CSU looks to continue winning ways when they head to New Mexico Saturday night

2018-19 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #29 - Colorado State (12-16, 7-8) at New Mexico (11-16, 5-10)
March 1, 2019 • 8 p.m. MT • Dreamstyle Arena/The Pit (15,411) - Albuquerque, N.M.

Video: ESPNU / http://www.WatchESPN.com (Play-by-Play: Steve Quis / Analyst: Richie Schueler)
Radio: Colorado State Sports Network (Play-by-Play: Brian Roth / Color Analyst: Adam Nigon)
Flagship: KARS 102.9 FM (Fort Collins) / Affiliates: KDCO 104.7 FM (Denver), KMTS 99.1 FM (Glenwood Springs), KMTS 96.7 FM (West Glenwood Springs), KRDO 105.5 FM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KMTS/KKVT 99.5/100.3 FM (Rifle), KKVT 97.1 FM (Delta), KKVT 98.1 FM (Montrose), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling), KNEC 100.9 FM (Yuma), KNAB 1140 AM (Burlington), KLMR 920 AM (Lamar) / TuneIn App
Live Stats: New Mexico

Opening Tip
• Riding a three-game winning streak, the Rams will wrap up the road portion of its Mountain West schedule at The Pit, taking on New Mexico, Sat., March 2 at 8 p.m. MT.
• The contest will be televised on ESPNU with Steve Quis (play-by-play) and Richie Schueler (analyst) handling the broadcast.
Live audio is available on the Colorado State Sports Network, including KARS 102.9 FM (flagship). Brian Roth is on the play-by-play for the Rams, with Adam Nigon handling the analysis. Audio is also available via the TuneIn App on all smart phones and mobile devices.
• The game will also have live audio on CSURams.com in partnership with SIDEARM Sports and live stats on CSURams.com.

2018-19 Rams Quick Hits
• Colorado State is under new direction, as Niko Medved has taken over the helm of the Rams' program in 2018-19. In his sixth season as a head coach, Medved has an 91-103 record overall but improved on the previous season's record in each of his now six years as a head coach.
• The 2018-19 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,264-1,268 (.499) in 2,532 games all-time.
• Colorado State basketball is hoping to earn its eighth invitation for postseason play in the last 10 years.
• CSU returned three starters and five letterwinners to this year's squad along with seven newcomers to the program.
• Overall, the Rams returned three players with 23 or more starts from the 2017-18 campaign, led by Honorable Mention All-Mountain West selection Nico Carvacho. The redshirt-junior center is pacing this squad along with senior guard J.D. Paige and redshirt-junior guard Anthony Masinton-Bonner.

• For broadcasting quick hits, current averages and career highs on individual players, go to the back page of the notes for a Radio/TV chart that includes that information.

The Leaders
• Colorado State Head Coach Niko Medved (Minnesota, '97) is in his first season at CSU as head coach and has a 91-103 overall record as he is in his sixth season as a head coach.
• New Mexico Head Coach Paul Weir (York, 2004) is in his second season as leader of the Lobos with a 30-33 record and third as a head coach overall with a 58-37 mark.

A Quick Look at New Mexico
• Returning one starter and four letterwinners from last season's 19-15 squad that finished third in the Mountain West with a 12-6 record and was runner-up in the tournament, the Lobos were picked to finish third in the league's preseason poll.
• Senior guard Dane Kuiper is the lone returning starter, but senior guard Anthony Mathis is the leading returning scorer and has improved on last year's numbers as he paces UNM in minutes per game (29.9), points (15.1), three-pointers made (96), three-point percentage (43.0) and free throw percentage (88.5). Transfer Carrlton Bragg leads the Lobos in rebounds and blocks.

