anniversary celebration?

The Runnin’ Rebels took an early lead, thanks to a 10-0 run that went unanswered for the first four minutes of play. UNLV didn’t let up, maintaining a double-digit lead for majority of the first half. That cushion turned into a 37-28 lead heading into the half.

That lead kept the Runnin’ Rebels in the lead for the rest of the game. Even as Fresno State crept back up to shrink the lead to just one with an Enoch Boakye dunk at the 10:56 mark. A ensuing 9-0 UNLV run created the winning margin and the nail in Fresno State’s tires. Kevin Kruger’s group was able to win 78-69 on their 40th Anniversary night.

Both squads utilized short benches Tuesday night. Albeit with plenty of production from their starters. UNLV was led by Kalib Boone with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists & 3 blocks as the game’s stat sheet stuffer. His sharpshooting brother logged 15 points & 13 rebounds.

For the Bulldogs, it was transfer big man Enoch Boakye with his second straight double double (16 points & 10 rebounds), his third on the year. Fresno State also had contributions from Xavier Dusell (14 points), Isaiah Pope (15 points) & Isaiah Hill with a near double double 12 points & 9 assists.

The loss makes the gap between Nevada and the three teams in the bottom half of the standings that much bigger. While UNLV was able to tie with No. 24 Colorado State in the 5th place space with .500 records in conference play.

Current MWC Standings

1-No. 18 Utah State 7-1, 19-2

2-No. 25 New Mexico 6-2, 18-3

3-Boise State 5-2, 14-6

4-San Diego State 5-3, 16-5

4-Wyoming 5-3, 12-9

5-No. 24 Colorado State 4-4, 16-5

5-UNLV 4-4, 11-9

6-Nevada 3-4, 16-5

7-Fresno State 2-6, 9-12

8-San Jose State 1-7, 8-13

8-Air Force 1-7, 8-12

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Saturday January 28th Results

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Saturday January 28th Results Wyoming steals the show with overtime win in rivalry game. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State falls again, the Bulldogs climb the ladder, UNLV has a big 2nd-half & the …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Saturday January 28th Results

Wyoming steals the show with overtime win in rivalry game.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State falls again, the Bulldogs climb the ladder, UNLV has a big 2nd-half & the Cowboys down the Rams in the border war, hardwood edition.

Conference action was in full swing Saturday night. Filled with rivalry upsets, overtime thrillers & plain ole Mountain West basketball. It seems as though fans of the conference are treated to something exciting every time I write these quick hitters, Saturday was no different.

As we approach the onset of February, the phrase “every game counts” should be plastered all over locker room walls throughout the Mountain West.

Wyoming 79, No. 24 Colorado State 76

The Wyoming Cowboys have become the living embodiment of what should be the conference’s official slogan “Any team, any night”. After treating fans to back-to-back wins inside Arena-Auditorium in the middle of January, Jeff Linder’s squad was ready for another conference win at home Saturday night.

Which was unlucky for the visiting No. 24 Colorado State Rams. Because for the fifth time this season, the Cowboys mounted a double-digit comeback to secure the win against their southern rivals.

Things were close throughout this game inside the Dome of Doom. So much so that this one couldn’t be decided in just two twenty minute halves. With the Cowboys down 11 points with just fifty-one seconds left, a 12-1 run capped by a game tying layup sent the game to overtime. From there the Cowboys were lifted to the OT win by Akuel Kot, who scored 11 of his 18 points after the regulation buzzer sounded.

Colorado State came to play with four Rams reaching double figures, including a double-double from Nique Clifford (13 points & 12 rebounds). The loss began Colorado State’s second two game losing streak in conference play. Not where Niko Medved’s group thought they would be a month ago, but there’s plenty of games to drag themselves out of their current mid-table place.

It was the first win over a top-25 team for Wyoming since 2018. Which also put them in third place in the conference. Behind a three-way tie for second place & league leaders Utah State.

No. 18 Utah State 90, Boise State 84

The Aggies traveled north to Boise hoping to return home with a resume boosting win and remain in first place in the Mountain West. While the Boise State Broncos were hoping for the home upset, which would have made them league leaders on Saturday afternoon.

Boise State fans showed out, giving both teams a sold out ExtraMile Arena to entertain. And it’s safe to say they didn’t disappoint. The name of the game was runs, some here by the Aggies followed by others from the Broncos. The two sides traded buckets, but it was Boise State who went into the half up 39-37. The second-half looked like much of the same, a 7-0 run by Boise State to open things up only to be followed up by a 11-1 Utah State run.

