With Moby Arena filled to capacity, Colorado State, while rocking the orange Aggie uniforms, evened the season series with their rivals from the north with a 84-71 victory over Wyoming.
On a night where the Rams shot nearly 60% from the floor and had seven different individuals record more than one field goal, CSU not only cruised to a double-digit win over the Pokes, but did so with one of their best team performances in league play.
The Rams dominated the glass and finished with a significant advantage in total rebounds (+13). They produced more points in the paint and had six more assists as a team as well. And that’s not even getting into the gritty stuff like taking charges, diving for loose balls, etc.
From start to finish, the Rams simply played winning basketball on both ends of the floor. Because of that consistency, the home fans were treated to the biggest win of conference play.
Here are the other takeaways from Friday night.
Executed at a high level early
CSU played with poise and executed at a high level on the offensive end from the opening tip.
The Rams shared the basketball and hunted quality looks from all around the floor. And as a result of their unselfishness, as well as their patience, CSU was able to build an early double-digit lead over the visiting Pokes.
As a team the Rams shot 62% from the floor over the first 20 minutes, which was impressive in itself. What stood out even more though, was the fact that CSU recorded an assist on 75% of its made field goals in the first half.
Unsurprisingly, as he almost always does, Isaiah Stevens played a major role in CSU’s efficient offensive effort. The senior point guard became the program’s all-time leader in assists in the first matchup against Wyoming and he picked up right where he left off against the Cowboys in this one.
Stevens recorded eight assists over the first 20 minutes alone. He also surpassed Ellen Nystrom as the school’s all-time leader in assists, men’s or women’s, with a feed to John Tonje for an open three at the 4:42 mark of the first half.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, Stevens’ 12 assists were twice as many as anybody else on the floor. He recorded his sixth double-double of the 2022-23 season with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor too.
Role players stepped up
Baylor Hebb has had to step up and play significantly more minutes this season than most expected coming in. At times his inexperience has shown and he’s struggled. To Hebb’s credit though, the sophomore guard has worked extremely hard and against the Cowboys on Friday night, Hebb played his best game of the season.
After getting the starting nod once again, Hebb came out against the Pokes and just found ways to be impactful on both ends of the floor. He hit a corner three two minutes into the game, which got the lively crowd going. And he later converted an and-1 opportunity, which was big for providing momentum as well.
On the defensive end, Hebb was a pest. Not only was he able to draw a charge, but he also picked a Wyoming player’s pocket on a transition opportunity for a timely steal. He handled his business in most situations guarding Hunter Maldonado. Hebb just found ways to make a positive impact and make the most of his minutes.
Along with Hebb, the Rams also benefited from consistent production from the rotation. James Moors was able to come off of the bench and score 16 points in what ended up being really important time on the floor due to Patrick Cartier having to sit with foul trouble. The big man from New Zealand went 8-of-9 from the free throw line and pulled down five rebounds in 26 minutes of action as well.
Tonje Time
Finally, John Tonje has played some of the best basketball of his career over the last month. He continued that trend with another big performance against Wyoming.
The senior guard had 25 points, six rebounds and three assists in what was a solid display of effort in multiple phases of the game.
More than the numbers, what stood about Tonje was his decision making. The senior continues to put the ball on the floor and attack the hoop relentlessly, rather than just relying on shots from deep. When the 6-foot-5 guard gets a head of steam, he’s proven to be an absolute mismatch for just about everyone trying to stand in his way and he definitely took advantage of it on Friday.
Tonje was able to drive to the hole and throw down a monster two-handed dunk on a couple of different occasions. And when he wasn’t able to produce a field goal, he likely got to the free throw line, as the veteran drew seven fouls and went 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
As Niko Medved said postgame, Tonje’s ascension over the last month has been a big part of what has helped the Rams play much more competitively.
Next Up
CSU will look to keep the good vibes going against Tim Miles and the San Jose State Spartans in the final road trip of the regular season on Tuesday. The Rams will then host New Mexico on Senior Night (Friday).