History Versus New Mexico
• This will be the 125th meeting ever, with New Mexico holding a 77-47 lead overall, including 70-46 in conference action.
• In Albuquerque, New Mexico holds a commanding 49-12 lead in the series.
• Last season, New Mexico swept the season series from CSU, winning in Albuquerque by 15 and later by 21 in Fort Collins. However, the Rams took this year's previous meeting with a 15-point victory in Fort Collins
• Head Coach Niko Medved has never faced New Mexico as a team's leader other than this year's previous game.
NEW MEXICO - 47-77
Conference: 46-70
Home: 34-26 / Away: 12-49 / Neutral: 1-2)
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

Mountain West Record
• Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 130-178 (.422) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.

CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School                  Overall     Home      Away    Neut.
Air Force                 80-33       43-11       33-18      4-4
Boise State               11-12         8-4         2-8        1-0
Fresno State             18-18        14-3        2-13       2-2
Nevada                    9-14          5-4         4-9        0-1
New Mexico             47-77       34-26      12-49      1-2
San Diego State        41-43       26-13       13-26      2-4
San Jose State          18-0          8-0         8-0       2-0
UNLV                     16-39        11-15        5-23       0-1
Utah State               39-55       28-18       11-35      0-2
Wyoming                94-136      52-56      39-76     3-4
Totals                  373-427   229-150   129-257 15-20

A New Leader But Familiar Face
• While he may be in his first season in charge of the program, head coach Niko Medved was already a familiar face around Fort Collins and to Rams' fans. Medved previously was on the coaching staff from 2007-13 under two different coaches. He was a key part of recruiting players that helped the Rams to four consecutive postseason appearances, the last two in the NCAA Tournament that included a win over Missouri in 2013.

Improvement Always
• Head coach Niko Medved has had extensive success wherever he has coached, both as a head and an assistant.
• As an assistant coach, he helped turn around the CSU program to improving its win totals from his first year in each successive year, ending in four straight postseason appearances.
• He continued that trend at Furman and Drake, improving both programs' win totals from the previous year in each of his five seasons as a head coach, finishing his last three years in postseason play.
• This year, he has continued that trend, surpassing last year's win totals at CSU, both overall and in Mountain West play.

Medved vs. 2018-19 Opponents
School                  Overall     Home      Away    Neut.
Air Force                  2-0          1-0          1-0         -
Arkansas                   0-1           0-1           -          -
Arkansas-Pine Bluff     1-0           1-0           -          -
Boise State                1-1           0-1          1-0         -
Colorado                  0-2            -           0-1        0-1
Colorado Christian      1-0           1-0           -          -
Florida Gulf Coast       1-2           0-1          1-1         -
Fresno State              1-1           1-0          0-1         -
Long Beach State        0-1            -           0-1         -
Louisiana                  0-2          0-1           -         0-1
Montana State            1-0           1-0           -          -
Nevada                    0-2          0-1          0-1         -
New Mexico               1-0           1-0           -          -
New Mexico State       0-1           0-1           -          -
Sam Houston State      1-0           1-0           -          -
San Diego State          0-1           0-1           -          -
San Jose State           1-0            -           1-0         -
South Dakota             0-2          0-1          0-1         -
South Dakota St.         0-2            -           0-1        0-1
Southern Illinois          1-2          0-2          1-0         -
UNLV                       0-1            -           0-1         -
Utah State                 0-1            -           0-1         -
Wyoming                  1-2           1-0          0-2         -
Totals                    13-24        8-10        5-11       0-3

Basketball Staff
• Head coach Niko Medved brought four members of his staff from Drake with him. Dave Thorson, JR Blount and Ali Farokhmanesh were assistant coaches with Medved, while Aaron Katsuma joined him again as Director of Basketball Operations. Thorson has extensive experience as a high school coach and had previously worked with Medved at the University of Minnesota. Blount and Farokhmanesh also bring extensive recent playing experience with them as Blount played at Loyola Chicago, graduating in 2009, and Farokhmanesh was a key part of a Northern Iowa squad that knocked off No. 1 Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in his senior year in 2010.

