Colorado State University Athletics
Vancouver blog: Newcomer Perry sparks Rams in unofficial debut
8/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 31, 2008
PHOTO GALLERY | Day 1: Arrival | Day 2: Team bonding
By Nic Hallisey
Athletic Media Relations
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A wrong turn taken by the bus driver caused the team to get to the court Saturday night just an hour before game time. It, however, was plenty of time to prepare for the Rams' matchup against University College of The Fraser Valley.
The Rams came out with full intensity, soundly defeating the Cascades, 98-64. CSU went on a 10-0 run to begin the contest, causing Fraser Valley to burn a timeout just minutes into the game.
The Rams led 51-38 at the half, and never trailed throughout the contest.
"I thought we played with pretty good energy and I thought that we got good production from a lot of different people," Head Coach Tim Miles said.
Senior guard Marcus Walker led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Sophomore Harvey Perry, who was making his unofficial Rams debut, followed Walker with 11 points of his own.
In the third quarter, Perry and junior Andy Ogide ignited a 23-5 run on back-to-back dunks. Ogide sat out 2007-08 after transferring to CSU from Mississippi. Miles was impressed with Perry's first game in CSU colors.
"Our advantages when he was in the game was a big number," Miles said. "He makes good decisions on the offensive end, he's a great defensive player, and I think he has the potential to become a great player in the Mountain West."
Overall, the Rams shot 57.3 percent from the floor, compared to the Cascades' 29.8 percent. CSU got point production from 11 of the 12 players in the game.
Fraser Valley kept in the first half due to its seven shots made beyond the arc. Overall, the Cascades shot 63.6 percent from three-point range in the first half. The Rams pulled away in the second half by outscoring the Cascades 47-26.
The Rams will spend Sunday morning with more sightseeing, including a guided tour of the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The Rams will be back on the court Sunday evening against Simon Fraser University.
"Simon Fraser will be a good opponent," Miles said. "They have traditionally played the American teams very tough. I'm excited to see how we perform because I think that this is our greatest challenge.
Seeing stars
For the second day in a row, the Rams were accompanied by a celebrity. While leaving lunch on Saturday, outside a Starbucks, the coaches saw TV star Howie Mandel, host of the show Deal or No Deal.
International rules
One difference Saturday night was the rules on the court.
There are several differences between American and Canadian rules, to which the Rams had to adjust.
Differences include playing quarters instead of halves, a 24-second shot clock instead of 30 seconds, fouls resetting after each quarter, the foul bonus starting after five fouls, and only eight seconds to get the ball past half court instead of 10.
"I think the biggest difference was the shot clock," Miles said. "It's a quicker game and I thought our guys handled those situations well."
Loyal support
Even with last year's center Stuart Creason graduated, there was still loyal support from the Creason family at Saturday night's game. Stuart's dad, Warren, traveled to Vancouver this weekend from his home in Texas to watch the Rams play.
"I have so much love and respect for Colorado State," the older Creason said. "When I found out that the team was coming up here, I saw it as a great excuse to come out and see them."
A lot of his respect for the institution comes from Miles.
"Stuart always wanted a coach like him. He embraced Stuart and was the best coach he ever had."
As for the younger Creason, he is planning on starting to play basketball overseas within the next few months. His options include playing in Japan, Europe, or in the National Basketball Development League.
His dad plans on attending multiple CSU games this season, including a few in Fort Collins, and seeing the Rams on the road when they face TCU and New Mexico.
"As long as Coach Miles is there, I will always support Colorado State," he said. "Stuart might have graduated, but I'll always be a Ram."
