CSU to take on UNLV Saturday afternoon for Senior Day game

2018-19 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #31 - Colorado State (12-18, 7-10) vs. UNLF (16-13, 10-7)
March 9, 2019 • 2 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,083) - Fort Collins, Colo.

(Game Day Information, including clear bag policy)
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Video: ESPN3 (Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe / Color Analyst: Dave Miller)
Streaming: WatchESPN.com
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 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 its seniors from the program on their final appearance in Fort Collins.
• The contest will be televised on ESPN3 with Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Dave Miller (analyst) on the call.
• 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 91-105 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 1,264-1,270 (.499) in 2,534 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 91-105 overall record as he is in his sixth season as a head coach.
• UNLV Head Coach Marvin Menzies (UCLA, '87) is in his third season as leader of the Runnin' Rebels with a 47-47 record and 12th season as a head coach overall with a 245-158 mark.

A Quick Look at UNLV
• Returning two starters and seven letterwinners from last season's 20-13 squad that tied for seventh in the Mountain West with an 8-10 record, the Runnin' Rebels were picked to finish sixth in the league's preseason poll.
• Senior Shakur Juiston returns after earning second team All-Mountain West honors last year, along with starter Kris Clyburn. Juiston leads UNLV in rebounds, while Clyburn leads in points per game and free throw percentage. Noah Robotham paces the Rebels in minutes, three-pointers, assists and steals.

History Versus UNLV
• This will be the 56th meeting ever, with UNLV holding a decisive 39-16 advantage, including 15-11 in Fort Collins.
• CSU has taken four of the last seven, but the Runnin' Rebels took this year's meeting in Vegas on a late basket, 78-76. UNLV won last year's only meeting, 79-74, in Fort Collins.
• Head Coach Niko Medved has never faced UNLV as a team's leader other than this year's previous meeting.
UNLV - 16-39
Conference: 15-28
Home: 11-15 / Away: 5-23 / Neutral: 0-1
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

Mountain West Tiebreakers
• The key games, other than CSU's for the Rams' seeding for the Mountain West Tournament next week:
- New Mexico (7-10) at Wyoming (3-14) -- 4 p.m.
- Air Force (8-9) at Boise State (6-11) -- 5 p.m.
• If CSU wins (8-10):
- New Mexico and Boise State win -- Rams are #6 (play San Jose State at 4 pm) based on 3-1 record combined vs. Air Force and New Mexico
- Wyoming and Boise State win -- Rams are #6 (play San Jose State at 4 pm) based on 2-0 record vs. Air Force
- New Mexico and Air Force win -- Rams are #8 (play #9 Boise State at 11 a.m.) based on UNM win over Nevada
- Wyoming and Air Force win -- Rams are #7 (play Wyoming at 1:30 p.m.) as no tiebreakers needed
• If CSU loses (7-11):
- New Mexico and Air Force win -- Rams are #8 & play #9 Boise State at 11 a.m. - based straight record (Air Force #6, New Mexico #7)
- Wyoming and Air Force win -- Rams are #8 & play #9 Boise State at 11 a.m. - based on UNM win over Nevada (Air Force #6, New Mexico #7)
- New Mexico and Boise State win -- Rams are #9 & play #8 Boise - tiebreak Utah State - Boise 0-1, CSU 0-2 - (New Mexico #6, Air Force #7)
- Wyoming and Boise State win -- Rams are #8 & play #9 Boise - three-way tie: UNM 2-1, CSU 2-2, Boise 1-2 (Air Force #6, New Mexico #7, Boise #9)

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               39-56       28-19       11-35      0-2
Wyoming                94-136      52-56      39-76     3-4
Totals                  373-429   229-151   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                 0-2          0-1          0-1         -
Wyoming                  1-2           1-0          0-2         -
Totals                    13-26        8-11        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.

Moby Arena Home Court Advantage
• CSU has a record of 553-234 (.703) 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.