Leon Rice’s group nearly sealed the deal, up 75-72 with just 10 seconds left on the clock before an Ian Martinez coast to coast layup. That sent the game to overtime, like I said they didn’t dissapoint.

An 8-1 Aggie run to open things up in overtime may have been the nail in the coffin. As the Broncos were able to bring it to within two (84-82) with thirty-four seconds left in the game, but Utah State then went 6-6 from the charity stripe to seal the victory.

Danny Sprinkle’s group held strong and didn’t waiver in regulation. Utah State had five players reach double figures. Led by 19 points & 5 assists from Darius Brown II, helped along by a perfect night shooting from all places on the floor by Josh Uduje (18 points). Not to mention double-doubles from both members of their frontcourt, Great Osobor (14 points & 10 rebounds) & Isaac Johnson (13 points & 11 rebounds).

Boise State had a poor night from beyond the arc, which overshadowed two twenty point games from Tyson Degenhart (24 points) & O’Mar Stanley (20 points & 9 rebounds) down low.

The win as eluded to earlier gave the Aggies the sole possession of first place in the conference. Something many folks not named Danny Sprinkle likely didn’t expect back in November. For Boise State the loss slides them down into a three-way tie with No. 25 New Mexico and San Diego State.

There isn’t a giant need to panic just yet, but once the nations longest home win streak has been reduced to rubble twice this month. It’s safe to say adjustments are needed.

Fresno State 84, Air Force 70-MW Wire Article Link

Both Air Force & Fresno State are fighting an uphill battle out of the Mountain West cellar. Both squads were looking for their second conference win Saturday night, but only one could emerge victorious.

Joe Scott’s squad looked prime for a second conference road win on Saturday. As things were close in the first half, but the Falcons were in the driver seat. Thanks to some stellar 3-point shooting from the tip, knocking down four of their first six attempts. They amassed multiple five point leads before leading 43-40 as the half-time buzzer sounded.

The second-half began with much of the same. Buckets on both sides, including three-pointers aplenty. Both teams shot well from the floor, but maybe the more surprising stat was how well they shot from deep. As the Bulldogs & visiting Falcons knocked down 11-25 (44%) threes. But the Bulldogs late game defense, which held the Falcons to just one field goal before an 8-0 Fresno State run helped put send Air force home packing with yet another loss.

The Bulldogs received double-doubles from two of their starters Saturday. Longtime point guard Isaiah Hill posted 11 points & 10 assists and transfer big man Enoch Boakye led his team in scoring with 19 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Boakye had maybe his best game in a Bulldog uniform against the Falcons.

While Air Force received double-digits from their high scoring frontcourt of Rytis Petraitis (14 points, 5 rebounds & 5 assists) & a game high from Beau Becker (22 points, 4 rebounds shooting 4-8 from deep). The Falcons

With that win Fresno State got their second conference win & placed themselves just a little further away from last place in the conference. They may find themselves on the wrong side of the Mountain West standings. As the middle of the pack are potentially fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth (the league is just that good this year).

The road loss placed the Falcons in a tie for last place with San Jose State. A climb that seems as steep as Mt. Everest in this gauntlet of a conference.

UNLV 77, San Jose State 65

Tim Miles & his Spartans were hoping to end a two game homestand with a win before heading on the road to face league leaders No. 18 Utah State next week. But Kevin Kruger’s Runnin’ Rebels were hoping to end a two game losing streak before they returned to Sin City.

There was plenty on the line for both teams, but the win is heading east with UNLV tonight. As the Runnin’ Rebels couldn’t miss, shooting 68.2% from the floor & 46.6% from three-point range.

UNLV was propelled to victory by Keylan Boone who dropped a game high 18 points off of 7-10 shooting (70%). He was joined by freshman sensation Dedan Thomas Jr. who had another big night with 16 points on 5-9 shooting (2-4, from deep) to go along with 6 assists to just 1 turnover.

The Spartans could have kept the W in San Jose. But limited bench contributions put a damper on four different players logging double-digits and made a 7 point half-time lead disappear. As UNLV outscored their hosts 45-26 in the second-half. Myron Amey Jr. continues to enjoy his breakout season with 18 points, 5 rebounds & 3 assists while shooting 50% from the floor.

The loss put San Jose State in a tie for last place with the only team they’ve beat in conference play Air Force. For UNLV they find themselves still stuck in the middle of the pack in the conference standings. Not a bad place to be technically when you’re tied with nationally ranked No. 24 Colorado State.

