Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
BYU
BYU Edges Rams, 86-84
1/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2006
Colorado State University had two shots roll out in the game's final 14 seconds as the Rams fell to visiting Brigham Young, 86-84 Saturday night in Moby Arena.
Trailing 85-81, CSU forward Jason Smith hit a three pointer with 55 seconds remaining in the game to draw the Rams within a point. Rams' reserve guard Andrew Patterson came up with a steal 20 seconds later and the Rams called timeout to set up an offensive play.
Smith drove the lane, but his six-foot jumper rolled out. After BYU's Austin Ainge made one of two free throws with seven seconds remaining to give the Cougars an 86-84 lead, CSU's Stephan Gilling drove the lane but his shot missed, sending the Rams to a fourth consecutive conference loss.
"We had two good looks at the end, and it didn't go down," said Rams' coach Dale Layer following the game. "It was a disheartening game, but hopefully good things will come from it."
It seemed early in the game as though good things would come the Rams' way. Colorado State used an 11-0 run that included six points by guard Cory Lewis that broke a 3-3 tie and pushed the Rams to their biggest lead of the night, 14-3, four miknutes into the game.
Trailing by nine, 22-13 with 11 minutes, 32 seconds to play in the first half, BYU used a 15-4 run to take their first lead of the game, 28-26, on Trent Plaisted's dunk. The teams traded two more leads and there was one more tie before Jimmy Balderson's two free throws gave the Cougars a 43-41 halftime lead.
Balderson, who scored a game-most 24 points off the bench for BYU, helped the Cougars widen the lead to 12 midway through the second half.
But Lewis keyed an 8-1 run that cut a nine-point BYU lead to a saingle point with 3:36 to play. After a pair of free throws by Austin Ainge pushed the lead to 77-75, Stephan Gilling's three-pointer with 2:51 remaining gave CSU it's final lead of the game.
Brock Reichner's three-pointer 14 seconds after Gilling's shot put BYU ahead to stay, 80-79, and CSU could come no closer than one point the rest of the way.
Smith, a 7-foot sophomore from Kersey, Colo., ked the Rams with 23 points and nine rebounds, one of four players to score in double figures. Lewis finished with 16 and a game-most eight assists. Reserve center Stuart Creason had 14 points, and Gilling added 11.
Colorado State drops to 12-8 overall, 1-6 in MWC play with the loss, while BYU is 12-6, 4-3.
Colorado State returns to action Wednesday night against Air Force in Colorado Springs at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the Colorado State Sports Network, including KCOL (600 AM) in Fort Collins, and KNUS (710 AM) in Denver. CSU's next home game is Feb. 4 against San Diego State at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at all King Sooper and City Market grocery store locations through the state of Colorado, or by calling 1-800-491-RAMS or on line at CSURAMS.com.