Last Time Out...
• Colorado State showed grit and intensity late as they brought league-leader Utah State to the brink before falling in overtime to the visitors, 100-96, Tuesday night in Moby Arena. With the loss, CSU fell to 12-18 including a 7-10 record in Mountain West action, while USU improved to 25-6 and a 15-3 record in league play.
• Down five starting the second half, redshirt-senior J.D. Paige got the Rams off to a hot start, connecting on a pair of three-pointers and free throws cutting the Aggies' lead to just one, 50-49, with 16:43 remaining. Behind a 13-2 run over the next 2:52, Utah State extended to its largest lead of the night at 12 at 63-51. The Rams chipped away at the margin over the next 7:46, capped off by a pair of redshirt-junior Kris Martin free throws to give the Rams their first lead at 76-75. In the game's closing minutes, CSU would tie the game at 80 and 82 before redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho gave the Rams an 86-84 lead with under a minute to play. The Rams would not be able to hold the lead however, as Carvacho fouled out of the game and USU tied the game at 86 with just 19 seconds remaining, with a final CSU shot coming short and sending the game to an extra period.
• The Rams struggled to generate offense early in the overtime period, as Utah State scored eight of the first 10 points, but CSU would not go quietly. A steal by Martin with 29.2 to play and a quick bucket thereafter brought the Rams within two at 96-94. As the game went to the charity stripe, USU sealed the win with four consecutive made free throws.
• Utah State jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead in the game's opening five minutes but the Rams furiously rallied back. Over the next 5:39, CSU outscored the Aggies with a 19-11 run, tying the game at 19 and again at 21. Behind timely three-point shooting from Martin and Paige, the Rams were able to keep the game within range, as Utah State led by as many as seven before entering the break leading CSU, 46-41.
• CSU shot a respectable 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field including an impressive 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from beyond the three-point arc. Conversely, USU shot a stellar 60 percent from the floor (39-of-65) and 37.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc. The Aggies won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding CSU 35-30 on the night.
• Led by Paige's career-high 29 points, CSU had five players score in double figures on the night. Martin added another 20 points and 10 boards, while Carvacho tallied 19 points and nine rebounds. Freshmen Kendle Moore and Adam Thistlewood notched 12 points each. USU's Sam Merrill led all players in scoring with 38.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
• Colorado State couldn't withstand a late UNLV charge, including the game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds to play, and fell on the road 78-76, Wednesday night in the Mountain West opener for both schools. The Rams dropped to 5-9 and 0-1 in conference action, while the Runnin' Rebels improved to 7-6 and 1-0 in the league.
• After leading by as many as 11 with just under 18 minutes to play, CSU was unable to pull away, as the hosts continued to make runs. The Rams held a 73-65 lead with 4:47 to play, but hit just one of seven field goal attempts in the closing minutes as the game was tied twice in the final two minutes, including at 76-all with 1:30 to go. From there, both teams battled with shots falling off the rim until Cheikh Mbacke Diong got the tip in with 1.2 seconds remaining. CSU inbounded the ball but it was knocked away without a shot.
• The teams had two ties and three lead changes in the first 11 minutes of the game, with UNLV holding a four-point lead at 22-18 with 8:51 to play in the first half. From there, CSU went on a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 30-23 lead. Behind 18 points and 12 rebounds in the first 20 minutes from redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho, the Rams eventually built as much as an 11-point advantage late in the period before going into the break with a 43-36 lead. CSU's defense was strong in the first half, holding UNLV to making just two of its last 18 field goal attempts and 25 percent overall from the floor.
• Carvacho finished with a career-high 28 points and game-high 20 rebounds, while redshirt-senior J.D. Paige ended with 20 points. UNLV had five players in double figures with Kris Clyburn and Joel Ntambwe leading the squad with 17 points each.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

Last Year's Meeting in Fort Collins
• The Colorado State men's basketball team could not hold on to its late lead and dropped a 79-74 Mountain West contest to visiting UNLV, 79-74, Jan. 20, 2018.
• After the two teams were tied at 36 at the halftime break, they continued their tight battle throughout the majority of the second half, with the Rams leading from the 16:04 mark until the final minutes. Playing without junior guard Prentiss Nixon due to injury, CSU built as much as a nine-point lead in the second half on three separate occasions, the final coming at 74-65 with 3:42 remaining. However, that lead would not last, as UNLV scored seven points on the next three possessions to cut the lead to just two at the 2:23 mark. The Runnin' Rebels then tied it on Jovan Mooring's two free throws with 1:18 to play and took the lead for good on his three pointers with 29 seconds remaining. After a missed three attempt to tie it, Jordan Johnson hit a pair of free throws to seal CSU's fate.
• In a game that consisted of seven ties and 12 lead changes, including eight lead changes in the first half alone. The largest lead of the opening 20 minutes was five for UNLV, including at 36-31 with 1:12 remaining. However, CSU was able to go on a 5-0 run on a three by redshirt-junior J.D. Paige and a pair of free throws by redshirt-sophomore Raquan Mitchell to close out the first half and tie it at 36 at the intermission.
• CSU finished the game shooting 39.7 percent (27-of-68) from the field compared to UNLV's 45.8 percent (27-of-59). UNLV also held the advantage on three-point shooting, as the Runnin' Rebels shot 34.8 percent (8-of-23) to the Rams' 26.3 percent (5-of-19). The Rams held a slight advantage in rebounding, 39-36, and oustcored the visitors' bench 38-28.
• The Rams had four players score in the double digits, led by Paige's 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Mitchell added a season-high 17 points off the bench to go along with a season-best seven rebounds. Junior Deion James and senior Che Bob chipped in 14 and 12, respectively. Redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho led the Rams with 16 total rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. UNLV was led by forward Shakur Juiston's 19 points and eight rebounds, while Mooring added 17 points in 32 minutes of play.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

