FORT COLLINS, CO. — Clutch.
With the game tied at 73 apiece and just 14 seconds to play, No. 1 Colorado State elected not to call a timeout and instead put the pressure on No. 4 Buffalo by immediately attacking. After giving up the game-tying 3-pointer on the previous defensive possession, Niko Medved could have opted to take a deep breath and draw something up for his young team. Doing so would have also allowed the Bulls defense to set up, though. So, with the season on the line, Medved allowed the Rams to play it out and was rewarded by his sophomore point guard Isaiah Stevens for doing so.
At about the 6-second mark, Stevens took the ball from the top of the key and drove hard to the hoop, where he was able to absorb the contact from the crashing Buffalo big man and finish off the top of the glass with just 1.2 seconds remaining. The layup capped off a 14 point night for Stevens but more importantly sealed a 75-73 victory for the Rams in the opening round of the NIT. The win moved CSU’s record to 19-6 on the season while the loss ended Buffalo’s at 16-9.
An absolute killer pic.twitter.com/sOtV0ccOUh
— Justin Michael (@JustinTMichael) March 20, 2021
While it was CSU that ended up surviving, Friday night’s matchup was truly a postseason thriller to remember. Both teams battled back and forth for 40 minutes, matching each other move for move. The Rams led for 17:53 but the Bulls also led for 15:28, including at one point, a 7 point advantage in the second half. Every time Buffalo looked like they might be pulling away with some momentum, though, CSU managed to make a run of its own.
For the game, Buffalo held an advantage in field goal percentage (48%) and defensive rebounds (26). However, despite coming in as one of the best rebounding teams in the entire country at 44 per game, Buffalo really didn’t dominate the glass the way they were used to. The Rams were able to match the 13 offensive rebounds recorded by the Bulls and finished with an edge in points in the paint (44 vs. 38). Plus, despite finishing with just 3 fastbreak points themselves, CSU was able to limit Buffalo to 12 — a big reason why the Green & Gold managed to survive and advance. The Bulls were able run their opponents off the floor in most games this season but the Rams did a great job of battling for rebounds and 50-50 balls, and then playing transition defense/forcing Buffalo to work for quality looks as well. In a tight game like Friday night’s, that type of gritty effort can make all the difference and it certainly did for the Rams.
In addition to Stevens, there were three other Rams that finished the night in double-digit figures. David Roddy paced the squad in scoring (17 points) and rebounds (8) while finishing with an efficient shooting clip of 73 percent (8-of-11). Adam Thistlewood hit a team-high four threes (4-of-10) in a 14 point performance. James Moors had 11 points in 23 minutes of action. And finally, the guys off the bench combined for 13 points, including a crucial 7 from Dischon Thomas. All and all it was a pretty well-rounded performance from the top-seeded Rams — particularly given the quality of the opponent and the circumstances CSU is playing under.
After narrowly missing out on an opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament, it really would not have been surprising for either of these teams to come out with a lackluster effort. It’s one thing to say that you are going to play hard in the secondary tournament but it’s human nature to let your guard down after suffering such disappointment — especially with all of the excitement of March Madness surrounding you. For this young Rams team, though, Friday’s game was a statement — they’re there to make some noise.
It may not be the big dance but at the end of the day a postseason win is a postseason win. And after a program-record 14 conference wins in the regular season, nobody should be doubting this team’s ability to go out and win the NIT.
Following Friday’s win over Buffalo, the Rams will play North Carolina State on Thursday, March 25 in the quarterfinals. The game will be played at UNT Coliseum in Denton, Texas, and will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
