Isaiah Stevens played his way into the history books in Colorado State’s 105-77 blowout victory over Wright State.
In what was an absolute masterclass of how to play point guard, the preseason conference player of the year carved up the Raiders for the 14th double-double of his career with 22 points and 14 assists in just 29 minutes of action Friday night.
The 14 assists not only surpassed his own single-game school record, it also brought Stevens’ career total to 642, which is the most in Mountain West history. The savvy veteran surpassed former Wyoming star Hunter Maldonado for the feat (630).
In addition to his record-setting performance sharing the rock, Stevens was extremely efficient as a scorer. He finished 9-of-10 from the floor and knocked down three of the four threes he attempted in the win. It truly was a special showing from the fifth-year starter.
What was especially encouraging about the big win — aside from a historic game from Stevens — was the fact that CSU’s depth was on display. Four starters finished in double-digit figures for the second consecutive game. What’s more, the Rams had 37 assists as a team with only nine turnovers. The guys were really spreading the love out there.
Just behind Stevens in scoring was Nique Clifford. The Colorado transfer had 19 points, nine boards, and he did a little bit of everything in this one. Clifford was active defensively and led CSU with two steals. He shot 60 percent from deep (3-of-5) but also was active in the paint. He really looked like a perfect fit in Niko Medved’s system.
Joel Scott was great once again, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. Patrick Cartier had 17 points as well, quietly going 7-of-8 from the floor and dishing out five assists.
Really defining how this was a team win, the bench chipped in with 26 points. But that honestly does not even tell the whole picture of how good the rotation really was down the stretch.
With 13:52 remaining and the Rams up by 10 points, Stevens was able to check out for about 5 minutes of gametime. Normally during that situation, you’re just hoping that CSU is able to maintain the lead while the point guard gets a little breather on the sideline. But the Rams actually responded by immediately going on an 11-1 run, and by the time that No. 4 checked back in for the Green & Gold, the lead had been extended to 21.
There were key moments for just about everyone as the Rams cruised in the second half and ultimately came away with a 28-point victory. Jalen Lake was a defensive standout. He also scored 7 points and recorded six assists though. Joe Palmer had 10 points and three boards in a lively 14 minutes on the floor. Even Kyan Evans, a true freshman point guard, made his presence with 5 points in 7 minutes.
Finally, while his offensive numbers won’t stand out like some of the other guys, Josiah Strong finished +28 in 29 minutes. His defensive effort was really big in helping slow down the red-hot Raiders in the second half. And he’s been a guy that’s done a lot of the dirty work for CSU to start the season.
Ultimately we don’t want to get too carried away after the first week of the season. There is a lot of basketball still to be played and the non-conference schedule is really going to test the Rams before the league slate. Having said that — while everyone still needs to keep a level head — it should also be stated that this has been a very encouraging start to the 2023-24 campaign.
Next up: Northern Colorado
The Rams cannot get complacent, especially with Northern Colorado coming up. The Bears are always up for the in-state matchup with the Rams. We’ll see how CSU responds on the road for the first time this season.