Newcomers (Lots of)
• The Rams have a strong group of newcomers to the floor this year, made up of three transfers and four freshmen.
• The class distribution, as all have seen the floor for CSU the first time this season, is:
   -- Juniors (Hyron Edwards, Kris Martin, Zo Tyson)
   -- Freshmen (Sam Bannec, Kendle Moore,
          Jack Schoemann, Adam Thistlewood)

Moby Arena Home Court Advantage
• CSU has a record of 553-233 (.704) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams have finished at least .500 in each of the last nine years, dating back to the 2008-09 season when the program was 6-9.
• Current head coach Niko Medved was part of a coaching staff at CSU that posted two of the top records in program history at home, as the 2012-13 team set the best mark at 16-1 with the 2011-12 team going 14-1. Overall as an assistant at CSU, he was part of a team that went 97-97 overall and 59-30 in Moby Arena and improved their overall record in each successive season.

Moby & Record Improvement With Medved (CSU Asst.)
               Overall    Moby    Total Attend. Avg Att.
2012-13      26-9       16-1         92,488       5,440
2011-12      20-12       14-1         62,889        4,193
2010-11       19-13       9-5         68.305       4.879
2009-10    16-16       11-4         50,878       3,392
2008-09    9-22       6-9         48,858       3,257
2007-08    7-25       3-10         43,588       3,353
Totals        97-97     59-30

Last Time Out...
• Colorado State had five players in double figures and took advantage of hot shooting in the final 20 minutes to pull away for a 76-62 victory at Boise State Wednesday night. With their third straight win, the Rams improved to 12-16 on the year and into a tie for sixth in the Mountain West at 7-8, while the Broncos fell to 11-17 and 6-9 in the league. The two teams split the season series with each team winning on the road.
• The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with four ties and six lead changes between the two schools. With Boise State leading 21-20 with 7:34 to go in the half, the Rams closed the half on a 13-5 surge, including a back-door cut bucket for freshman Adam Thistlewood off a redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho feed as time expired, for a 33-26 halftime advantage.
• CSU opened the final 20 minutes on a 12-4 run over the first 4:07 to build a 15-point cushion at 45-30, and held a double-digit lead through most of the second half. However, the Broncos would make a run starting with just under seven minutes to play, putting together a 7-0 spurt over just 42 seconds to cut the margin to 62-55 with 5:42 remaining. Back-to-back driving buckets by freshman Kendle Moore and redshirt-senior J.D. Paige pushed the margin quickly back to 11 and CSU made plays on both endsof the floor down the stretch to seal the road win.
• The league-leader in field goal percentage, CSU was again solid, connecting on 58.2 percent (32-of-55) of its field goal attempts, while limiting the Broncos to just 39.7 percent (27-of-68) from the floor and 18.5 percent (5-of-27) from the three-point arc.
• Carvacho led the Rams with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Thistlewood contributed 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Redshirt-junior Kris Martin added 13 points and five rebounds, with Paige and Moore each contributing 10. Boise State was led by Justinian Jessup with a game-high 25 points.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
• Colorado State led almost wire-to-wire in a 91-76 victory over visiting New Mexico Saturday afternoon in Moby Arena. With their second straight double-digit win, the Rams improved to 8-10 and 2-2 in Mountain West action, while the Lobos fell to 8-8 and 2-2 in the league.
• New Mexico took its only lead of the game on a free throw in the opening seconds, but a pair of threes from freshman Adam Thistlewood and a third from redshirt-senior J.D. Paige pushed the Rams out to a 9-1 lead just over two minutes into the contest. The margin shrunk to as few as three twice in the ensuing minutes and then down to four at 22-18 with 12:33 to play in the contest. But CSU answered and steadily built a lead before going into the halftime break up 48-38.
• The teams exchanged baskets through the first eight minutes of the final period with the Rams holding an eight-point advantage at 57-49. At that point, the defense clamped down on the Lobos and the offense rolled on a 15-3 run over the next five minutes to blow the game open at 72-52 with 7:29 remaining. The lead never got lower than 14 and grew to as many as 25 with another surge, this one 14-3 in just over a two-minute span to put CSU up by 25, clear the Ram bench and lock up the victory.
• CSU outshot visiting UNM, as the Rams connected on 56.1 percent (32-of-57) from the field as compared to just 47.3 percent (26-of-55) for the Lobos, including just 41.4 percent (12-of-29) in the final 20 minutes. The Rams forced 17 Lobo miscues and turned them into a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers. CSU was also more successful at the charity stripe, making 20-of-25 attempts (80.0 percent), while UNM was just 12-of-19 (63.2 percent).
• The Rams had five players in double figures, led by redshirt-junior Hyron Edwards with a season-high 20 points. Thistlewood and redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho each added 16 points, with the latter chipping in eight rebounds. Sophomore Logan Ryan posted a season-high 12 points, hitting all eight of his shots (four field goals, four free throws) in a season-high 20 minutes of play. Paige contributed 14 points, while freshman guard Kendle Moore had eight points and a team season-best nine assists
(See page 19 for complete box score)