Current MWC Standings

1-No. 18 Utah State 6-1, 18-2

2-Boise State 5-2, 14-6

2-San Diego State 5-2, 16-4

2-No. 25 New Mexico 5-2, 17-3

3-Wyoming 4-3, 11-9

4-Nevada 3-3, 16-4

5-No. 24 Colorado State 3-4, 15-5

5-UNLV 3-4, 10-9

6-Fresno State 2-5, 9-11

7-San Jose State 1-6, 8-12

7-Air Force 1-6, 8-11

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

UNLV vs. Colorado State: Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The UNLV Rebels head to Fort Collins to face the Colorado State Rams in Mountain West play. Here’s what to look for in this matchup.

UNLV vs. Colorado State: Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams and Rebels face off for momentum

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

Can the Rams open conference play strong?

WHO: UNLV Rebels (9-7, 2-2 Mountain West) vs. Colorado State Rams (14-3, 2-2 Mountain West)

WHEN: Friday, January 19th — 8:30 p.m. MST / 7:30 p.m. PST

WHERE: Moby Arena; Fort Collins, CO (8,083)

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Stream FS1 on Fubo and click the link here for a free trial)

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 65th all time matchup between the two schools. UNLV leads the all-time series 43-21

LAST MEETING: UNLV won 83-71 in Fort Collins last year

ODDS: Colorado State -7.5

It’s hard to call this early of a matchup a must win, but it feels like a must win for both teams. Colorado State needs to get back into their early season groove. And UNLV needs to continue riding their momentum if they want to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

CSU is hosting their annual Orange Out game coming off a double digit comeback win over Air Force. UNLV is heading to Fort Collins coming off a four point road win over Boise State. Both KenPom and the NET rankings have a similar distance between these two schools, but in conference play anything can happen.

Players to Watch

G Dedan Thomas Jr – UNLV

The Rebels floor general who seems like an even keeled player. Never too up and never too down. Even when Dedan is having a down game, he’s helping in other areas. Incredible vision on the court for the freshman and his teammates surely appreciate it.

F Joel Scott – Colorado State

The big man down low for the Rams. Joel Scott is another D2 transfer for the Rams who is playing a big part. He has a tendency to disappear at times and the Rams need him to step up tonight to keep the lengthy Rebels in check. Scott has shown he can play at a high level and the Rams need him to play like that tonight.

Keys to the Game

UNLV

Play physical basketball is the main key for the Rebels. The Rams have a tendency to play soft and forcing their hand can yield results. The Rebels also need to take advantage of the CSU misplays. CSU throws an unnecessary amount of skip passes and all UNLV has to do is pay attention and they can jump the pass.

On offense, keep the Rams switching. They’ll get tired and eventually miss a switch or recover too late. Getting down low needs to play a big part of the plan for UNLV. The Rams aren’t that big and if you can back them down, lay ups and passouts for open threes will be there.

Colorado State

Play your game. That’s what the Rams need to do tonight. They can’t let UNLV dictate the pace or action of the game. Take over the game and force the Rebels to play to you. CSU has a tendency to let the other team dictate how the game goes, but the Rams need to force it tonight.

The bench, other than Joe Palmer, needs to step up. Palmer gets his off the bench and he needs someone else to join him. If the Rams bench can take a little pressure of the starters, CSU is going to have a smooth day.

Predictions

This is a matchup of two similar teams. They have very similar stats. And the only real difference is the overall records. Basketball is a game of runs and both teams will go on big runs tonight. The back and forth battle will go the full 40 minutes before the Rams take it in the end.

Final Score: Colorado State 87, UNLV 81

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 16th Results

Overtime in Colorado, A California Clash, the nation’s longest winning streak gone & the No. 16 Utah State gets first MWC loss.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 16th Results

The Lobos win over No. 16 Utah State may highlight a wonderful night of hoops in the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Overtime in Colorado, a California clash, the nation’s longest winning streak gone & No. 16 Utah State gets first MWC loss.

Mountain West Action was in full effect Tuesday night. Full of storylines, quad 1 wins & plain old conference fun. The conference has a chance, no matter how small at sending six teams to the big dance in a couple of months. It’s far fetched & sending 5 teams (last done in 2013) would be considered huge progress, but hope keeps fanbases alive this time of year right? And fans were treated to some pretty riveting games from the Rocky Mountains to the West Coast.

Even as wins for some can be considered resume boosting & losses for others considered resume blotches this time of year. The Mountain West is a gauntlet & if you hope to survive, you bring your A game.

Colorado State 78, Air Force 69

In-state matchups seemed to be all the rage in the Mountain West on Tuesday night. As a struggling Colorado State team who was coming off of two straight losses after having one of the more impressive non-conference performances welcomed southern conference foes Air Force.

