DENVER — Get that shit out of here.
As Boise State attempted to tie the game in overtime, with the clock dwindling down, David Roddy started at mid-court, took a couple steps to his left, lept, and then proceeded to block Marcus Shaver’s 3-point attempt before swatting the ball away like a volleyball star emphatically spiking the ball for a match point.
Shaver tied with Max Rice with a team-high 17 points for Boise State and hit an absurd three with John Tonje’s hand in his face to force overtime in the first place. As a team the Broncos were hot from deep all game long, finishing 13-of-24 from beyond the 3-point arc (13-of-24).
With the game, and with CSU’s realistic chances of being able to win a regular season Mountain West Championship on the line, though, Roddy and Chandler Jacobs really carried the Rams (20-3, 10-3) in the final five minutes of action. And the Rams were ultimately able to escape Boise State (19-6, 10-2)with a momentous overtime road victory (77-74).
David Freaking Roddy pic.twitter.com/goYDsj8qUs
— Justin Michael (@JustinTMichael) February 13, 2022
Roddy paced CSU in scoring with a game-high 18 points on 58 percent shooting (7-of-12), doing the majority of his damage from down low, as the Rams finished +14 in points scored in the paint on Sunday (38 vs. 24). He tied with Jacobs for the team lead in rebounds as well, with both guys pulling down seven apiece, so he really made his presence felt around the hoop on both ends of the floor.
While a couple of Roddy’s plays on offense could have been the signature highlights alone, including the go-ahead layup he made with 29 seconds remaining in the extra period, his three blocks on defense were some of the biggest plays of the night. Of course, none were more important than the final play of the game. In the biggest moment of the night, CSU’s superstar stepped up to secure a victory for his squad with the type of defensive play only he could make.
As clutch as Roddy was in the win — and man, was he good in this one — Jacobs scored CSU’s final 5 points in regulation and then the first 6 points in overtime. In 26 minutes off the bench Jacobs scored a season-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He was a monster on the glass (7 rebounds) and a menace on defense (1 block, 1 steal). But what stood out the most was the killer mindset Jacobs played with down the stretch. Boise State deserves a ton of credit for fighting back and forcing overtime after at one point trailing by double digits in the first half, they had no answers for Jacobs on the drive, though, and he made them pay for it late.
The third and final Ram to finish the win with double-digit scoring figures was Isaiah Stevens (14 points). The junior point guard played within the flow of the offense and created plays both for himself as well as his teammates. His five assists led the Rams and tied Marcus Shaver for the most in the game. Stevens was solid on defense with a pair of steals too. He also pulled down the final rebound and made a pair of free throws to put CSU up 3 with four seconds left in OT.
We often hear that big-time players make big-time plays. Well, in a heavyweight bout between title contenders, the Rams were able to wear a couple of haymakers before winning with a knockout right before the final bell. It’s the type of win that will make noise across the country, especially with little to no competition for viewership in the sports world in the hours leading up to the Super Bowl. It’s also yet another example of how poised this team is.
Losing a trap game to UNLV and then a nail biter at Wyoming could have spiraled the Rams out of control. Instead, CSU responded by winning four games in 10 days against three of the top six teams in the league. What’s more, the whole thing was capped off with an overtime win over a squad that hadn’t lost a league game at home before Sunday.
It’s easy for teams to say the right things, it’s not always easy to back it up on the court. The Rams look like a group that battled through adversity, experienced heartbreak, and now have the makeup to be really scary for the rest of the Mountain West. This team’s talent hasn’t been in question for two years, it was always a matter of learning how to consistently win and dealing with the gauntlet that is the MW slate.
The road doesn’t get any easier from here, so the Rams will have to build off this four-game winning streak and continue to defend, rebound and just do the little things like force steals, record blocks, etc. After seeing the way this group dealt with the last 10 days, though, you’d be a fool to count the Rams out.
We’ll see if CSU can keep the good vibes rolling when they travel to New Mexico on Thursday night. After that the Rams have a chance at revenge against the Rebels in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
