DENVER — Colorado State moved to 14-1 on the regular season and 4-1 in league play with an 80-74 victory over New Mexico (7-11, 0-5) on Wednesday night.
The Rams entered as 16 point favorites in the contest, so it wasn’t exactly the blowout that the experts in Las Vegas anticipated, but CSU was able to outlast 14 made threes from the Lobos and find a way to come out on top.
The Rams finished +16 in the paint and made 18 more free throws than their opponent, which is a big reason why the Green & Gold survived UNM’s 43 percent outing from 3-point range (14-of-33), despite going 6-of-20 from deep themselves. While a lot of the jump shots along the perimeter were fairly clean looks, the Rams just struggled to knock them down. It’s been a concerning trend since going on pause and missing close to a month of action.
While it definitely was not the type of shooting performance we know that this group is capable of, the depth of the Rams’ roster was on display once again, as five different individuals scored 10 or more points for CSU.
Pacing the home team in scoring was David Roddy, who had 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He entered the night averaging between two to three assists per game, however, he’s had 13 over the last two wins. His passing, in addition to the scoring he provided down low and his ability to get to the free throw line made him a brutal cover for the visiting Lobos.
Along with Roddy, Isaiah Stevens had 16 points to go with his three rebounds and three assists. There have been times this season where the savvy point guard has relied a little too frequently on the 3-point shot and has not always been the most efficient as a result. That was definitely not the case against UNM though. Stevens did a great job of working the ball to the hoop and creating mid-range opportunities for himself. And most importantly, when he was able to open up space for himself, the junior was able to knock down the looks, shooting 7-of-10 in the game.
Rounding out CSU’s top scorers from the starting five, Dischon Thomas had 12 points and five rebounds. He continues to make the most of his minutes by scoring and racking up boards whenever he is on the floor. And coming off the bench, Chandler Jacobs had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes, while John Tonje had 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. Those guys may not be starting for CSU right now, but it’s clear that they are going to be two of the consistent closers for Niko Medved. The more the starting seniors struggle to score, the more opportunities it’s going to open up for all of the reserves, including the younger guys, Jalen Lake and Isaiah Rivera as well.
From an assist-to-turnover perspective CSU was close to 2:1 and finished with less than 10 giveaways in the victory. It would have been easy for the Rams to force things late, especially when the Lobos took the lead at various points in the second half. It was encouraging to see CSU play with poise and patience down the stretch, though, and really work the ball into the paint where the Rams either got up a high percentage look or drew a foul. There are going to be nights where the team just doesn’t have their best stuff and in those instances you have to kick, scratch and punch your way to victory (metaphorically). The Rams did exactly that with their work on the glass and their efforts to work the ball into the paint. A strong team showing at the charity stripe didn’t hurt the cause either.
Following the victory over the Lobos, CSU will take a three-game winning streak to Colorado Springs on Saturday, where the Rams will look to move to 8-0 against the Falcons in the Niko Medved era. Most importantly, after a tough loss at San Diego State a few weeks back, the Rams can continue to rack up league wins and keep pace in the race for first in the Mountain West.