Last Year's Meeting in Albuquerque
• Despite a solid run to start the second half, Colorado State's miscues were too much to overcome in an 80-65 road loss at New Mexico, Jan. 27, 2018.
• New Mexico opened the scoring and never trailed in the game, leading 15-8 at the first media timeout on the strength of a pair of three pointers by Jachai Simmons. The lead grew to as many as 15 at 30-15 on a 13-3 run by the Lobos, but CSU fought back and cut it to a 38-32 difference late in the opening 20 minutes. However, the hosts hit back-to-back threes in the final minute of play to lead 44-32 at the break.
• Playing without its two leading scorers due to previous injuries, CSU got its defense going stronger in the second half, holding New Mexico to just 2-of-11 to start the second half as the Rams trimmed the lead to 53-48 with 9:02 to play in the contest, the closest since a 10:54 in the first half. However, a quick 5-0 run over 36 seconds by the Lobos extended back to a double-digit margin at 58-48 and the game would get no closer in the final eight minutes.
• For the contest, Colorado State shot 53.1 percent (26-of-49) from the floor and 50.0 percent (5-of-10) from the three-point line. New Mexico was also strong, going 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the floor and 38.2 percent behind the arc (13-of-34). CSU dominated the glass 35-15 but only outscored New Mexico 16-10 in second chance points. The Rams turned the ball over 23 times as compared to just seven for the Lobos.
• Individually, junior forward Deion James led CSU with 17 points and nine rebounds, while redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho was the only other CSU player in double figures with 14 points and 15 rebounds. New Mexico had four players in double figures, with Joe Furstinger, Troy Simons and Anthony Mathis scoring 13 apiece.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

National Rankings (Team/Players)
(through Feb. 27, 2019)
Team (Top 70 of 351 Division I teams)
Field Goal Percentage                            48.0        25th
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio                          1.27         53rd
Personal Fouls Per Game                        16.1          50th
Assists Per Game                                  15.0         66th
Turnovers (Fewest)                                11.8          68th

Players (top 100 nationally)
Nico Carvacho
Rebounds Per Game                             13.0           1st
Offensive Rebounds Per Game                 4.04         2nd
Defensive Rebounds Per Game                8.00         2nd
Double Doubles                                   19           t-2nd
Field Goal Percentage                            60.5       22nd
Total Field Goals Made                           187          54th

Sharing the Load
• Through 28 games, eight different Rams have either led or tied for the team-high points in a game.
• Six different Rams -- redshirt-senior J.D. Paige (9), redshirt-juniors Anthony Masinton-Bonner (4), Nico Carvacho (9) and Kris Martin (4) and freshmen Kendle Moore (3) and Adam Thistlewood (2) -- have each led multiple times.
• The Rams shared the ball well in MW play, recording a combined 51 assists in the two games against Air Force and New Mexico, Jan. 8 and 12, respectively. The two games (26 and 25) are among the top-10 totals in school history and marked the first time since 1993-94 that there were two games in a single season with at least 25 assists. Recently, the Rams had 26 assists on 35 made baskets at San Jose State, Feb. 20, tying the season high.

