Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
UNLV
Rams shock Rebels at Moby
1/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2009
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – On Wednesday night at Moby Arena, the Colorado State men’s basketball program got the signature win it had been looking for in the Tim Miles era. In front of a 2,757 energetic fans, the Rams knocked off the two-time defending Mountain West Conference champion UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, 71-69.
“At the end of the day we desperately needed a win like this,” said Head Coach Tim Miles. “I was proud of the kids. I thought they played with great energy, great enthusiasm and great passion. This is a great win. UNLV is a great program. At the end of the year, they’re going to be one of those teams in the NCAA tournament, but this is huge for this program.”
The dramatic win gave the Rams their first regular-season conference win since an 86-68 victory against Wyoming at Moby Arena on Feb. 24, 2007 – a stretch of 19 straight games.
The win did not come easy for the Rams (6-11, 1-2 MWC), who had to survive several late charges by the Runnin’ Rebels (13-4, 1-2 MWC). With the Rams holding a 68-60 lead with 4:31 remaining, UNLV made its move.
The Rebels scored seven straight points to get within 68-67 with 2:06 to play. CSU’s Andy Ogide and UNLV’s Wink Adams exchanged a pair of free-throw makes, which set up the dramatic finish. After a Rams turnover with 24 seconds left, UNLV called timeout and set up a play for Adams, who drove the lane and was forced into a difficult, off-balance shot. CSU’s Adam Nigon grabbed the rebound and hit one of two free throws with 16 seconds left to put the Rams ahead 71-69. In the final 7 seconds, the Rebels had two chances, including an Oscar Bellfield jumper and a Tre’Von Willis tip-in, but neither basket would fall. Rams senior guard Willis Gardner grabbed the rebound and raced away from the pack with the basketball and the Rams win.
“That ball (UNLV’s final attempts) seemed to stay up there forever,” joked Miles. “I was proud that our guys could pull one out against a high-caliber opponent like UNLV. It was a more high-energy effort, a more spirited effort, and that’s something that Ram fans should expect out of us every night.”
Miles inserted Nigon into the starting lineup for the first time this season, and he provided an instant spark for the Rams. Nigon scored four of the first seven points for the Rams and kept it going from there. He finished the game with career highs in points (11) and steals (5) in 30 minutes of action.
“We had a couple good days of practice so we knew coming in that we would give them a good fight,” said Nigon. “When I heard I was getting the start, I just wanted to go out and prove that I deserved to be out there on the court.”
In addition to Nigon’s heroics, Ogide also had an outstanding game for the Rams. He finished with 18 points on 7-11 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from the line, to go along with six rebounds. Gardner (11 points), Marcus Walker (10) and Andre McFarland (10) also reached double figures for CSU, giving the Rams five players in double figures for the second time this season. Las Vegas native Harvey Perry also contributed in the win against his hometown team. The junior posted four points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds.
The Rams were the more aggressive team, posting nine steals and scoring 17 points off 17 UNLV turnovers. “We forced a lot of turnovers tonight and we got easy layups off of them,” said Nigon. “Good defense like that makes offense a lot easier.”
The win marked CSU’s first victory over UNLV in the past 12 meetings, but more importantly gives the Rams confidence as they head deeper into Mountain West action. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for CSU as the Rams hit the road for a contest on Saturday at Utah (10-6, 1-1 MWC). Tipoff at the Huntsman Center is set for 7 p.m. MST.
“The BYU game (Rams lost 86-60) doesn’t define us,” said Miles. “How we respond to that performance is what defines us, and we showed tonight how we want to be defined. Now we have to make it a consistent thing.”
