Game notes: Rams face Aztecs in final road test

March 1, 2010

Game 29:  Colorado State at San Diego State
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 | 8:30 p.m. MT | San Diego, Calif. | Viejas Arena (12,414)

Television
Network: The Mtn.
Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe
Color Analyst: MIchael Cage
Channel: Comcast (411), DirecTV (616)

Radio
Network: Colorado State Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Jerry Schemmel
Flagship: KLZ (560 AM)

Online
Live Statistics: CSURams.com
Streaming Audio: CSURams.com/allaccess
Streaming Video: None

Up next
The Colorado State men's basketball team plays it's final road contest of the season, visiting San Diego, Calif., to take on the SDSU Aztecs on Wednesday night.  Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT at Viejas Arena.
 
The game will be televised live on The Mtn. with Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Michael Cage (color analyst) bringing fans all the action from courtside. 

The Rams (15-13, 6-8 MWC) are looking to snap a four-game losing skid, having dropped games vs. then-No. 16/14 BYU, at UNLV, who was receiving votes in both national polls, vs. then-No. 10/12 New Mexico, and at TCU.  

The Aztecs, 20-8 overall (9-5 in the MWC), are fighting for an NCAA tournament berth, sitting fourth in the  MWC standings heading into Wednesday's contest. 

Fans can listen to the game on the Colorado State Sports Network. Jerry Schemmel will call all the action courtside. The game will be carried on flagship KLZ (560 AM) in Denver and on KCOL (600 AM), locally. Rams fans worldwide can listen via live streaming audio on CSURams.com/allaccess.

Live statistics are available by clicking the "GameTracker" logo on the men's basketball "Schedule/Results" page on CSURams.com. 

Looking ahead
Colorado State returns home for the team's regular-season finale against the Utah.  The Rams and the Utes tip off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT at Moby Arena.  The game will be televised live on the Mtn., with Mike Evans (play-by-play) and Blaine Fowler (color analyst) calling all the action. 

CSU athletics is offering an online ticket special for the game, and all tickets purchased on CSURams.com before noon on March 6 will cost just $5.  Saturday is also a Jason's Deli Kid's Day and all youth tickets are just $4. 

The special ticket offer gives fans an opportunity to see the Rams in action one last time before the team leaves for the 2010 Conoco MWC Championships in Las Vegas, as well as honor this year's senior class which will be recognized in a pregame ceremony.   

About San Diego State
The Aztecs enter Wednesday's meeting 9-5 on the season and sitting in fourth place in the conference standings, just a half-game behind third-place UNLV. The Aztecs dropped their most recent game, 82-68, to BYU.  Overall SDSU is 20-8 on the year with impressive wins over Arizona and New Mexico, who is currently ranked No. 8/10.

Steve Fisher is in his 11th season as head coach of the Aztecs, posting a record of 193-148. During his 18-plus-season career as a head coach, Fisher has recorded 377 wins.

The Aztecs have an experienced core of two seniors and five juniors. Malcolm Thomas, D.J. Gay and Billy White lead the attack among the junior class, combining for 44 percent of the team's offensive production. White and Thomas shoot better than 50 percent from the floor and Thomas and Gay shoot .400 and .380, respectively, from three-point range. Thomas also ranks second on the team with 7.9 rebounds a game.

While the junior class is getting the job done, it's freshman Kawhi Leonard who is leading the team in points and rebounds. The first-year forward averages 12.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

As a team, the Aztecs rank fifth in the MWC, averaging 71.5 points per game.  Defensively, the team leads the Mountain West Conference, holding opponents to just 62.8 points per game. The Aztecs also rank second in rebounding offense (38.2 rpg.) and rebounding margin (+7.2). 

Series vs. San Diego State
Wednesday's matchup marks the 63rd all-time in the series between the Rams and the Aztecs, with CSU holding a 35-27 advantage.  However, the Rams have dropped the five most recent games against SDSU, and six consecutive in San Diego.

