Colorado State University Athletics
The Dish: Rams Stung by Overtime Loss to Wyoming
1/31/2022 9:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Loss is second in a row for Rams in conference play
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Right after the game was not time.
Not to talk about missed opportunities. Not to talk about execution mistakes or missed shots. Not after losing the Border War on the road to Wyoming 84-78 in overtime. Monday's game was everything one could have hoped for, save for one thing in the visiting locker room.
The loss. A second straight in Mountain West play, dropping the Rams to 16-3 on the year, 6-3 in conference play. Head coach Niko Medved told his team not to dwell on any of it, an impossible ask after a game which featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties, a game they had a chance to win in the final second of regulation.
"Of course they're dwelling on it. It's just not time for us to go in the locker room and just start talking about all the things and hashing them out," Medved said. "We all do. It freaking stinks. It was a huge opportunity for us and we were right there."
With 9.8 seconds remaining and leading 69-68, Colorado State wanted to work the clock, but point guard Isaiah Stevens couldn't find an opening and the Rams took a shot-clock violation. Medved wasn't sure what happened, and he even questioned himself if he should have taken a timeout in the sequence, which he doesn't like to do.
Stevens, who scored 17 points and distributed five assists, made no excuses.
"I just lost track of time and we didn't execute like we were supposed to," he said. "It was the action we had drawn up that we started doing, then there was a second piece, but we didn't get to it."
Stevens looked mad, not distraught. So did John Tonje when the duo met with the media. The loss hurt, and it was going to make the bus ride south feel a lot longer.
They were going to think about Hunter Maldonado backing down every CSU defender into the paint, working his way to 35 points, but it was also his seven assists. That's what Medved said was the kicker. They forced Maldonado into eight turnovers, but he also has the ability to find the open shooter, which he did when he spotted Drake Jeffries for a dagger 3 in overtime with 19 seconds to go, putting Wyoming up 81-76.
"I feel like with their offense, he can take as many dribbles as he likes," said Tonje, who came off the bench to score 15 on the night. "At the end of the day, that's' what they do and that their brand of basketball, and we have to live with that."
After losing to UNLV at home in a packed Moby Arena last Friday, the Rams said they needed a response. Medved certainly isn't going to question the heart or fight of his team; there was plenty of that on the court.
The execution, well, that's where he knows his team is going to question itself. He doesn't want them to. He doesn't want David Roddy, who led the team with 23 points to beat himself over two missed free throws, one the front end of a one-and-one late, the other with a chance to give the Rams the lead with 1 second on the clock in regulation. He hit the first to tie the game, staring down a rowdy Wyoming student section and noise levels in the Arena Auditorium at deafening levels.
It won't do him any good, Medved said. Nor will Stevens overplaying the shot-clock violation over and over again. At least not in the moment, in an emotional state. That's why practice and film sessions are held.
"All these guys feel bad. David Roddy, nobody is going to feel worse than him," Medved said. "But you know what? We don't even have a chance to win the game if it's not for David Roddy. You miss free throws, you miss shots. Things happen. Again, we've got to just move on."
The loss doesn't make Friday's game with San Diego State any bigger, nor would a win on Monday have made it any less important.
But the sting, that was real. Especially in the moment.
Not to talk about missed opportunities. Not to talk about execution mistakes or missed shots. Not after losing the Border War on the road to Wyoming 84-78 in overtime. Monday's game was everything one could have hoped for, save for one thing in the visiting locker room.
The loss. A second straight in Mountain West play, dropping the Rams to 16-3 on the year, 6-3 in conference play. Head coach Niko Medved told his team not to dwell on any of it, an impossible ask after a game which featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties, a game they had a chance to win in the final second of regulation.
"Of course they're dwelling on it. It's just not time for us to go in the locker room and just start talking about all the things and hashing them out," Medved said. "We all do. It freaking stinks. It was a huge opportunity for us and we were right there."
With 9.8 seconds remaining and leading 69-68, Colorado State wanted to work the clock, but point guard Isaiah Stevens couldn't find an opening and the Rams took a shot-clock violation. Medved wasn't sure what happened, and he even questioned himself if he should have taken a timeout in the sequence, which he doesn't like to do.
Stevens, who scored 17 points and distributed five assists, made no excuses.
"I just lost track of time and we didn't execute like we were supposed to," he said. "It was the action we had drawn up that we started doing, then there was a second piece, but we didn't get to it."
Stevens looked mad, not distraught. So did John Tonje when the duo met with the media. The loss hurt, and it was going to make the bus ride south feel a lot longer.
They were going to think about Hunter Maldonado backing down every CSU defender into the paint, working his way to 35 points, but it was also his seven assists. That's what Medved said was the kicker. They forced Maldonado into eight turnovers, but he also has the ability to find the open shooter, which he did when he spotted Drake Jeffries for a dagger 3 in overtime with 19 seconds to go, putting Wyoming up 81-76.
"I feel like with their offense, he can take as many dribbles as he likes," said Tonje, who came off the bench to score 15 on the night. "At the end of the day, that's' what they do and that their brand of basketball, and we have to live with that."
After losing to UNLV at home in a packed Moby Arena last Friday, the Rams said they needed a response. Medved certainly isn't going to question the heart or fight of his team; there was plenty of that on the court.
The execution, well, that's where he knows his team is going to question itself. He doesn't want them to. He doesn't want David Roddy, who led the team with 23 points to beat himself over two missed free throws, one the front end of a one-and-one late, the other with a chance to give the Rams the lead with 1 second on the clock in regulation. He hit the first to tie the game, staring down a rowdy Wyoming student section and noise levels in the Arena Auditorium at deafening levels.
It won't do him any good, Medved said. Nor will Stevens overplaying the shot-clock violation over and over again. At least not in the moment, in an emotional state. That's why practice and film sessions are held.
"All these guys feel bad. David Roddy, nobody is going to feel worse than him," Medved said. "But you know what? We don't even have a chance to win the game if it's not for David Roddy. You miss free throws, you miss shots. Things happen. Again, we've got to just move on."
The loss doesn't make Friday's game with San Diego State any bigger, nor would a win on Monday have made it any less important.
But the sting, that was real. Especially in the moment.
Players Mentioned
Colorado State Basketball (M): Ali Farokhmanesh Post-Game (Boise State)
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Colorado State Basketball (M): Kyle Jorgensen (L) & Jevin Muniz (R) Post-Game (Boise State)
Saturday, March 07
Rams Live: Jevin Muniz MBB Senior Spotlight
Friday, March 06
Rams Live: Ali Farokhmanesh Boise State Pregame Preview
Friday, March 06