FORT COLLINS — Colorado State hoped to have an opportunity to play for a share of the Mountain West championship in Saturday’s regular season finale against Boise State. After coming into the season as the projected favorites for the first time ever, it would have been a really unique opportunity for the Rams to get a chance to fight for the belt in front of their home fans on Senior Night. Unfortunately for the Green & Gold, though, the Broncos secured the title outright earlier in the week with a home victory over Nevada.
While the matchup may have lost a bit of its luster, at least in terms of what was at stake on Saturday, with a chance to lock down the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, further improve their seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, and secure a second consecutive 14-win showing against league competition, there was still plenty for CSU to play for in this one. And in front of the fifth sellout crowd in a row at Moby Arena, the Rams took down the Broncos 71-68 to finish the regular season 24-4, (14-4).
Here’s how it all went down.
Four years after becoming Niko Medved’s second commit at CSU, Kendle Moore was able to provide an early spark for the home team with an impressive shooting performance. It’s no secret that Moore has had to accept a reduced role on offense for the Rams this season; with more capable players on the roster than ever before, the shots just haven’t been there as consistently for the senior guard. But to Moore’s credit, the veteran has still found a way to impact games with his lockdown defense, his speed in transition and the ability to hit the occasional shot from deep. In a situation that very easily could have turned sour, Moore elected to remain a leader and put his team first, rather than worrying about whether or not he was getting a shot to shine individually. What’s more, in the moments where his team has needed him to step up the most, Moore has consistently delivered as if he’d been doing it on a nightly basis.
Coming off of a season-high 23 points in last weekend’s road win over Utah State, Moore dropped 13 points in the first 20 minutes against Boise State on Saturday. In front of a sea of admiring Ram fans, Moore hit three of his four attempts from deep in the first half and went 5-of-6 from the floor overall. In a half that was filled with runs from both squads, Moore’s early production was a big reason the Rams were able to establish a 5-point lead at halftime (41-36). The other key was ball movement, which was terrific from CSU all game long.
When it was all said and done, Moore finished with 19 points and five rebounds in a really clutch performance on Senior Night. He hit the final two free throws to close out the win. And after the students stormed the court, Moore was hoisted in the air in celebration. For a guy that’s been so selfless for his team for four years now, it really was special for him to get his moment in front of the home fans.
“What a night, there’s a lot of emotions. And I told our guys after the game I think it’s important to take a second to reflect,” men’s basketball coach Niko Medved said postgame. “Take a second to think about where they were and where they’ve come from, in particularly Adam and Kendle. And to go out like this, on this kind of night, that stuff doesn’t happen all the time. So it’s pretty special.”
Along with Moore, the Rams got stellar production out of David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens. Roddy went 10-of-17 from the floor to finish with a game-high 23 points, while Stevens was a floor general with 12 points and six assists. Whenever CSU desperately needed a bucket, it seemed like one of these guys was there either to produce themselves or help create for a teammate. Again, this might not have been a must-win game for the Rams but in a matchup that mattered for CSU’s national resume, it was really encouraging to see CSU’s stars bring their ‘A-game’.
“I thought he was terrific tonight. Really on both ends,” Medved said of Stevens. “He was great attacking, he was aggressive. And that’s the way we need him.”
Medved continued by explaining that having a week off in between games really seemed to serve the Rams well. Obviously it allowed the team to initially get some rest but it also gave CSU a chance to get back on the practice court and work. “I thought he took advantage of that,” Medved said. “And, you know, he looked like like an all-league point guard to me.”
Next up: The Rams will look to win the Mountain West Tournament for the first time since 2003.
