Conference play has been anything but stable for Colorado State men’s basketball.
The Rams have already seen both ends of it. Games where the ball moves freely, shots fall early and the offense looks nearly impossible to guard. And others where sustained pressure takes away that freedom, forcing rushed decisions and uncomfortable possessions. Add in injuries, a roster still learning itself and a first-year head coach navigating league play for the first time, and the result has been a Mountain West start defined more by adjustment than rhythm.
Friday night fit that pattern.
Against a UNLV team intent on crowding the ball and shrinking the floor, the Rams leaned on defense, physicality and late-game adaptability down the stretch to secure a 70-62 “rock fight” win over UNLV at Moby Arena.
The context mattered, too.
Rashaan Mbemba returned to the lineup after missing time, and Kyle Jorgensen, one of CSU’s most consistent contributors, remained out. And after a stingy loss to New Mexico earlier in the week, the Rams were again facing a familiar challenge: how to respond when opponents decide to take away space first and shots second.
UNLV tested that immediately.
Ball pressure disrupted timing, passing lanes closed quickly and Running Rebels got hands on ball. The Rams did not consistently solve that pressure, but they stayed connected long enough for other parts of the game to carry weight.
“I thought our habits under pressure held up longer,” head coach Ali Farokhmanesh said. “And I think that’s what we’ve been talking about, also, that pressure can make you lose your habits. That can make you lose your discipline. … And I thought for the most part, we did a good job of that. In the last three minutes, we did a great job.”
The Rams never fully pulled away, but they never fully fractured either.
Josh Pascarelli opened the game by knocking down two 3’s, sparking a 9-0 run before the Running Rebels took more control. Brandon Rechsteiner attacked gaps when UNLV overplayed passing lanes and finished with a team-high 15 points. And Carey Booth added 13, hitting all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The Rams shot 42.9% from three and went 21-of-30 from the free throw line, enough to stay afloat on a night when offensive flow came and went.
Mbemba’s presence changed the physical tone. Though his scoring was limited, his impact showed up in contact, rebounding and trips to the line, especially as UNLV’s fouls mounted late.
“I mean, obviously (Mbemba)’s a seasoned player here,” Booth said. “His impact is undeniable, like, just the way he screens and his physicality just brings another level (to) the game. Like, he shot 10 free throws. And he honestly was probably part of the reason why we got in the bonus. So obviously, his impact physically and setting screens and getting fouled, that’s what I’d say,”
That physicality became more important as the game tightened.
CSU committed three straight turnovers early in the second half while UNLV stayed within striking distance even with four players in foul trouble with under five minutes remaining. After Mbemba fouled out with just over a minute to play, a critical offensive rebound briefly threatened the Rams’ control.
But they answered with defense.
A late switch to zone disrupted UNLV’s driving lanes and started to force turnovers, an adjustment that Farokhmanesh made after the game tilted toward the paint.
“To be honest, there were some calls that I didn’t think were fouls that happened, so I didn’t want to deal with that anymore,” Farokhmanesh said. “And so we went to two (zone defense), and they’re not, they’re not the best shooting team in our league. … I wish we would have got to do it earlier, to be honest, but I’m glad we did it. It was the first time it looked good, to be honest.”
Nikola Djapa finished key possessions late in the game as Mbemba fouled out, showcasing improvement in his awareness from last year to this season when it mattered. And Jase Butler stepped up down the stretch after a quiet start to the game.
The crowd mirrored that response with minutes left after CSU took a two-possession lead and started exerting its willpower.
In a MW season that has already produced uneven results across the league, nights like Friday have taken on added weight. Teams are learning each other quickly, game plans shift week to week and c omfort does not last long.
For CSU, that reality has been amplified by change.
A new head coach. A roster still building chemistry. Injuries forcing lineup adjustments. Opponents starting to identify how to make the Rams uncomfortable.
“I thought that was the first time we won a game where it was a true rock fight,” Farokhmanesh said. “I think we won shootouts when our offense is good, when both teams are kind of flowing, we’ve won those games. But that’s the first rock fight that we’ve won. So,I’m really proud of our guys for the way they fought tonight.”
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Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.