The Falcons like have elevated their competitiveness under Joe Scott. With three players averaging 15+ points a game & having all-conference caliber seasons. But they’ve done so in a Mountain West that has elevated it’s competitiveness as a whole.

Tuesday night inside Moby arena was yet another testament to how tough the Mountain West is year in and year out it seems. As the Rams were likely looking forward to sleeping in their own beds tonight after a two game road trip. But the Falcons forced Colorado State into overtime on their home court. Though, Niko Medved’s group managed to dominate their opponent in overtime (14-5). Giving them the 78-69 victory, no matter how ugly it was.

Joe Scott’s team shot an impressive 10-22 (45%) from beyond the arc, led by Ethan Taylor (18 points, 5-11 3FG) & Beau Becker (18 points, 4-8 3FG). With Colorado State nearly matching them with 10-24 (41%) but the x-factor as proclaimed by his Head Coach, being Joe Palmer off of the bench with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, a key block & shooting 3-6 from deep.

Fresno State 85, San Jose State 82 (Click For Recap)

The Bulldogs & Spartans may find themselves towards the bottom of one of the more competitive Mountain West Conferences in recent memory. But it doesn’t mean they can’t treat the fans inside the Save Mart Center to a fun in-state clash on a Tuesday night right?

Tim Miles continues to make the Spartans a respectable & competitive team in year three in the Bay Area. While now sixth year Bulldog Head Coach Justin Hutson still seeks stability in the Central Valley. As they met on the court neither squad backed down on Tuesday night.

Instead they kept things close & an Isaiah Hill buzzer beater was needed to seal the deal, giving Fresno State’s their first conference win of the year. A 30-point night from Tibet Gorener wasn’t enough to lift his team to the win on the road, even if he made 7-9 3-pointers. On the other side of the court, super senior Isaiah Hill’s 24 points, 9 assists with no turnovers & 5-8 three pointers gave himself a new season high in scoring & his team a much needed win.

UNLV 68, Boise State 64

The Runnin’ Rebels walked into the fortress known as ExtraMile Arena in Boise. The Broncos have managed to turn their home court into a topic of discussion by national media. The largest winning streak in the nation, twenty-two games at home was on the line for Boise State. For UNLV it was another chance to prove how tough this conference truly is.

Kevin Kruger’s group did their job, taking an undefeated (in conference play) Boise State team down to the wire to put an end to that Bronco fairytale. Twenty-four points from Tyson Degenhart wasn’t enough to keep the W in Boise. Leon Rice’s team needs to stay focused & avoid a dip in conference play, like others have done this far. Tuesday night may be the wake up call they need before they face San Diego State on Saturday on national television.

While UNLV was led by junior college transfer Robert Whaley Jr., who has taken some time to acclimate to the D-I game. Maybe he’s acclimated, as Whaley Jr. dropped 18 points on 8-11 shooting tonight. The Runnin’ Rebels have taken some tough losses thus far and handed them out jus the same. Don’t worry about their place in the current standings just yet, with plenty of basketball to still be played & weapons galore.

New Mexico 99, No. 16 Utah State

The Lobos looked like the team media all across the country were high on to in the preseason Tuesday night. Handing No. 16 Utah State their first conference loss and ending a seven game losing streak to the Aggies in the process. Danny Sprinkle’s group never gave up and had 5 players in double figures by the nights end.

As I said on Twi..whoops I mean X, Utah State didn’t have a bad game, far from it. The Lobos simply had a better one in front of 13,000 fans on a Tuesday night for a 8:45 PM tip-off. New Mexico had 6 players in double figures & were led by a double-double from Donovan Dent (15 points & 14 assists, just 1 turnover) & a breakout performance from Nelly Junior-Joseph (26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals on 91% shooting from the floor).

Ian Martinez had a huge second-half, which included 14 points & a 11-0 run of consecutive made three pointers & an acrobatic layup to shrink what had turned into a 20-point Lobo lead with more than half of the game left to play. If not for him, a respectable 13-point loss inside one of the toughest opposing arenas to walk into in the country, could have turned into a nationally televised blowout.

Current MWC Standings

1-No. 16 Utah State 4-1, 16-2

2-Boise State 3-1, 12-5

3-San Diego State 3-1 14-3

4-New Mexico 3-2, 15-3

5-Nevada 2-1, 15-2

6-Wyoming 2-2, 9-8

7-Colorado State 2-2, 13-3

8-UNLV 2-2, 9-7

9-Fresno State 1-3, 8-9

10-San Jose State 1-4, 8-10

11-Air Force 0-4, 7-9

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]