The CSU men’s basketball team extended both its season win streak and overall home win streak by defeating UTEP 62-58 Wednesday night in Fort Collins, but it wasn’t easy.
The Miners trailed 19-29 at halftime, but exploded for 39 points in the second half to pressure CSU at the end of the game.
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UTEP took the lead with 3:27 remaining on a layup by sophomore guard Julian Washburn and again 40 seconds later after sophomore McKenzie Moore’s layup, but the Rams responded both times to close out the victory.
CSU finished the final 2:26 of the game on an 8-3 run and held on for the win.
“We all have had enough experience; we don’t get rattled by these situations,” senior Colton Iverson said. “We kept our composure and I thought we did a good job of just squeaking one out.”
Iverson scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds while fellow senior Greg Smith led the team with 18 points.
Washburn poured in 22 for UTEP while the Rams held the Miners’ leading scorer Konner Tucker to three points on 1-6 shooting.
The Rams defense held UTEP to 36.7 percent shooting for the game and forced eight turnovers.
CSU won its sixth consecutive game in the 2012-13 season and extended its winning streak at Moby Arena to 21 games, the fourth longest active streak in the country.
The Rams will next take the court Saturday against the defending Atlantic 10 tournament champion St. Bonaventure at 2:30 pm for their final non-conference game.
