CSU returns home for final two regular season games, starting with Utah State Tuesday night

2018-19 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #30 - Colorado State (12-17, 7-9) vs. Utah State (24-6, 14-3)
March 5, 2019 • 7 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,083) - Fort Collins, Colo.

(Game Day Information, including clear bag policy)
Buy Tickets Now
Video: AT&T SportsNet (Play-by-Play: Drew Goodman / Color Analyst: Dave Bollwinkel / Sideline: Taylor McGregor)
(DirectTV: 683, 683-1, 684, 684-1 (HD) / Dish Network: 414 (SD), 5414 (HD) / Comcast Digital: 26 (SD), 665 (HD) / Streaming: N/A)
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: https://csurams.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

Opening Tip
• 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.
• 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 91-104 record overall but improved on the previous season's record in each of his five 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 1,264-1,269 (.499) in 2,533 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.
• Utah State Head Coach Craig Smith (North Dakota, 1996) is in his first season as leader of the Aggies with a 24-6 record and eighth as a head coach overall with a 175-90 mark.
• The head coaches are very familiar with each other, as the pair served as assistant coaches on Tim Miles' staff at Colorado State from 2008-12. The duo helped the program rise from 0-16 in Mountain West play in the first season to a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, where the Rams defeated Missouri in the opening round.

A Quick Look at Utah State
• Returning four starters and seven letterwinners from last season's 17-17 squad that tied for seventh in the Mountain West with a 7-11 record, the Aggies were picked to finish ninth in the league's preseason poll.
• Junior guard Sam Merrill leads the returning starters and is the leader of the team in average minutes (34.8), scoring (20.5), three pointers (77), assists (123), three-point percentage (39.5) and free throw percentage (90.4). Freshman Neemias Queta is pacing the team in rebounds (8.9), blocks (72) and field goal percentage (63.6).

History Versus Utah State
• This will be the 95th meeting ever between the two schools, with Utah State holding the 55-39 lead, but CSU leads 28-18 in Fort Collins.
• Since joining the Mountain West starting in the 2013-14 season, the Aggies have won seven of 11 meetings against the Rams.
• The two teams split last year's games, with CSU winning in Logan and Utah State at the Mountain West Tournament. This year, the Aggies picked up the victory in Logan on Jan. 19, an 87-72 decision.

UTAH STATE - 39-55
Conference: 21-38
Home: 28-18 / Away: 11-35 / Neutral: 0-2
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

Mountain West Record
• Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 130-179 (.421) 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             47-78       34-26      12-50      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                  373-428   229-150   129-258 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               1-1           1-0          0-1         -
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                    13-25        8-10        5-12      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 could not find a consistent rhythm on either end of the floor and fell to host New Mexico, 77-65, in The Pit Saturday night. With their three-game winning streak snapped, the Rams dropped to 12-17 and 7-9 in the Mountain West, while the Lobos improved to 12-16 and 6-10 in the league.
• The Rams never led in the opening 20 minutes, trailing by as many as 10 during the period. Fouls had a major impact as CSU was whistled for nine as compared to four for UNM, leading to 6-of-10 at the free throw line for the Lobos. However, the Rams hung in there to trail by eight at the break, 35-27.
• The Lobos came out the start of the second half and built a 14-point lead at 51-37 with 12:53 to go in the contest. CSU chipped into it and cut it to nine shortly after at 51-42, but a 8-0 run over 3:07 put the game out of reach at 59-42. It grew to as many as 19 in final 20 minutes, but CSU cut it to 10 with just over three minutes to play in the game and got within eight in the final 90 seconds but could get no closer.
• Both teams were similar in shooting percentage, as both finished just over 46 percent from the floor. However, the Lobos dominated the glass, 47-25, with three UNM players with double-digit boards.
• CSU had three players in double figures, led by redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Redshirt-senior J.D. Paige and freshman Adam Thistlewood each added 14 points. UNM had four in double figures, led by Makuach Maluach with a season-high 23 points.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
• Colorado State dug an early hole to host Utah State and couldn't find its way out, falling to the Aggies, 87-72, Jan. 19 in Logan. With the loss, the Rams fell to 7-11 and 2-3 in Mountain West action, while the Aggies improved to 14-5 and 4-2 in the league.
• Utah State raced out to an 14-2 lead in the first 4:17 and eventually built a 16-point margin in the opening 20 minutes. The Rams battled back and chipped away at it, getting the difference down to 44-35 at the halftime intermission. CSU got it down to nine with 12 minutes to go in the contest, but that was as close as it would get the remainder of the way.
• Utah State shot 54.2 percent (32-of-59) from the field in the game, including 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from the three-point arc. CSU was just 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the floor and 41.7 percent (10-of-24) behind the arc. Rebounds a huge factor against the Rams, as the Aggies won that battle, 39-24.
• Five Rams finished in double figures, led by redshirt-senior J.D. Paige with 17. Redshirt-junior Hyron Edwards chipped in 14, while redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho and freshman Adam Thistlewood had 12 points each. Redshirt-junior Kris Martin also tallied in 10 points and four assists. The Aggies were led by Neemias Queta and Brock Miller with 18 points each and Queta also grabbing 10 rebounds.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