Carvacho Growing On the Floor
• Redshirt-junior center Nico Carvacho showed his increased comfort level on the floor, growing extensively the last two seasons.
• In the 2017-18 season, Carvacho was the leader on the glass for CSU with 331 boards (125 offensive) in 32 games (the only Ram to start all 32 last year). His 10.3 boards per game average ranked second in the Mountain West, as he had double-digit boards in the last 16 games (averaging 13.6 per game in that span). He also just had the sixth-ever individual 300-rebound season in CSU history, surpassing the mark at Nevada, Feb. 25.
• Last year, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.3 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next was 9.6 per game).
• He had double-doubles in 10 of the last 16 games he played in 2017-18 and had a higher rebound average in MW league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had in 2016-17 (10.9).
• Carvacho posted a career-high 26 points and tied a then-career best with 20 rebounds in the win over San Jose State, Feb. 10, 2018. The last Ram to have a 20-point/20-rebound game prior to that one was current Washington Wizards' Jason Smith, with 27 & 22 in a win over Wyoming on Feb. 24, 2007.
• He finished the season in fifth with 331 boards, surpassing former standout and current Washington Wizard Jason Smith in sixth.
• For his play in '17-18, Carvacho was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West by both the league's coaches and media members in two separate votes.
• This season, Carvacho has been effective, recording double-doubles in 18 games and is currently averaging a team-high 15.9 points and a nation-leading 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting a league-best 60.5 percent from the floor (21st in NCAA).
• He has led CSU in rebounding in 26 of 28 games including 22 straight before Feb. 23's contest against Wyoming when he was limited to 20 minutes due to fouls.
• He recorded his second 20-20 game of his career when he finished with 23 points and a career-high 22 rebounds at Long Beach State, Dec. 22. The 22 rebounds are tied for the sixth-best single-game performance in CSU history.
• Carvacho's 23-point/22-rebound game was the second of his career, matching Smith as the only Rams with multiple 20/20 games in their career.
• At UNLV Jan. 2, Carvacho set a new career best with 28 points and added 20 rebounds for his second 20-20 game of the year and school-record third of his career.
• For his play in wins against Air Force and New Mexico, Carvacho was named Mountain West Player of the Week on Jan. 14, the first of his career.
• Carvacho started the season No. 20 on the CSU career rebounding chart. With his 12 rebounds against San Diego State Feb. 12, he became the all-time leading rebounder at CSU now with 901 (18th in NCAA among active players), passing previous leader Pat Durham (1985-89) in view at 851.
• Carvacho also is second in CSU offensive rebounds with 322 and is fourth in CSU career defensive rebounds with 572 (since tracking of the two categories began).
• He is now the leader in Mountain West-only double-doubles with 22, passing San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard (2009-11) and Nevada's Jordan Caroline at 21. His 32 career double-doubles are tied for fourth in the league's history (16th among active NCAA players).
• Recently, he was named a finalist for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced. He is one of 10 players on the list from which the top center in men's college basketball will be recognized.

CSU Career Rebounding Ranks
1.      901      Nico Carvacho (95 Games)             2016-19
2.     851      Pat Durham (125 Games)                1985-89
3.     805     Rich Strong (117 Games)                1982-86

CSU Single-Season Rebounding Ranks (only 300+ boards)
1.      392     Mike Childress (23 Games)              1969-70
2.     373      Emmanuel Omogbo (36 Games)        2016-17
3.     351      Nico Carvacho (28 Games)             2018-19
4.     349     Mike Childress (25 Games)              1970-71
5.     342     Colton Iverson (35 Games)               2012-13
6.     331      Nico Carvacho (32 Games)              2017-18
7. 304 Jason Smith (30 Games)    2006-07

CSU Single-Season Offensive Rebounds
1.      133      Pierce Hornung (33 Games)             2012-13
2.     125      Nico Carvacho (32 Games)               2017-18
3.     121       Tiel Daniels (34 Games)                 2015-16
4.     117        Colton Iverson (35 Games)              2012-13
5.     113       Nico Carvacho (28 Games)             2018-19

CSU Single-Season Defensive Rebounds
1.      272      Emmanuel Omogbo (36 Games)        2016-17
2.     252     Nico Carvacho (28 Games)             2018-19
CSU Career Double-Doubles
1.      32 Nico Carvacho (2016-pres.) (t-4th in MW history)
2.     28 Emmanuel Omogbo (2015-17) (9th in MW history)
3.     22 Jason Smith (2005-07)

Mountain West Career Rebounds (All Games)
1.       943     Luke Nevill (Utah)                        2005-09
2.      910      Jordan Caroline (Nevada, 100 gm) 2016-pres.
3.      901      Nico Carvacho (CSU, 95 gm)      2016-pres.

