DAYTON, Ohio — Last team in the field, huh?
Colorado State made a statement in the First Four with a 67-42 beatdown of Virginia. For much of the night it didn’t even look like the Cavaliers belonged on the same court as the Rams.
CSU held UVA scoreless for close to an hour of real time and 13 minutes and 43 seconds of game time on Tuesday. In a matchup where many wondered if Rams would be able to solve the puzzle that can be Tony Bennett’s pack line defense, it was CSU’s defense that completely dictated things.
Sure, it helped that UVA couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. They missed 20 consecutive shots during the cold stretch and scored just 14 points in the first half.
But on a night where the Rams needed to make a statement, not just for themselves but for the entire Mountain West, the Green & Gold absolutely shined in front of a national audience.
Joel Scott led the way for CSU. The former Division II star scored a season-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and really had his way with the high major team. He missed a couple of layups early but once he slowed things down and adjusted to the flow, it was pretty much total domination from the big man.
Along with Scott, Nique Clifford showed up in a major way, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. He was the most athletic player on the court by a significant margin and absolutely refused to be deterred by UVA in this one.
Following the win, Clifford admitted that CSU came into the night with a chip on their shoulder after being deemed the last at-large bid in the field this year.
“We definitely took it a little personal,” he said. “We felt like we were better than the seed we got.”
Clifford also added that they are grateful for the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament, especially against an opponent with a rich basketball history. Instead of kicking a team when they were down, much like his head coach, Clifford took the high road and sung UVA’s praises.
No matter how many compliments were paid to Bennett and his program, though, it was absolutely clear that these two teams were not on the same level. Not even close.
CSU shot an impressive 55 percent from the floor in the win, while UVA shot an abysmal 25 percent. The Rams out-rebounded the Cavs by 19 and finished with 16 more points in the paint. Any way you look at it, the Rams were the better team.
“Hard to imagine tonight going any better for us,” Niko Medved said. “I’m just so proud of our guys, the way they’ve handled the last 48 hours, it’s just been incredible. The preparation, the travel, the mentality of having to from Selection Sunday to now. They’ve just done a beautiful job.”
The Rams will have another short turnaround with a quick trip to Charlotte, N.C. for a date with the University of Texas on Thursday evening. Stylistically it will be much different than the game they played in Dayton. But that’s all part of the fun of March Madness.
Thanks for the extra NCAA Tournament game. Send the check to the Mountain West offices.