CSU's last win over San Diego State was a 69-64 upset in the quarterfinals of the 2006-07 MWC tournament. The Rams have dropped the last nine regular-season meetings and are looking for their first win in San Diego since defeating the Aztecs 72-69 on Feb. 1, 2003.

Last time vs. SDSU
Junior forwards Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, but it wasn't enough to overcome a strong, athletic, SDSU basketball team.

After freshman point guard Dorian Green was fouled on a three-point attempt and converted all three free throws, the Rams grabbed their first lead of the contest, 23-20, with 3:19 remaining in the first half. But the Aztecs closed the half on a 12-1 run, and would lead the rest of the way, winning 64-52.

The closest CSU would come in the second half would be nine points, occurring with just over a minute to play in the game.

SDSU was led by D.J. Gay's 17 points.  Kawhi Leonard recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  Chase Tapley added 12 points and Malcolm Thomas pitched in with a game-high 13 rebounds. 

Last meeting in San Diego
Playing in their final regular season game, seniors Marcus Walker and Willis Gardner combined for 35 points, but it wasn't enough as Colorado State fell 68-59 to San Diego State at Cox Arena.

San Diego State, which picked up its 20th win of the season, used a 13-4 run midway through the second half to take a 12 point lead with 7:25 remaining in the game. The Rams would use a small 5-0 burst to get within seven points (62-55) with 1:09 remaining before the Aztecs sealed the game with six free throws in the closing minute.

Current Rams vs. San Diego State
Entering Wednesday's game, no member on the Rams roster has ever defeated the Aztecs, and no player is averaging double-figures scoring in his career against SDSU.

Junior Andy Ogide leads the charge, averaging nine points and four rebounds in three games.  Dorian Green scored nine points in his only game against the Aztecs. In the latest meeting, junior Travis Franklin scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Rams on the road
CSU's 51-47 victory at Air Force on Feb. 9 marked Colorado State's third road victory of the season. 

Entering Wednesday's contest at San Diego State, the Rams are 3-9 on the road, with the other road victories coming Jan. 6 at Wyoming (83-73), and Feb. 3 at Utah (65-50). 

Ogide strong vs. TCU
Junior F Andy Ogide posted one of the best games of his career at Colorado State in the Rams' loss at TCU on Feb. 27.  Ogide tallied his third double-double of the season, and seventh of his career, posting 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against the Horned Frogs.  Two of Ogide's three double-doubles this season have come against TCU.  He posted 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-57 CSU victory on Jan. 27. 

Career-high for Nigon
Junior G Adam Nigon posted a career-high 23 points and connected on a personal-best six three-pointers in Colorado State's near upset of then-No. 10/12 New Mexico on Feb. 23.  Nigon was on fire in the first half, helping the Rams to a 32-29 halftime lead with a 14-point outburst to begin the game.  Nigon also connected on all five of his attempts from the free-throw line, and posted three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal, while committing no turnovers in 30 minutes.  

Rams vs. ranked opponents
Following CSU's Feb. 23 loss to then-No. 10/12 New Mexico, Colorado State has now lost 10 consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents.  The last time that CSU beat a top-25 opponent was March 11, 2004 vs. then-No. 25 Air Force in the opening round of the MWC tournament at Pepsi Center. 

Colorado State's last home victory over a ranked opponent was that same season, a 71-69 victory over No. 21 Purdue on Dec. 30, 2003.  The game produced one of the most memorable endings in CSU history when Micheal Morris hit two three-pointers in the final 0.7 seconds, including the final trey off of a tipped in-bounds pass, to lift CSU past the Boilermakers. 

Sweeping up the competition
Colorado State's win vs. Air Force, a 51-47 Rams triumph on Feb. 9, marked the Rams' second regular-season sweep of a conference opponent this season, including Wyoming.   

Colorado State had not swept two teams in the same season since 1999-2000, when the Rams also swept the Falcons and the Cowboys.  The Rams have one more opportunity to record a regular-season sweep in Saturday's regular-season finale vs. Utah.  The Rams defeated the Utes, 65-50, at the Huntsman Center on Feb.3. 