Mountian West Only Game Career Rebounds
1.      534     Nico Carvacho (CSU)                2016-pres.
2.      460     Luke Nevill (Utah)                        2005-09
3.      457      Jordan Caroline (Nevada)            2016-pres.

Mountain West Career Double-Doubles
1.       43 Jordan Caroline (Nevada)                 2016-pres.
2.      40 Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)                        2009-11
        40 Andrew Bogut (Utah)                         2003-05
4.      32 Nico Carvacho (CSU)                     2016-pres.
        32 Drew Gordon (New Mexico)                  2010-12
        32 Luke Nevill (Utah)                             2005-09

Mountain West Games Only Career Double-Doubles
1.       22 Nico Carvacho (CSU)                     2016-pres.
2.      21   Jordan Caroline (Nevada)                 2016-pres.
3.      21   Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)                        2009-11
4.      20 Emmanuel Omogbo (CSU)                    2015-17

Carvacho's Career Double-Doubles Date      Pts      Reb

Northern Colorado 12/10/16 13 11
Wyoming 2/28/17 10 10
Sacramento State 11/10/17 11 20
Fresno State 1/6/18 10 19
at Utah State 1/10/18 10 15
Air Force 1/17/18 12 13
at San Diego State 1/24/18 14 12
at New Mexico 1/27/18 14 15
Wyoming 1/31/18 10 13
at Air Force 2/6/18 16 12
San Jose State 2/10/18 26 20
at Fresno State 2/17/18 14 11
at Nevada 2/25/18 13 14
Colorado Christian 11/7/18 14 15
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 11/10/18 18 11
Montana State 11/14/18 15 13
at Colorado 12/1/18 15 12
Arkansas 12/5/18 12 11
Sam Houston State 12/8/18 20 19
South Dakota 12/16/18 20 17
at Long Beach State 12/22/18 23 22
at UNLV 1/2/19 28 20
at Fresno State 1/5/19 23 13
at Utah State 1/19/19 12 10
at Nevada 1/23/19 11 14
Boise State 1/29/19 12 16
at Air Force 2/2/19 20 14
Nevada 2/6/19 24 17
at Wyoming 2/9/19 15 17
San Diego State 2/12/19 20 12
at San Jose State 2/20/19 18 19
at Boise State 2/27/19 19 14

Paige Wheels & Deals
• Redshirt-senior J.D. Paige has adjusted well to his new role within CSU's offense this season.
• Paige missed the season opener but returned with 14 points (4-of-5 3-pointers) and a career-high tying six assists in the win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10.
• He tied his career high against Montana State, Nov. 14, tallying a team-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field in the win.
• He again tied his career best with a game-high 23 points in the home win over Sam Houston State, Dec. 8.
• Paige currently is second for CSU at 15.0 points per game (12th in MW), connecting on 46.7 percent from the floor, including 39.3 percent from the arc, as well as 78.2 percent (61-of-78) from the free throw line.
• Paige became the 29th Ram in history to reach the career 1,000-point plateau, getting to the mark with 18 points at No. 7 Nevada Jan. 23. He now has 1,126 career points, ranking 16th in CSU annals. He is also tied for 11th in career games played with 119 and tied for fifth in career threes made with 154.
Paige's CSU Career Rankings
Games Played                                  120             t-10th
Games Started                                  85                16th
Minutes Played                                 3,349            4th
Points                                             1,126             16th
Three-Pointers Made                          155               5th
Three-Pointers Attempted                    449               6th
Assists                                            272               11th
Steals                                             102               11th

