Colorado State (11-0) kept their undefeated record intact and exacted a bit of revenge on Denver (5-6) in the process.
The Rams were upset by the Pioneers in 2013 but this year was a different story as the Rams downed the Pioneers 85-84. Daniel Bejarano led the way for CSU with 25 points. He did not seem to be bothered at all by the sprained ankle he suffered on Saturday against Arkansas-Fort Smith as he poured in six 3-pointers and also added eight rebounds to help CSU beat DU on the boards 31-17.
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Denver’s leading scorer was Brett Olson with 20 points. Jalen Love and Marcus Byrd each chipped in 18 points while going 4-for-6 from downtown.
The Pioneers lived and died by the 3-ball, raining in eight of their first 12 to give them a 37-34 lead going into halftime. They cooled down just a bit in the second half though, finishing 17-for-31 from behind the arc.
CSU’s Tiel Daniels was the x-factor as he was forced to defend on the perimeter more than usual but was able to make the Pioneers pay on the other end with his physicality. He turned in a season-high 20 points while going 6-for-7 from the free-throw line.
J.J. Avila flirted with a triple-double finishing with 10 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. John Gillon added nine points and three assists while coming off the bench.
The Rams will be back at Moby to take on the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (5-4) at 6 p.m. on Monday night.
Collegian Sports Reporter Emmett McCarthy can be reached at sports@collegian.com and on Twitter @emccarthy22.
