Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, January 9
Fort Collins, CO
8:00 p.m.
Colorado State
11-5,2-3Mountain West
70
vs
62
UNLV
7-8,2-2Mountain West
1
2
F
UNLV
29
33
62
Colorado St.
32
38
70
Photo by: CSU Athletics Communications
Getting Back Up: CSU Learns to Rise Again
1/9/2026 11:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Rams tack on second conference win against UNLV
When it comes to getting up again, Colorado State looked never fall back.
In their fifth conference game of the season, the Rams sat 1-3. But with the loss of major contributor Kyle Jorgensen, the curve was expected to be difficult to surmount. But Friday's win of 70-62 against UNLV soon became a scrappy fight for the upper hand. One of those fighters was Rashaan Mbemba who had his first game back.
Finally recovered from an unrelenting injury, Mbemba brought what he has been known for: the energy. Though he eventually fouled out, the 6-foot-7 junior contributed 11 points and stats that went beyond the box score.
"Obviously Rashaan was huge," Coach Ali Farokhmanesh said. "It's not always the box score or the numbers — and he played well too — but just his presence. I think the intensity that he brings, the joy that he plays with, you felt all that. And then, the physicality, I think you just felt it."
Something uncharacteristic was the start. Before a UNLV make, CSU was 9-0 after three consecutive 3s from Josh Pascarelli and Brandon Rechsteiner. Pascarelli's two put him up to 1,000 career points five minutes into the game.
When it came to looking for that energy out of the half, it wasn't nearly as productive. Coming from a three-point lead, there were three straight turnovers from CSU leading to a 6-0 run from UNLV.
Farokhmanesh called a timeout and soon the free throws from the relentless fouling on the other side of the floor turned the tide.
"Yeah, you know, we know we can play a lot better," Jevin Muniz said. "But in games like this, you just got to find a way to win. You know, we didn't play our best basketball, but we found a way to win."
Muniz caught two fouls early but found his way back to the court for a game-sealing turn of events. He had a jumper from mid, a layup then a steal all leading to the Rams gaining the lead which they could sustain for the last two minutes of the game.
Finding any way to contribute was what differentiated the Rams from games past.
"It's really hard to come back after sitting on the bench for that long and be ready to make an impact, and then you go plus 18 after that," Farokhmanesh said. "I was proud of him, we've been talking about moving on to the next play, and he's such a passionate kid, and he wants to win so bad that sometimes he'll get in his own way. I thought tonight he let go of that stuff and just made the next play, and it showed up, we needed him."
The "rock fight" Farokhmanesh kept citing after the final buzzer sounded was evident in the 46 personal fouls combined at the end of the contest.
And the tumultuous nature of the league isn't lost on the players. Even to ones who are in their first year in the Mountain West.
"I mean it's one of the best leagues in the country," Carey Booth said. "So, as long as you stay the course and keep making sure that you're getting better as the season goes on and you're playing your best basketball towards the end, I think that will be fine. But, if you go into games and you're not ready to play, you're going to get smacked."
That composure and readiness is something which has been irresolute for the three loses the Rams have been handed in conference play.
Getting up again after a missed layup. Shaking it off when a pass becomes a steal. Learning to breathe deeply at the pressure of the free throw line. All habits built in the safe confines of practice need to show up when they are needed most.
"I thought our habits under pressure held up longer, and I think that's what we've been talking about; that pressure can make you lose your habits and it can make you lose your discipline," Farokhmanesh said. "We've had times where that's happened to us, and there were sometimes it happened tonight, too, but that's going to be the name of the game. Can you keep your habits when pressure hits? I thought for the most part we did a good job of that, and the last three minutes we did a great job."
Now it becomes taking those last three minutes deeper into conference play. It wasn't a pretty game, but basketball rarely rewards pretty. Friday became about hanging on when everything felt shaky and getting knocked down was par for the course.
And on a night where the Rams were hit hardest, they answered with the one thing they've been searching for and practicing: the grit to get back up again and keep fighting.
