Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
21-13,11-9Mountain West
Saint Joseph's
23-11,13-5Atlantic 10
Rams Unable to Grasp Win, As Season Ends
3/19/2026 12:49:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CSU men’s basketball season ends in opening round of NIT
FORT COLLINS, Colo.  – A game that stayed just out of the grasp for Colorado State all night led to the end of the 2025-26 season. The Rams fell in the opening round of the NIT, 69-64, to Saint Joseph's.
How It Happened
Colorado State showed some postseason nerves early on, committing six turnovers by the 8:09 mark of the first half and trailing by 11 with 7:00 minutes left on the clock. CSU settled down after that, cutting the deficit to five by halftime, including a 7-0 run in that span.
The game settled into a four- to seven-point lead for the Hawks for most of the second half. Every time the Rams got within two possessions, SJU responded with a stop and a timely basket.
Saint Joseph's built its lead back to 11 points with 7:02 remaining. Like they had done all season, CSU battled back with a 14-3 run, tying the game with 1:24 on the clock.
A end of the shot clock 3-pointer put SJU back up for good inside the final minute. The Rams had a shot to tie the game with 11.1 seconds on the clock, but Rashaan Mbemba's shot inside the paint rattled off the rim and into the Hawks' hands to end the game. Â
Game Notes
- Jevin Muniz finished his college career with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night. The senior finished fifth in program history for single-season assists with 167.
- The 21 wins by the Rams and head coach Ali Farokhmanesh are the third-most by a first-year head coach in program history.
- Two other Rams finished the game in double digits scoring in Jase Butler (11) and Carey Booth (10).
- Butler reached double figures in scoring in the final eight games of the season.
