Rams Open Season With Solid Victory Over Denver

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The work has just begun.

A 74-63 win over Denver in Colorado State's season opener won't change the facts. It was the 37th win for the Rams in their last 43 dates with the Pioneers going back to 1968, but merely the first chance for head coach Niko Medved to see his team in a regular season bout.

A win is good, but sustained success is dependent upon fixes.

No game is ideal. If Medved was given the choice, the team's 14 turnovers in the win would dissipate to single digits. The team would also play more like the squad which raced out to a 15-point lead instead of the four-minute span to start the second half when the Pioneers cut the deficit to four.

"You've got to give a lot of credit to DU, but it's (about) learning how to focus," Medved said. "We had a lead at the end of the first half with about four minutes to go and I thought we didn't do a good job of closing out the half at all.

"Every time we had it at (a) 12- or 14-(point lead), we just could not string two or three plays together to kind of get over the hump."

Expectations are what make the win good, but not great. The ceiling for the team is one that, with seven new players on the roster, is hard to calculate.

The final destination doesn't need to be known for Medved's squad to see the growth that is possible – especially in the team's ability to spread the wealth in boards.

"I think we have to do a better job of rebounding the ball," Kris Martin said. "We can't rely on Nico all the time… everybody has to contribute."

Several standouts can also build on their first taste of success in Medved's second year at the helm. Nico Carvacho, Adam Thistlewood, Martin and Hyron Edwards all found their way to double-digit scoring. Seeing four returning players continue their success from last year provides the team with a backbone, with Martin pacing the effort with 18 points, Carvacho started the campaign with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

In all the integration that's required for Medved's newest iteration of the Rams, having constant production from those that have experience in the system is crucial.

Leading the way and, as Thistlewood put it, "showing the young guys that everyone is here for a reason, they're good, they're good enough to play," was key for the veterans of the team.

They're going to be leaned on even more as the Rams head to their stiffest test in over a decade. Awaiting them Friday is the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils, a team coming off their own opening win over No. 3 Kansas.

A film session Wednesday will wrap up the Denver win and put the Rams en route to Cameron Indoor.

"We'll turn all of our attention to Duke and figure out how we can get better," Medved said. "We're going to have to take care of the ball and move on and find a way to meet the challenge on Friday. That's what you sign up for."

NOTES:

The Rams won their 39th straight home opener and 12th consecutive season opener
Redshirt-senior Nico Carvacho became the Mountain West's all-time leading rebounder when he passed Nevada's Jordan Caroline with his 959th career board coming in the second half. He finished the contest with 961.
Carvacho also recorded his 36th career double-double in the contest
Sophomore Adam Thistlewood had nine rebounds, a new career best.

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