Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, December 9
Fort Collins, CO
4:30 PM
Colorado State
9-1,0-0Mountain West
61
vs
64
Saint Mary's
5-5,0-0WCC
1
2
F
Saint Mary's (CA)
33
31
64
Colorado St.
32
29
61
Rams Misfire at End to Suffer First Loss
12/9/2023 8:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Team off target in front of sold-out crowd
Not much about the season has been normal. The flip side, most everything in terms of competition has been outstanding for Colorado State's men's basketball team
Â
Saturday night was an off night, plain and simple. From the top on down. Aspects which had proven true time and time again did not appear in front of a sold-out Moby Arena as the Rams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 64-61 loss to Saint Mary's.
Â
Entering the game, the Gaels were not shooting well, or living up to the preseason hype which had made them the favorite in the West Coast Conference. Entering the afternoon, the Rams were one of the best shooting teams in the country – third, to be exact, at 53.5 percent – and were exceeding prognostications by climbing the charts to be ranked No. 12/13, an all-time program high.
Â
Naturally, the Gaels found their touch and hit the big shots when needed, the Rams did not.
Â
"This one stings. I knew the kind of game it was going to be; it's kind of everything you expect when you play Saint Mary's," CSU coach Niko Medved said. "I thought our guys fought. We were up one with three-something to go and we just couldn't make enough plays to get the job done.
Â
"It was one of those nights. That's a terrific defensive team. I thought our flow wasn't very good, probably tried to do a little bit too much one-on-one at times, and that's difficult to do against them. You really have to trust what you're doing."
Â
Which seems odd coming from a coach with a veteran squad. The Rams shot just 36.7 percent in the game while Saint Mary's hit at 49 percent. The Rams were just 5-of-18 from deep, adding to their off night.
Â
Even the game was odd for Isaiah Stevens, the team's gold standard of consistency. While he produced 20 points, he uncharacteristically had more turnovers than assists (6-3), and as one would expect from a respected floor leader – fair or not -- he shouldered much of what ailed his team.
Â
Having played Saint Mary's a handful of times in his career and carrying a good understanding of what the Gaels do defensively, he said it just didn't click and he didn't find a way to aid the cause.
Â
"I don't feel like we necessarily helped ourselves with our flow tonight, which is something we're typically really good at. Sometimes that happens, and just in the moment, cane we regroup and bounce back?
Â
"I think just trust it. Not only myself but all of us, just continuing to understand what we do on a daily basis works. We've seen it work. When it gets tough and when you're playing these good games against other really good teams, you're going to have to grind a little bit more through that. I feel we can be more mature in that sense, and that starts with me as the point guard, making sure we're organized, doing what were supposed to do."
Â
While the Rams are a veteran squad with Stevens at the point, they are also a different team currently. They had just two bench points – a put-back by Javonte Johnson in the first half – but part of the bench is out, another segment is now in the starting lineup due to injury and two of them are true freshmen learning as the season progresses.
Â
One doesn't always outweigh the other.
Â
"I think both can be true. I think that also what happens when you look at this year, when you're moving guys into a different role when you have two main guys out, those guys who were your bench guys all the sudden become a different role, and maybe that attributes to it a little bit," Medved said. "I think there's two ways to look at it. It's a factor, but it also allow those guys to get experience. That's' a man's game out there today now."
Â
The one place the Rams held an advantage was when they could get out and run, scoring 18 fast-break points. Nique Clifford tallied a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Patrick Cartier closed with 16.
Â
What was there, they felt just wasn't there enough. It was, well, off.
Â
"Shots weren't falling for us, but we have to rely on our defense on those types of nights when we're not hitting shots like we usually do," Clifford said. "Our offense was stagnant. We just have to get back to the drawing board and get better."
Â
Saint Mary's was physical, as usual. The Gaels also had to find scoring from other avenues, as the Rams held leaders Aidan Mahaney and Mitchell Saxan below their normal output. But Ausustus Marciulionis led them with 18 points (double what he was doing) and Josh Jefferson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds and hit one of the bigger shots for his team.
Â
Trailing 55-46, the Rams went on a run to tie the game at 55-all with 4:08 remaining off a pair of Stevens' free throws, and for the next few minutes, it was back and forth in a game with nine lead changes. Jefferson created the separation.
Â
First, he hit a hook shot in the lane for a 58-57 lead, and after a CSU turnover, the Rams played stellar defense on the next possession, creating a held ball with 2 seconds on the shot clock. What transpired off the inbound play was Jefferson would eventually get open on the win and hit a 3, just his second in the game on five tries.
Â
"We guarded it exactly the way we wanted. I think he was 2-of-whatever," Medved said. "We guarded it a way, and give that kid credit, he hit two big 3s tonight. Marciulionis made two big 3s that way, but that was a huge play in the game. We kind of knew where they were going to try to go to Ducas or whatever, quick shot; we took that away and we helped a little bit on his drive and give the kid credit, he knocked down a huge 3 when they had to have it."
Â
Down 64-61, the Rams had a few more chances to tie the game, but Steven's 3 from the wing was off, and after an offensive rebound, Clifford couldn't get his look to fall. Stevens felt he may have rushed the shot, but his resume is filled with making those shots. Medved liked the look Clifford had the second time, it just didn't fall.
Â
The Rams did, and their coach will react accordingly, making of it was it was on that night. Nothing more, nothing less than an off night and a chance to grow with eight days off until the next game.