Looking for No. 7
With six conference wins in the bag, the Rams have their sights on No. 7. A win Wednesday would give the Rams their most conference wins in a season since the team won eight during the 1999-2000 season. That year, CSU went 18-12 overall, including its 8-6 mark in the MWC. 

Above .500 in MWC
Prior to CSU's loss at UNLV (Feb. 20) Colorado State had posted an MWC record of 6-5.  It marked the first time since the 1999-2000 season that the Rams were above .500 in the second half of the MWC schedule. 

Franklin's free throws
Junior F Travis Franklin attempted 14 free throws in CSU's loss to BYU on Feb. 17, becoming the 10th player in school history with 200 attempts from the charity stripe in a single season.  The last player to reach that mark was Jason Smith, who attempted exactly 200 free throws in 2006-07.  Bill Green set the school record for free-throw attempts in a single season with 291 in 1962-63. 

Franklin added seven more attempts to his season total at TCU on Saturday, and now sits alone in seventh place in the CSU single-season record book with 217 attempts.  Pat Durham (1987-88) ranks ahead of Franklin with 249 attempts. 

Green going the distance
For the fourth time in his brief career at CSU, freshman G Dorian Green played an entire game in CSU's loss to then-No. 10/12 New Mexico on Feb. 23, scoring 11 points and dishing out six assists in 40 minutes against the Lobos. 

He also accomplished the feat on Jan. 30 vs. SDSU and Nov. 29 vs. San Francisco, playing 50 minutes in the Rams' 91-75 double-overtime victory over the Dons, and Feb. 3 at Utah.

Green enters Wednesday's game at San Diego State averaging a team-leading 34.8 minutes per game, the highest mark in the Mountain West Conference, just ahead of Air Force's Evan Washington (34.3 mpg), and TCU's Ronnie Moss (33.9 mpg.).

Home Court Advantage
CSU reeled in its 10th home win of the season at Moby Arena on Feb. 6 vs. Wyoming. The last time the Rams had 10 wins on their home court was in 2006-07 when the team went 10-4.

The Rams are 10-4 at Moby Arena in 2009-10, with the losses coming vs. UNLV (80-72) on Jan. 20, vs. San Diego State (64-52) on Jan. 30, vs. No. 16/14 BYU (92-70) on Feb. 17, and vs. No. 10/12 New Mexico (72-66) on Feb. 23. 

CSU opened the season with eight consecutive home victories, including wins over in-state rivals Denver (64-59) and Colorado (77-62) on Dec. 5 and Dec. 10, respectively.  The Rams have also captured MWC home victories over Air Force (70-48) on Jan. 9, TCU (63-57) on Jan. 27, and Wyoming (80-64) on Feb. 6.

With an all-time record of 444-192 (.698) at Moby Arena, the Rams have now won 10 or more games in a single season at Moby Arena 23 times in the arena's history. 

Rams' 20-point games
Junior G Adam Nigon tallied a career-high 23 points, carrying CSU to a near upset of No. 10/12 New Mexico on Feb. 23.  Nigon's 20-point scoring effort marked the 10th such game by a Rams player this season.  The following is a list of CSU's 20-point scoring games for 2009-10:

• Andy Ogide (24), vs. UC Davis (11-13-09)
• Andre McFarland (20), vs. UC Davis (11-13-09)
• Travis Franklin (24), vs. San Francisco (11-29-09)
• Travis Franklin (22), vs. Colorado (12-10-09)
• Dorian Green (21), vs. Colorado (12-10-09)
• Travis Franklin (22), vs. Northern Arizona (12-20-09)
• Andy Ogide (22), at Wyoming (1-6-10)
• Dorian Green (20), vs. UNLV (1-20-10)
• Travis Franklin (20), vs. Wyoming (2-6-10)
• Adam Nigon (23), vs. No. 10/12 New Mexico (2-23-10)

Strong Freshman Class
The Rams have a talented trio of freshmen that have turned many heads during their first year of collegiate basketball.  These freshmen are eying several categories in CSU's freshman record book.