In their fifth conference game of the season, the Rams sat 1-3. But with the loss of major contributor Kyle Jorgensen, the curve was expected to be difficult to surmount. But Friday's win of 70-62 against UNLV soon became a scrappy fight for the upper hand. One of those fighters was Rashaan Mbemba who had his first game back.
Finally recovered from an unrelenting injury, Mbemba brought what he has been known for: the energy. Though he eventually fouled out, the 6-foot-7 junior contributed 11 points and stats that went beyond the box score.
"Obviously Rashaan was huge," Coach Ali Farokhmanesh said. "It's not always the box score or the numbers — and he played well too — but just his presence. I think the intensity that he brings, the joy that he plays with, you felt all that. And then, the physicality, I think you just felt it."
Something uncharacteristic was the start. Before a UNLV make, CSU was 9-0 after three consecutive 3s from Josh Pascarelli and Brandon Rechsteiner. Pascarelli's two put him up to 1,000 career points five minutes into the game.
When it came to looking for that energy out of the half, it wasn't nearly as productive. Coming from a three-point lead, there were three straight turnovers from CSU leading to a 6-0 run from UNLV.
Farokhmanesh called a timeout and soon the free throws from the relentless fouling on the other side of the floor turned the tide.
"Yeah, you know, we know we can play a lot better," Jevin Muniz said. "But in games like this, you just got to find a way to win. You know, we didn't play our best basketball, but we found a way to win."
Muniz caught two fouls early but found his way back to the court for a game-sealing turn of events. He had a jumper from mid, a layup then a steal all leading to the Rams gaining the lead which they could sustain for the last two minutes of the game.
Finding any way to contribute was what differentiated the Rams from games past.
"It's really hard to come back after sitting on the bench for that long and be ready to make an impact, and then you go plus 18 after that," Farokhmanesh said. "I was proud of him, we've been talking about moving on to the next play, and he's such a passionate kid, and he wants to win so bad that sometimes he'll get in his own way. I thought tonight he let go of that stuff and just made the next play, and it showed up, we needed him."
The "rock fight" Farokhmanesh kept citing after the final buzzer sounded was evident in the 46 personal fouls combined at the end of the contest.
And the tumultuous nature of the league isn't lost on the players. Even to ones who are in their first year in the Mountain West.
"I mean it's one of the best leagues in the country," Carey Booth said. "So, as long as you stay the course and keep making sure that you're getting better as the season goes on and you're playing your best basketball towards the end, I think that will be fine. But, if you go into games and you're not ready to play, you're going to get smacked."
That composure and readiness is something which has been irresolute for the three loses the Rams have been handed in conference play.
Getting up again after a missed layup. Shaking it off when a pass becomes a steal. Learning to breathe deeply at the pressure of the free throw line. All habits built in the safe confines of practice need to show up when they are needed most.
"I thought our habits under pressure held up longer, and I think that's what we've been talking about; that pressure can make you lose your habits and it can make you lose your discipline," Farokhmanesh said. "We've had times where that's happened to us, and there were sometimes it happened tonight, too, but that's going to be the name of the game. Can you keep your habits when pressure hits? I thought for the most part we did a good job of that, and the last three minutes we did a great job."
Now it becomes taking those last three minutes deeper into conference play. It wasn't a pretty game, but basketball rarely rewards pretty. Friday became about hanging on when everything felt shaky and getting knocked down was par for the course.
And on a night where the Rams were hit hardest, they answered with the one thing they've been searching for and practicing: the grit to get back up again and keep fighting.
Team Stats
UNLV
CSU
FG%
.408
.435
3FG%
.350
.429
FT%
.600
.700
RB
29
34
TO
16
15
STL
9
7
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballColorado State Basketball (M):Carey Booth (L) & Jevin Muniz (R) Post-Game (UNLV)
Friday, January 09
Colorado State Basketball (M): Ali Farokhmanesh Post-Game (New Mexico)
Tuesday, January 06
Colorado State Basketball (M): Jase Butler (L) & Auggie Kiudulas (R) Post-Game (New Mexico)
Tuesday, January 06
Colorado State Basketball (M): Ali Farkohmanesh Post-Game (Nevada)
Tuesday, December 30