National Rankings (Team/Players)
(through March 6, 2019)
Team (Top 70 of 351 Division I teams)
Field Goal Percentage                            48.1         27th
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio                          1.28         53rd
Turnovers (Fewest)                                11.6          54th

Players (top 100 nationally)
Nico Carvacho
Rebounds Per Game                             13.0           1st
Offensive Rebounds Per Game                 3.97          4th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game                9.00         2nd
Double Doubles                                   21            2nd
Field Goal Percentage                            59.3        27th
Total Field Goals Made                           204         43rd

Sharing the Load
• Through 30 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 (10), 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 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 a school-record 21 games and is currently averaging a team-high 16.3 points and a nation-leading 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting a league-best 59.3 percent from the floor (27th in NCAA).
• He has led CSU in rebounding in 28 of 30 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 925 (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 328 and is fourth in CSU career defensive rebounds with 590 (since tracking of the two categories began).
• He is now the leader in Mountain West-only double-doubles with 24, passing San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard (2009-11) and Nevada's Jordan Caroline. His 34 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.      925     Nico Carvacho (97 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.     389     Nico Carvacho (30 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.     119       Nico Carvacho (30 Games)             2018-19
5.     117        Colton Iverson (35 Games)              2012-13

CSU Single-Season Defensive Rebounds
1.      272      Emmanuel Omogbo (36 Games)        2016-17
2.     270      Nico Carvacho (30 Games)             2018-19

CSU Career Double-Doubles
1.      34 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.      927      Jordan Caroline (Nevada, 102 gm) 2016-pres.
3.      925     Nico Carvacho (CSU, 97 gm)      2016-pres.

Mountian West Only Game Career Rebounds
1.      558     Nico Carvacho (CSU)                2016-pres.
2.      474      Jordan Caroline (Nevada)            2016-pres.
3.      460     Luke Nevill (Utah)                        2005-09

Mountain West Career Double-Doubles
1.       44 Jordan Caroline (Nevada)                 2016-pres.
2.      40 Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)                        2009-11
        40 Andrew Bogut (Utah)                         2003-05
4.      34 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.       24 Nico Carvacho (CSU)                     2016-pres.
2.      22 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
Utah State                                 3/5/19     19         11

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 then 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 15.3 points per game (12th in MW), connecting on 46.2 percent from the floor, including 39.3 percent from the arc, as well as 80.5 percent (70-of-87) 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 1,169 career points, ranking 15th in CSU annals. He is also tied for sixth in career games played with 122 and is fourth in career threes made with 161.
Paige's CSU Career Rankings
Games Played                                  122              t-6th
Games Started                                  87                15th
Minutes Played                                 3,432            4th
Points                                             1,169             15th
Three-Pointers Made                          161                4th
Three-Pointers Attempted                    464               5th
Assists                                            281                11th
Steals                                             107               9th

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 three games for the Rams and is questionable for this contest.

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 last two contests due to an ankle injury and is questionable for this game.

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.
• Martin just recorded his first CSU career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Utah State, March 5.
• Martin is fourth at 9.3 points per game, Thistlewood is fifth at 8.8 points per gane and Moore is sixth at 8.7points per game. Thistlewood has scored in double figures in 15 contests, with Moore and Martin each with 10 10+ point games.
• Thistlewood has scored in double figures in each of the last five games, while Martin has 10+ points in the last four games, three of four CSU victories.
• Thistlewood ranks second in the MW in three-point field goal percentage in conference games.
• Moore and Thistlewood are each shooting 78 percent or better from the charity stripe.

Looking Ahead
• The Rams will travel to Las Vegas and play Wednesday (time and opponent TBA) in the opening round of the Air Force Reserve Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center.
• The contest will be televised on Stadium on Mountain West Network via Facebook with Nate Kreckman (play-by-play) and Marty Fletcher (analyst) 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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