Rams blowout exhibition win against Adams State

Taylor Paumen and Karsyn Lane

November 1, 2021

Colorado State guard John Tonje dribbles the ball away from Adams State defenders Oct 31 — Colorado State guard John Tonje dribbles the ball away from Adams State defenders Oct. 31. The Rams beat the Grizzlies 92-55 in Moby Arena for their first home action of the season. (Gregory James | The Collegian)

The Colorado State University men’s basketball team kicked off their 2021-22 season in Moby Arena against Adams State University Oct. 31 for an exhibition game. The Rams dominated the Grizzlies in a blowout 92-55, bringing the energy of basketball back to Moby.

The last preseason game gives the Rams the opportunity to make changes, integrate new players and work out any last-minute jitters before they make their official debut next week against Oral Roberts University.

Colorado State forward David Roddy prepares to shoot a free throw against Adams State University Oct. 31. The Rams won 92-55 in an exhibition match against the visiting Grizzlies (Gregory James | The Collegian)

The first half of the exhibition was game over for our Rams starters as they dominated the court and set the pace for the rest to unfold. Starters for Colorado State included guards Isaiah Stevens and Kendle Moore alongside forwards Adam Thistlewood, David Roddy and Dischon Thomas.

As the Grizzlies moved quickly, they grabbed a quick lead in the first two minutes of the half (5-0), showing the Rams they were ready for some work. Sooner than later, the Rams’ first two were put up by a layup in the paint by powerhouse Roddy in the first three minutes, assisted by Stevens.

The two teams went back and forth until CSU decided to take control and gained a six-point lead with just over seven minutes to go in the first half, 25-19. After a jumper by Roddy, the Rams didn’t look back and would remain in the lead for the rest of the half.

The tassel for the lead started getting farther away for Adams State as they completed the first half with 22 points; the last time they scored with nearly four minutes left. This left the Rams plenty of time to cruise to the lead, finishing the first half 43-22.

With the second 20 minutes starting, CSU remained consistent as they stayed at least 19 points ahead of the Grizzles for the first five minutes. Adams State tried to hang in there, but after a fast break three-pointer by Ram Chandler Jacobs, the Grizzles were left in the dust.

The Rams found themselves with a 27-point lead and stayed with their momentum as sophomore James Moors scored 10 consecutive points for Colorado State to bring them to a 68-37 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the game.

Less than seven minutes later and a few substitutions, CSU would reach their biggest lead of the game with a jump shot by guard Isaiah Rivera, making it 87-41 and essentially confirming that the Grizzles should warm up the bus. Adams State added 14 more points, with four of those being free throws, adding to an overall 55% on the line.

CSU finished the game winning 92-55 and went 34-60 for field goals, beating Adams State’s 20-59. The Rams also outran the Grizzles as they utilized their endurance to gain 36 points on fast breaks while CSU limited ASU to only eight points. Star junior Stevens left the floor with 19 points under his belt and six assists as he seems prepared for the season ahead.

With fans getting a glimpse of what’s to come this basketball season, the Rams are ready for the challenges ahead. CSU will officially hit the court for their first regular season game Nov. 9 to face off the Oral Roberts University Eagles at Moby Arena.

Reach Karsyn Lane and Taylor Paumen at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @KarsynLane1 and @TayTayPau.

About the Contributors

Taylor Paumen, Content Managing Editor

Taylor Paumen is the 2022-23 content managing editor for The Collegian and has been with the newspaper since February 2021. She started out as a volleyball recap reporter and was promoted three months later to sports director. Now going into her fourth year, she is working on finishing a major in journalism and media communication and a minor in sports management. As The Collegian's content managing editor, Paumen takes care of approving content for the week, guiding the directors and editors of each desk and occasionally supplying her time to the cannabis and sports desks when they let her. When she first joined The Collegian, her time covering volleyball games was tough, as COVID-19 had just taken over. Games were fanless, but she knew it was where she wanted to be. Now as content managing editor, she loves learning things outside of the sports world and strengthening her skills. Now, fans are back, and working in the newsroom to create a weekly paper is her new passion. Paumen is most grateful for the memories created with the entire Collegian team and their work together to create the best content. When coming to Colorado State University, Paumen started as a health and exercise science major but quickly tried to find something new. She found writing and sports were her passions, and The Collegian welcomed her with open arms, reassuring her that this is where she was meant to be.

Karsyn Lane, Sports Director

Karsyn Lane is the fall 2022 sports director for The Collegian. She began working at The Collegian in the summer of 2021 as a sports reporter, followed by her promotion to sports editor in the fall of 2021. She is currently in the process of completing her fourth year at Colorado State University, continuing her passion for sports media through her journalism and media communication major and sport management minor. She began her studies at Colorado State University as a health and exercise science student in 2019 but immediately changed her mind, soon discovering she was ready to write for what she was passionate about: sports. As The Collegian's sports director, Lane is responsible for discovering the week's material, pitching the ideas to her reporters and collaborating with the sports editor to prepare the stories for the copy desk professionals. Since joining The Collegian, she occasionally has had the chance to return to her roots and cover CSU sports and have her work appear on the sports desk, capturing the intense emotion of sporting events on paper and building her journalistic portfolio. Lane has covered a magnitude of sporting events, including season-opening games and rival matchups, and notably traveled for the 2021 Mountain West Conference men's and women's basketball championships. As she finishes her last year at Colorado State, Lane is most excited to leave behind her legacy as a female sports reporter contributing to the history of The Collegian, just as some of her role models have done before her.

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