Â
Â
Saturday night was an off night, plain and simple. From the top on down. Aspects which had proven true time and time again did not appear in front of a sold-out Moby Arena as the Rams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 64-61 loss to Saint Mary's.
Â
Entering the game, the Gaels were not shooting well, or living up to the preseason hype which had made them the favorite in the West Coast Conference. Entering the afternoon, the Rams were one of the best shooting teams in the country – third, to be exact, at 53.5 percent – and were exceeding prognostications by climbing the charts to be ranked No. 12/13, an all-time program high.
Â
Naturally, the Gaels found their touch and hit the big shots when needed, the Rams did not.
Â
"This one stings. I knew the kind of game it was going to be; it's kind of everything you expect when you play Saint Mary's," CSU coach Niko Medved said. "I thought our guys fought. We were up one with three-something to go and we just couldn't make enough plays to get the job done.
Â
"It was one of those nights. That's a terrific defensive team. I thought our flow wasn't very good, probably tried to do a little bit too much one-on-one at times, and that's difficult to do against them. You really have to trust what you're doing."
Â
Which seems odd coming from a coach with a veteran squad. The Rams shot just 36.7 percent in the game while Saint Mary's hit at 49 percent. The Rams were just 5-of-18 from deep, adding to their off night.
Â
Even the game was odd for Isaiah Stevens, the team's gold standard of consistency. While he produced 20 points, he uncharacteristically had more turnovers than assists (6-3), and as one would expect from a respected floor leader – fair or not -- he shouldered much of what ailed his team.
Â
Having played Saint Mary's a handful of times in his career and carrying a good understanding of what the Gaels do defensively, he said it just didn't click and he didn't find a way to aid the cause.
Â
"I don't feel like we necessarily helped ourselves with our flow tonight, which is something we're typically really good at. Sometimes that happens, and just in the moment, cane we regroup and bounce back?
Â
"I think just trust it. Not only myself but all of us, just continuing to understand what we do on a daily basis works. We've seen it work. When it gets tough and when you're playing these good games against other really good teams, you're going to have to grind a little bit more through that. I feel we can be more mature in that sense, and that starts with me as the point guard, making sure we're organized, doing what were supposed to do."
Â
While the Rams are a veteran squad with Stevens at the point, they are also a different team currently. They had just two bench points – a put-back by Javonte Johnson in the first half – but part of the bench is out, another segment is now in the starting lineup due to injury and two of them are true freshmen learning as the season progresses.
Â
One doesn't always outweigh the other.
Â
"I think both can be true. I think that also what happens when you look at this year, when you're moving guys into a different role when you have two main guys out, those guys who were your bench guys all the sudden become a different role, and maybe that attributes to it a little bit," Medved said. "I think there's two ways to look at it. It's a factor, but it also allow those guys to get experience. That's' a man's game out there today now."
Â
The one place the Rams held an advantage was when they could get out and run, scoring 18 fast-break points. Nique Clifford tallied a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Patrick Cartier closed with 16.
Â
What was there, they felt just wasn't there enough. It was, well, off.
Â
"Shots weren't falling for us, but we have to rely on our defense on those types of nights when we're not hitting shots like we usually do," Clifford said. "Our offense was stagnant. We just have to get back to the drawing board and get better."
Â
Saint Mary's was physical, as usual. The Gaels also had to find scoring from other avenues, as the Rams held leaders Aidan Mahaney and Mitchell Saxan below their normal output. But Ausustus Marciulionis led them with 18 points (double what he was doing) and Josh Jefferson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds and hit one of the bigger shots for his team.
Â
Trailing 55-46, the Rams went on a run to tie the game at 55-all with 4:08 remaining off a pair of Stevens' free throws, and for the next few minutes, it was back and forth in a game with nine lead changes. Jefferson created the separation.
Â
First, he hit a hook shot in the lane for a 58-57 lead, and after a CSU turnover, the Rams played stellar defense on the next possession, creating a held ball with 2 seconds on the shot clock. What transpired off the inbound play was Jefferson would eventually get open on the win and hit a 3, just his second in the game on five tries.
Â
"We guarded it exactly the way we wanted. I think he was 2-of-whatever," Medved said. "We guarded it a way, and give that kid credit, he hit two big 3s tonight. Marciulionis made two big 3s that way, but that was a huge play in the game. We kind of knew where they were going to try to go to Ducas or whatever, quick shot; we took that away and we helped a little bit on his drive and give the kid credit, he knocked down a huge 3 when they had to have it."
Â
Down 64-61, the Rams had a few more chances to tie the game, but Steven's 3 from the wing was off, and after an offensive rebound, Clifford couldn't get his look to fall. Stevens felt he may have rushed the shot, but his resume is filled with making those shots. Medved liked the look Clifford had the second time, it just didn't fall.
Â
The Rams did, and their coach will react accordingly, making of it was it was on that night. Nothing more, nothing less than an off night and a chance to grow with eight days off until the next game.
Â
Team Stats
SMC
CSU
FG%
.490
.367
3FG%
.292
.278
FT%
.583
.870
RB
33
29
TO
13
11
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballColorado State Basketball (M): Season 1 - Ep. 1
Sunday, August 10
Ramily - CSU Men's Basketball
Tuesday, August 05
Ram Line - Shoot Around with Josh Pascarelli & Darnez Slater (MBB)
Monday, August 04
Behind the White Board - Ken DeWeese
Monday, August 04