SEATTLE — The run is over, but the legacy remains.
Colorado State men’s basketball season came to an end in the Round of 32, as the Rams fell to Maryland 72-71 Sunday in a hard-fought bout. Despite the loss, CSU’s 26-win season, Mountain West Tournament title and first-round NCAA win cemented this team as one of the best in program history.
50/50 ending: With the game tied and 20 seconds to go, Julian Reese stepped up to the line, sinking both free throws. CSU had 20 seconds for its final play, and it went to the four-year veteran, Jalen Lake. The senior hit a game-winner in the regular season against Boise State, so it seemed like a fitting conclusion.
And he absolutely drilled it.
It was a one-point game and UMD had three seconds left with one last inbound. Who else to take the shot but Derik Queen — one of the most dominant players on his squad — and who else to defend him but CSU defensive maestro Ethan Morton?
The swoosh of the made shot was infinitely louder than the silence of Rams.
3-point shooting differential: CSU started shooting very well from deep following tipoff but heavily faltered throughout the game. With a few minutes left in the game, it seemed the Rams couldn’t buy a 3-pointer — let alone consistently sink them. UMD had an opposite progression as its shooting increased down the stretch.
Aside from the game-winner, those were the shots ultimately making the biggest difference.
UMD’s hot stretch out of break: The Terrapins came out looking rejuvenated to start the second half, and sank 4-of-5 from 3 to start to cut the lead down. Off a 3-point and-1 from UMD’s Rodney Rice, the Terrapins took the lead with under 14 minutes left to go. The momentum wasn’t totally out of CSU’s favor, but the environment clearly wasn’t the same.
Nique Clifford: The CSU star and future NBA draft pick finished his final game with the Rams with 21 points off 7-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, two blocks, a steal and six assists. He gave his all — yet again — in the final matchup, but the game of basketball takes as it gives.
Bowen Born: As any given game could be his last, the graduate transfer played his heart in a matchup in which he was dwarfed. Born has been known as a fighter this season, having left multiple games visibly bleeding in the regular season. His style of play yielded impactful stats — as they occasionally do — and added another layer to the spirit of the team.
Matched first-half physicality: The Rams came into the matchup as the undersized, out-skilled underdog, but they made that their clear objective out of the gates. Despite UMD boasting four 6-foot-9 or taller players, CSU took it to the rack early and often. By halftime, the Rams were outrebounding 18-15 with seven of those being offensive boards.
CSU also matched the Terrapins with 18 points in the paint, as even Born emphasized cutting to the rim rather than solely settling for 3’s.
Clean first half: Other than a few odd sequences in the beginning of the game, CSU kept the ball in its possession fairly well. The Rams ended the first half leading with four turnovers as opposed to UMD’s five despite trailing the Terrapins in almost every major statistical category coming into the game.
Injuries: Nikola Djapa subbed out in the first half with a wrist injury following decent play early in the game, but he returned after getting taped up. Rashaan Mbemba, however, only played five minutes in the first half and briefly exited early in the second to workout on the side before returning to the bench. Especially given the nature of the matchup against UMD, it seems he wasn’t 100% coming into the game.
UMD late-game scoring drought: It took the Terrapins almost seven minutes to make a basket after rolling out of halftime. CSU adjusted well and temporarily retook the lead behind a mix of scoring contributions.
Finishing up: With 26 wins, a MW championship and one NCAA Tournament victory, these players left their mark on CSU history. While the season ends here, the Rams proved they belong on the national stage — and that they will be back.
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Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