Last Meeting in Fort Collins
• Colorado State never trailed against visiting Utah State, earning the 69-52 Mountain West victory, Feb. 7, 2017.
• The decisive section of the game occurred in a seven-minute span ending the first half and starting the second as the Rams went on a 19-2 run to break open a tie game. Utah State battled back and got the margin down to nine, but CSU pulled away in the late stages on the strength of 14 straight points from senior guard Gian Clavell.
• Both teams had a slow start to the game, with the Rams opening the scoring on a dunk by senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo off a dish from redshirt-freshman center Nico Carvacho. The Rams scored the first seven points of the contest while holding Utah State scoreless for almost six minutes to open the game. The Aggies rallied to tie the game at 23 at the final media timeout of the opening period, but Colorado State started their breakout run by scoring the final 10 points of the first half to lead 33-23 at the break.
• The Rams finished the game shooting 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor while limiting Utah State to just 36 percent (21-59) shooting. Colorado State was even better from the 3-point line, connecting on 43.3 percent (13-of-30) while USU was only able to muster 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from behind the arc. CSU also was able to convert 12 Utah State turnovers into 11 points.
• Clavell led all scorers with 24 points, while Omogbo posted his third straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon had career highs with seven assists and seven rebounds along with his 11 points. Carvacho also contributed 11 points and eight rebounds in the victory. Quinn Taylor came off the bench for Utah State to lead them with 11 points.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

National Rankings (Team/Players)
(through March 3, 2019)
Team (Top 70 of 351 Division I teams)
Field Goal Percentage                            48.0        30th
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio                          1.26         58rd
Turnovers (Fewest)                                11.8         62nd
Personal Fouls Per Game                        16.3         66th

Players (top 100 nationally)
Nico Carvacho
Rebounds Per Game                             13.0           1st
Offensive Rebounds Per Game                 4.00          4th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game                9.03         2nd
Double Doubles                                   20          t-2nd
Field Goal Percentage                            59.8        27th
Total Field Goals Made                           196           51st

Sharing the Load
• Through 29 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 (10) 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 20 games and is currently averaging a team-high 16.2 points and a nation-leading 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting a league-best 59.8 percent from the floor (27th in NCAA).
• He has led CSU in rebounding in 27 of 29 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. He now has 914 (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 325 and is fourth in CSU career defensive rebounds with 582 (since tracking of the two categories began).
• He is now the leader in Mountain West-only double-doubles with 23, passing San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard (2009-11) and Nevada's Jordan Caroline at 21. His 33 career double-doubles are fourth in the league's history (tied for 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.      914      Nico Carvacho (96 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.     378      Nico Carvacho (29 Games)             2018-19
3.     373      Emmanuel Omogbo (36 Games)        2016-17
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.     116       Nico Carvacho (29 Games)             2018-19

CSU Single-Season Defensive Rebounds
1.      272      Emmanuel Omogbo (36 Games)        2016-17
2.     262     Nico Carvacho (29 Games)             2018-19

CSU Career Double-Doubles
1.      33 Nico Carvacho (2016-pres.) (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.      917       Jordan Caroline (Nevada, 101 gm) 2016-pres.
3.      914      Nico Carvacho (CSU, 96 gm)      2016-pres.

Mountian West Only Game Career Rebounds
1.      547      Nico Carvacho (CSU)                2016-pres.
2.      464     Jordan Caroline (Nevada)            2016-pres.
3.      460     Luke Nevill (Utah)                        2005-09

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.      33 Nico Carvacho (CSU)                     2016-pres.
5.      32 Drew Gordon (New Mexico)                  2010-12
        32 Luke Nevill (Utah)                             2005-09

Mountain West Games Only Career Double-Doubles
1.       23 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
at New Mexico                           3/2/19     22        13

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 14.8 points per game (12th in MW), connecting on 46.6 percent from the floor, including 39.2 percent from the arc, as well as 78.5 percent (62-of-79) 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 1,140 career points, ranking 16th in CSU annals. He is also tied for eighth in career games played with 121 and fifth in career threes made with 156.
Paige's CSU Career Rankings
Games Played                                  121               t-8th
Games Started                                  86              t-14th
Minutes Played                                 3,387            4th
Points                                             1,140             16th
Three-Pointers Made                          156               5th
Three-Pointers Attempted                    454               6th
Assists                                            275               11th
Steals                                             105             t-10th

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 has missed the last two games for the Rams.

Edwards Finding His Way
• Redshirt-junior guard Hyron Edwards is starting to grow within the CSU program after having not played a competitive game for almost two years.
• After not scoring in double figures in his first six games starting with South Dakota (Dec. 16), he has tallied 10 or more points in three of the last five contests for CSU.
• He posted a career-high 20 points in the victory over New Mexico Jan. 12 and is averaging 8.0 points per game in Mountain West play.
•Edwards missed the New Mexico contest due to an injury.

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 8.9 points per game, Thistlewood is fifth at 8.7 points per gane and Moore is sixth at 8.6 points per game. Thistlewood has scored in double figures in 14 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 78 percent or better from the charity stripe.

Looking Ahead
• The Rams will conclude the regular season and Mountain West play as it began, taking on UNLV, but this time in Moby Arena on Saturday, March 9 at 2 p.m. MT. CSU will recognize the seniors from the program on their final appearance in Fort Collins.
• The contest will be televised on ESPN3.
• 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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results