CSU men’s basketball powers past Cal Poly for third straight over 90-point win

Colorado State men’s basketball might not have a standout star like Nique Clifford anymore, but instead of a player stepping up in his place, the entire team rose.

The Rams debuted another fast-paced, aggressive 93-79 win against Cal Poly — a team CSU had only faced and won against once in 1972.

Now, in the 2025 season, both teams were on a two-game win streak, meaning Wednesday had to break someone’s record. And after an powerful matchup, the Rams continued to build their streak as the nonconference season progresses.

“I think (the players) are really starting to trust each other more and more,” head coach Ali Farokhmanesh said. “For them to go 25 assists on 29 field goals again, and on that, our first game that Monday, we went 22 (assists) of 29 (field goals). … It also shows they can trust each other, but they also can take what’s given to them, too.”

This win marks the third for CSU that surpasses 90 points.

In each of their games, the Rams have found ways to exploit their opponents, and with the Mustangs sitting in the middle, CSU was forced not only to shoot, but sink a lot of 3’s. And right off the bat, that’s what it set out to do.

“We knew it was gonna be hard to score in the paint tonight,” Farokhmanesh said. “It’s nice when you have a Josh Pascarelli and Brandon Rechsteiner, and then Jase Butler comes in and goes 2-for-4, and then Kyle (Jorgensen) — in his 10 minutes — goes 1-for-1. … There’s contributions across the board.”

Despite CPU not letting up too much of the lead, the Rams’ strong start pushed them ahead from the beginning.

Jevin Muniz, Rechsteiner and Pascarelli got the ball rolling with the 3’s, Pascarelli especially, as he quickly fell into being the team leader for the night. He led in points with 22 and had a dunk in the second half that sent Ram fans into a frenzy.

“We’re a really talented team, and we have a lot of different guys that can step up,” Butler said. “Carey’s been playing great for us. Josh was playing great. But I know any of the night could be (Muniz’s) night, where he’s going a lot, or Brandon’s again. So I think that’s just the best part about this team, just the depth.”

As Butler said, CSU is a team of talent, not just from the starters.

Because when it became a battle of the starters, CSU had its hidden weapon: the power from the bench.

“I thought our bench was tremendous again, like a huge spark for our guys, with toughness and the physicality,” Farokhmanesh said. “I thought that’s what changed the game, once we were able to run in transition.”

Butler proved to be essential in the momentum of the game. From the moment he stepped on the court, he chipped in a few points and two assists of his own, but most importantly, continued to build off of the quick environment, grabbing two of the Rams’ seven steals — all in just the first half.

In a team that’s only had a few games together, the chemistry on the court could fool most people into thinking that they’ve played together anywhere from multiple games to years.

“We’re a team, a bunch of new guys all playing together,” Butler said. “We’re going on the road this upcoming weekend, so I think (this game) really prepared us just to have, you know, all different types of teams coming home and (playing) us.”

Butler finished off the game tied for second on CSU’s side in points with 13, having a more stagnant second half, but productive nonetheless.

Meanwhile, leaders like Kyle Jorgensen had a slower game, as he didn’t score till there were nine minutes left in the first half. But he still had his moments, adding a perfect clinching 3 to end the first half, as he raced to beat the shot clock.

“I wanted to see some of the fight from the guys,” Farokhmanesh said. “I knew we had it, but it was good for everybody else to see it too, like they don’t back down to anybody. … So it was good to see that, and good to see them fight through it.”

All but two players who went on the court scored for the team, reinstating the power of a solid, well-rounded team. At any moment, a player may need to be put in a new position, whether that’s due to injury or just what’s best for the team.

And especially against the Mustangs, CSU continued to showcase its versatility. And even if it was 52 years ago that the teams faced off against each other, the Rams continue the streak as they get ready to hit the road for the first time this season.

“Our team hasn’t really experienced a fast-paced offense like that, where they’re just gunning the ball,” Butler said. “But I think we adjusted well, and we kept fighting. We had the spur where we had the technical fouls. … But I think we just kept overpowering, and over the game they just wore out.”

Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @sophgwebb.

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