No greater rivalry exists in Fort Collins than the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

For Colorado State men’s basketball, the volume of a true Moby Madness propelled the Rams to victory 91-86 Saturday over Colorado. The Buffs looked rattled at times, but the crowd erupted after every made 3 by the Rams, elevating Josh Pascarelli to eight 3-pointers off just 1o attempts. Off better perimeter shooting volume, CSU withstood CU’s greater scoring efficiency and paint presence.

Just a year since a disappointing 72-55 Ram loss in Boulder, head coach Ali Farokhmanesh cleaned the slate against the Buffs, starting 1-0 in his tenure against the rivals.

CSU stays composed to the buzzer

Despite the back-and-forth nature of the second half, the Rams hit nearly every shot in the final several minutes, displaying the ability to finish out tough games even without one of their best defensive players: Rashaan Mbemba.

Kyle Jorgensen and Pascarelli were among the clutch shooters on the night, as they typically have been, but Jevin Muniz also stepped up with a pair of reverse layups to keep the game equalized. And while the defense wasn’t exactly steadfast throughout the contest, the offense made up for it when it mattered most.

Pascarelli’s offensive ascension, especially in the clutch, has been a big boost in closing out games, but the overall effort of a team that hasn’t had much time together in the final minutes of play so far this season is encouraging for the Rams.

3-point imbalance

The difference came from beyond the arc.

And Pascarelli continues to headline a group of deep shooters who have flourished behind 3-point runs. CSU has had limited options around the rim outside of, mainly, Carey Booth and Augustinas Kiudulas, but Jorgensen and CSU’s guards kept the Rams in it off much better volume from deep.

The passing ability of the Rams has improved since the beginning of the season, and passing lanes look more connected, leading to more open looks for bigger scoring opportunities. And while cracks have shown at certain times this season, an overall good run in the Bahamas and a win in return to Fort Collins has CSU on the up.

Bench keeps Buffs in it

The first-year duo of Isaiah Johnson and Alon Michaeli revived CU’s offense out of half, with Michaeli playing well the whole game and scoring a team-high 19 points. Johnson posted 17 points of his own with many of those coming near the end of the game.

And CU’s depth showed up in big ways which wasn’t quite matched by the Rams. The Buff’s bench outscored CSU’s 56-15, providing a buffer in rotation.

Boyle is known for recruiting young talent well in his 16-year tenure with the Buffs, and it looks like that’s already showing up this season.

CU makes most of opportunities

Despite the tough environment of a packed Moby, the Buffs scored well, shooting 62% from the field as opposed to CSU’s 54%.

CU stayed composed for the most part and didn’t see a true breakdown it couldn’t climb back from. The length and height CU head coach tad Boyle recruited made interior matchups tough for the Rams at times, and it will likely continue to do so as the season progresses.

The Buffs scored a 56 points in the paint, outproducing near the rim by 36 points.

Slump out of half

After maintaining the lead for the majority of the first half, CU came out of the break with efficiency, pushing to a 16-0 run at one point and forcing over 5-minutes of scoring drought for the Rams.

Pascarelli broke that spell with a 3-pointer, and the Rams rallied from there, keeping the game tight to the end.

But compared to the relative lead CSU kept in the first half, CU rallied back with power.

Next up

CSU will face Dartmouth next at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 back in Moby.

Interested in more sports content? Sign up for Ram Report here for weekly CSU sports updates!

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.