A Little Different Name, Same Face
• Redshirt-junior guard Anthony Masinton-Bonner (the guard previously known as Anthony Bonner but always "AB") is expected to take up more of the scoring load this season.
• Last year, Masinton-Bonner started in 21 of the 32 games he played in, averaging 8.9 points per contest in 27.1 minutes per game.
• He was the team leader at the three-point arc at 43.2 percent and was second from the charity stripe, connecting on 82.1 percent of his attempts.
• In the season opener against Colorado Christian, Masinton-Bonner was not only effective but efficient. He tallied a career-high tying 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6-of-7 from the three-point arc. He also chipped in five rebounds and four assists.
• Against Montana State Nov. 14, Masinton-Bonner was inspired after suffering an ankle injury late in the first half, as he returned in the second half to score 12 of his 14 points in the win.
• Against New Mexico State Dec. 30, Masinton-Bonner was 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line for 15 points in 25 minutes of play.
• At Fresno State Jan. 5, the guard recorded a career-high 26 points, connecting on 9-of-14 field goal attempts and making all seven of his free throws.
• Masinton-Bonner did not score in just six minutes of play against Air Force, Jan. 8, after suffering a lower leg injury.
• In his 25 contests played, he is third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points along with 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists a game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 41.0 percent from the three-point line and a team-best 86.5 percent from the charity stripe.
• Masinton-Bonner missed two games with a lower leg injury but returned with seven points in 20 minutes at Nevada Jan. 23. At Air Force Feb. 2, Masinton-Bonner tallied 16 points on 6-of-7 field goal attempts in the win. However, the injury flared up again as the guard missed the Boise State game Feb. 27.

Newcomers Jumping In
• Five Rams made their debut in the Green and Gold in season-opening win over Colorado Christian.
• Freshman Kendle Moore started and scored a game-high 26 points in 32 minutes of action. He was solid, going 9-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the arc and 4-of-5 at the charity stripe. He also added four rebounds, four assists and one steal.
• Freshman Adam Thistlewood had 10 points in starting his first collegiate game, while also grabbing five rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
• Also seeing time were redshirt-junior Zo Tyson and freshmen Jack Schoemann and Sam Bannec. Tyson had six points and four rebounds, while Bannec hit a three-pointer late.
• Redshirt-junior Kris Martin made his season debut against South Dakota State, Nov. 21, and tallied 11 points in 30 minutes of action. He has at least tied for the team lead in scoring over the next two games, including 21 points at Colorado, Dec. 1. Recently, he recorded a collegiate career-best eight assists against Arkansas, Dec. 5.
• Thistlewood tied for game-high honors with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a career-best four three pointers against New Mexico State, Dec. 30.
• Moore tallied 23 points on 9-of-13 field goal shooting, including 3-of-6 from the arc, in a victory over Air Force, Jan. 8. He also added career bests of five assists and four steals in the win.
• In the win over New Mexico Jan. 12, Moore handed out a team season-high nine assists while Thistlewood added 16 points, including a then season-best four three-pointers.
• Maritn is fourth at 9.1 points per game, Moore is fifth at 8.7 points per game and Thistlewood is sixth at 8.5 points per game. Thistlewood has scored in double figures in 13 contests, with Moore and Martin each with nine 10+ point games.
• Thistlewood has scored in double figures in each of the last four games, while Martin has 10+ points in the last three games, all wins.
• Moore and Thistlewood are each shooting 76 percent or better from the charity stripe.

Looking Ahead
• The Rams will return home for the final two games of the regular season, hosting the first against Utah State on Tue., March 5 at 7 p.m. MT.
• The contest will be televised on AT&T SportsNet with Drew Goodman (play-by-play), Dave Bollwinkel (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sideline) handling the broadcast.
• The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Brian Roth and Adam Nigon on the call.
• CSU Sports Network broadcasts can be also accessed on mobile devices through the TuneIn app (free on all Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Amazon Kindle devices) – once downloaded, search "Colorado St. Rams Sports Network" in the app for the games and coaches' show broadcasts.

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