Dorian Green not only leads the team but ranks tied for 8th in the MWC with 12.4 points per game. His current average would go down as third all-time among freshmen. Green has also recorded 67 assists on the season, moving past Jesse Carr's 63 from last year, and David Turcotte's 65 from 1984-84, and into fourth place all-time by a freshman at CSU.  Additionally, his 28 starts are third all-time at CSU.  He currently trails Andre McFarland (31 in 2007-08) and Rich Strong (30 in 1982-83). 

Pierce Hornung has been great on the glass, averaging 4.4 rebounds a contest. His current average is sixth all-time behind Mark Jung (4.7 in 1978-79). 

Greg Smith has turned his play up a notch over the second half of the season averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

Smith hitting his stride
Freshman F Greg Smith posted the best performance of his brief career vs. TCU on Jan. 27.  He recorded career highs in minutes (29) and points (15), leading CSU to a victory over the Horned Frogs.

That performance capped a four-game stretch in which Smith averaged 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest, while hitting 81.5 percent (22-for-27) from the free-throw line during one of the Rams' toughest stretches on their schedule. 

Smith was a bright spot during a three-game losing streak for the Rams from Jan. 16-23. He posted a then-career-high and team-leading 13 points at BYU on Jan. 16, and matched that effort and tied for team-high honors with another 13-point effort at New Mexico on Jan. 23.  Smith also tallied six points and four rebounds in a tough home loss to UNLV on Jan. 20.

Entering Wednesday's game at San Diego State, Smith is averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while seeing his minutes increase since mid-January. 

Scoring for the Rams
Freshman G Dorian Green, junior F Andy Ogide and junior F Travis Franklin rank 1-2-3 for the Rams in terms of scoring through 28 games this season. Green (12.4 ppg.) has scored in double figures in 18 of his first 28 collegiate contests as a true freshman, while Franklin (10.6 ppg.) leads the team in scoring in home games, averaging 14.1 points per game at Moby Arena.  Ogide (11.7 ppg.) ranks as the team's top scorer against conference opponents, pouring in 12.0 points per game against the MWC. 

Entering Wednesday's game at  San Diego State, Green ranks tied for 8th in the MWC in scoring.  Ogide is 14th and Franklin ranks just outside the top 20. 

Putting it on the line
CSU has become one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference when it comes to getting to the free throw line this season.  Entering Wednesday's game at San Diego State, CSU is averaging 25.4 free throw attempts per game as a team.  This ranks third in the MWC behind Wyoming (28.6 per game) and New Mexico (26.5 per game). 

This season, the Rams are 11-2 when attempting more free-throws than an opponent.  The Rams are 13-1 when making more free-throws than an opponent.

McFarland climbing the three-point charts
For his career at Colorado State, junior F Andre McFarland has hit 125 three-pointers, and has surpassed Ryan Yoder (1991-94) for 10th place on CSU's all-time list. McFarland enters Wednesday's game at San Diego State one three-pointer shy of John Rakiecki (2002-05), who ranks ninth on the list.  McFarland's career three-point percentage of .421 is currently ninth, just behind David Turcotte (.426), in the Rams' record book.

Nigon heating up
Junior Adam Nigon entered the season averaging 2.87 points per contest through two seasons. This year, the guard is averaging 8.6 points.  Nigon is shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from three-point range. During a five-game stretch from Nov. 29 to Dec. 12, he averaged 11.6 points, including a then-career-high 17 against Montana, helping the Rams to a 4-1 record during that stretch.   

Nigon established a new career-high, carrying the Rams in a down-to-the-wire battle with then- No. 10/12 New Mexico on Feb. 23.  He tallied 23 points including a personal-best six three-pointers in the contest. 

Entering Wednesday's game at San Diego State, Nigon has hit a three pointer in 15 consecutive games, the longest active streak among players on the CSU roster, and the longest streak of his career in a Rams' uniform. 

