Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Minnesota
Rams fall to Minnesota at buzzer
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2008
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By John Manuszak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - On Saturday night at Moby Arena, in front of a season-high 5,956 fans, the Colorado State Rams hung tough with one of the big boys from the Big Ten but in the end, fell just short.
Anrdre McFarland's baseline jumper at the buzzer rattled out and the Gophers escaped Fort Collins with a scare, and a 72-71 win over the Rams.
It was a dramatic finish in the game's final seconds as the Rams had a chance to steal one late. With CSU leading 71-70, the Gophers' Paul Carter hit a jumper with 21 seconds left to give Minnesota a 72-71 lead. The Rams called timeout and ran a play for Marcus Walker who drove down the lane only to have his shot blocked straight up in the air by Minnesota's Damian Johnson. A loose ball ensued and the Rams' Dan Vandervieren got on the floor and forced a jump-ball situation. The possession arrow went to CSU, which called a timeout to set up one final play. With 0.9 seconds left in the game, the Rams inbounded the ball to an open McFarland in the left corner, where he let a jumper fly that hit the back of the rim and bounced out.
"I stood on the baseline and thought it was in," said Head Coach Tim Miles about McFarland's final attempt. "It was a good look, and the look we wanted, and it didn't go. That's just the difference in the night. I thought we had them."
The Rams fought hard all night but struggled with the constant full-court pressure that the Gophers applied. Minnesota forced the Rams into 20 turnovers and also dominated the offensive glass as they posted 19 offensive rebounds.
"They out-toughed us inside for a long time, and got us to turn it over, which we knew they would," said Miles. "That's systematically what they're going to do to you."
The second half was a battle as the lead changed hands 11 times with neither team ever leading by more than six points. Minnesota took its first lead at 39-38 and was tied or held the lead until the 10:50 mark when Vandervieren slammed home a dunk from the left block. The Gophers pushed their lead out to 66-60 but the underdog Rams would not go away quietly.
CSU would score the next seven points to take a 67-66 lead after Vandervieren grabbed an offensive rebound, collected himself, and laid it back in. Each team would connect on four free throws in the game's final 2 minutes to set up the dramatic finish.
"I think this was a good test for us," said Miles. "We'll go and look at the film and just try to work from there. It's a lot to be proud of, but just not enough to win tonight."
McFarland and Andy Ogide tied for team-high honors for the Rams as both tallied 16 points. McFarland was a perfect 4-4 from three-point range while Ogide added nine rebounds and shot 6-8 from the field. Minnesota native Vandervieren had his best collegiate game as he scored 15 points on 6-9 shooting and added eight rebounds in 25 minutes against the team he grew up rooting for.
"It's a tough loss," said Vandervieren. "It meant a lot to everyone and it meant a lot to me especially. But you have to focus on what we have coming ahead and only what's next."
Vandervieren's high-school teammate, Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber, scored a game-high 20 points on 5-8 from three-point range, while point guard Al Nolen added 16 points and three assists.
In the first half, the Rams and Gophers were tied at 5 before a 9-0 run by the Rams put CSU up 14-5. The Rams' lead reached 12 thanks to another 9-0 run that gave CSU a 23-11 lead with 8:16 remaining in the first half. Over the course of the next 5 minutes the Gophers would chip away at the Rams' lead and get within two points at 27-25 with 3:03 left in the opening period. The Rams got the Moby faithful back in the game in the first half thanks to an Ogide lay-in and an ensuing blocked shot that Ogide slapped off the backboard. Vandervieren would then grab an offensive rebound and put back a missed shot, which gave the Rams a 31-25 advantage and brought the crowd to its feet. A pair of Josh Simmons free throws put the Rams up 33-25 before Hoffarber connected on a four-point play to bring the Gophers back within four points at 33-29. A late three-pointer by McFarland gave the Rams some separation as CSU went to the locker room with a 38-32 halftime lead.
The Rams will next be in action on Monday night when they play host to Saint Martin's at 7 p.m.
