Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
2-0
Fort Lewis
1-2
Recap: Rams Defeat Fort Lewis, 84-75
11/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
by Grant Larson - Athletics Communications
FORT COLLINS, Colo.- The Colorado State Rams improved to 2-0 on the season with a 84-75 win over the Fort Lewis Skyhawks on Wednesday night in Moby Arena. The win marks the third consecutive season that the Rams have started 2-0, and improves their record to 4-0 all-time against Fort Lewis.
CSU got off to another slow start, scoring just 13 points in the games first 13 minutes, and trailed almost the entire first half. The Rams, who made just one three pointer in their season-opening win, had similar struggles in the first half of this one, missing their first eight attempts from deep. They emerged from the locker room a different team though, scoring 20 points in the first seven minutes, including hitting on 4-of-10 three-point attempts in the second stanza. The Rams took a 41-40 lead with 17:12 to go in the second half and did not trail the rest of the way.
Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo was a force as usual, posting 20 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and a block. Junior college transfer Che Bob had another strong outing off the bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end Two other Rams finished in double-digits scoring, with sophomore guards Prentiss Nixon and J.D. Paige scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Paige also finished the game with a +20 plus-minus rating, 10 points higher than the next closest player.
The Rams outrebounded the Skyhawks 48-37, and outscored them 24-11 in bench points. The Rams assisted on 13 of 25 made baskets, led by J.D. Paige's team-high four assists, an improvement from their 8-to-19 ratio from the season opener. Colorado State also reduced their turnovers from 15 on Sunday afternoon to 10 in this one, and shot 42% from the floor on Wednesday night compared to 33% in the season opener.
IN THEIR WORDS:
Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy
(on his impression of the game)
"We knew when we played Fort Lewis that we could lose. These guys had great guards. You saw them- the way they shoot it. We knew when we scheduled them that it would be tough, but it's the exact game we needed, and that game could have gone the other way too.
Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo
(on why the Rams seem to continue to get off to slow starts in the first half)
"We were playing a little tentative in the first half. We weren't getting any stops and Coach told us coming in that this was a good team. We did not really listen and they (Fort Lewis) ending up giving us a fight. We ended up pulling it out and I'm proud of this team for grinding it out"
(on if he thinks the Rams will rely on a scoring-by-committee approach)
"It is going to be different guys every night. Braden [Koelliker] helped us out the other night. Tonight it was my turn and Che [Bob]'s turn to help out. I'm going to do my part as a senior on this team and do whatever I have to do."
Junior forward Che Bob
(on how he likes his role coming off the bench)
"I have been coming off the bench with previous teams. When I get out there, I just want to give it all I have and play hard - go to the glass, play defense, and just do the little things to help my team."
Fort Lewis Head Coach Bob Pietrack
(Overall thoughts)
"We are thankful to play the game and we really appreciate Coach Eustachy inviting us to come play. It was a good atmosphere game for us. Anytime you can play a road game, and as an exhibition game for us, it is a really good teaching tool for us when we get back and get to watch the film."
STAT OF THE GAME:
- Rams bench outscored the Skyhawks' bench 24-11, led by Che Bob's 20 points
NOTES:
- Omogbo posted his first double-double of the season and ninth of his CSU career.
- CSU is now 59-14 under Larry Eustachy in games at Moby Arena
- Eustachy picked up his 491st win as a Division I head coach and 89th at CSU.
- Last year, CSU shot 71.8 percent from the free throw line on the season. So far in 2016-17, the Rams are hitting at an 83.1 percent clip.
NEXT UP:
- Colorado State will head on the road for the first time this season, traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., to take on the Stanford Cardinal, Sunday, Nov. 20. Tip at Maples Pavilion is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT.
- This will be the ninth meeting ever between the two schools, with Stanford having won seven of the eight previous meetings, including all five on its home floor.
- The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. It will also air across the Colorado State Sports Network, including flagship KARS 102.9 FM, with Jerry Schemmel on the play-by-play and Adam Nigon handling the analysis.