Seeing double
Junior F Travis Franklin recorded his second career double-double performance in the Rams' victory over rival Colorado (Dec. 10).  Franklin tallied 22 points, his second 20-point effort of the season, and capped off the double-double performance with 10 rebounds to help CSU to the 77-62 victory.  Franklin shot 7-for-9 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line, while adding a block and two steals against the Buffs.  Franklin also recorded a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) nine days earlier in the Rams' 70-63 loss at Northern Colorado (Dec.1).  

Seeing double, part two
Freshman F Greg Smith recorded his first career double-double on Dec. 20 in the Rams' victory over Northern Arizona.  Smith, playing in just the seventh game of his career at CSU, tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds to help the Rams to the 64-56 victory. 

Seeing double, part three
Senior F Andy Ogide became the third player this season to record a double-double for the Rams, joining classmate Travis Franklin and freshman Greg Smith.  Ogide recorded 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the Rams 63-57 victory over TCU on Jan. 27.  It marked Ogide's fifth career double-double, but his first since Jan. 17, 2009 at Utah (19 points, 10 rebounds). 

Ogide notched his second double-double of the season vs. Wyoming, leading the Rams to an 80-64 victory at Moby Arena on Feb. 6, and added his third with an impressive 19-point, 15-rebound performance at TCU (Feb. 27).  The Rams are 4-3 all-time when Ogide records a double-double. 

600 and counting
Junior Andy Ogide eclipsed the 600-point mark for his career at CSU's game at UNLV (Feb. 20), reaching that mark in 56 games at CSU.  Ogide now has 633 career points to date, and will return next season with an opportunity to become the 18th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. 

Classmate Andre McFarland is also on pace to reach 1,000 points for his career and is the Rams' active career scoring leader with 644 points in 83 games at CSU.  

McFarland back in action
Junior F Andre McFarland has missed eight games in 2009-10, after being slowed by stiffness in his lower back, but bounced back in CSU's Feb. 6 victory over Wyoming with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range.  It was McFarland's first double-digit scoring game since Dec. 1 at  Northern Colorado, a stretch of 10 games for the Rams active career-scoring leader. 

Draining the three
Colorado State shot lights out from long range against Wyoming on Feb. 6, connecting on 10-of-15 attempts from beyond the arc, and tying for a team season high in three-pointers made.  The .667 shooting percentage from downtown tied for third best in school history, last done vs. Colorado in 2007. 

Colorado State ranks among the top schools in the Mountain West in terms of three-point shooting percentage this season.  The Rams are shooting 35.1 percent from long range, which ranks third in the league behind nationally ranked programs from BYU (.414) and New Mexico (.379).

Balanced rebounding attack
Despite only having eight 10-plus rebounding efforts this season, the Rams have three players - Andy Ogide, Travis Franklin and Pierce Hornung - ranked among the top rebounders in the MWC: Ogide (6.5), fifth; Franklin (5.3), 11th; and Hornung (4.4), who ranks just outside of the top 20.   

As a team, Colorado State ranks fourth in the MWC pulling down 35.4 boards per game.  The Rams' are outrebounding opponents by 2.9 per game, the fourth-highest rebounding margin in the league (SDSU, +7.2; New Mexico, +5.8; and BYU, +5.1). 

Green means go
Entering Wednesday's game at San Diego State, freshman G Dorian Green, the Rams leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, has reached double-digits scoring in 18 games this season, tying Andy Ogide for the most double-digit scoring games on the team this season.  His scoring average ranks tied for eighth overall in the MWC.

SDSU freshman Kawhi Leonard (12.4 ppg.), Utah's Marshall Henderson (12.1 ppg.), and BYU's  Tyler Haws (11.9 ppg.) also rank in the top 13 in the MWC in scoring as freshmen. 

If I can be frank
Junior F Travis Franklin has started 27 of CSU's 28 contests this season; he came off the bench against DU (Dec. 5).  Franklin has left his mark at both ends of the court for the Rams. The Baton Rouge, La., native ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.3 rebounds per game) and third in scoring (10.6 points per game), while leading the team in offensive rebounds (61), and free-throw attempts (217).  He enters Wednesday's game at San Diego State ranking in the MWC in a number of categories, 11th in rebounding and seventh in offensive rebounding (2.2 per game). 

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