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Key takeaways from CSU men’s basketball’s MW quarterfinals win against Nevada

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

March 13, 2025

Collegian | Paige Molenkamp

Kyan Evans (0) pulls up for a 3-pointer in Colorado State University’s MW quarterfinals game against Nevada March 13. CSU won 67-59.

LAS VEGAS — Colorado State men’s basketball won 67-59 in the quarterfinal match of the Mountain West tournament against Nevada Thursday. Following seven consecutive wins to finish the regular season, CSU rode out a win off the back of another vintage Nique Clifford performance. Despite sloppy execution on offense, the Rams tightened up just enough on defense to stick it out.

Key Takeaways:

Nique Clifford: The Rams’ star finished with another double-double off of 25 points and 14 rebounds. Clifford found himself in isolated scoring positions often — and came through. The NBA-ready athlete displayed the poise he’s shown in the past, and made up for the lack of help from the bench. Additionally, he cashed in on all eight free throws to supplement an already-strong performance.

Figuring it out: The Rams came out of break with increased off-ball movement and better looks. More force in the second half — again ignited by a couple of strong Rashaan Mbemba and-1s — helped facilitate an excess of space for CSU to put the game away. The win wasn’t necessarily pretty, but the adjustments were there.

Great shooting to start: Kyan Evans and Clifford looked poised to takeover the game within the first several minutes, and it made a difference in the end. Evans started 3-of-4 from three to kick off the game while Clifford ended the first half 4-of-5 from the field. CSU managed to maintain a one-point lead going into half almost solely off of those two players.

Lack of early offensive gameplan: In the first half, CSU lacked a clear purpose on offense. The Rams were left with plenty of 1-on-1 matchups early on and largely failed to get anything consistent going. If it weren’t for a strong bout of shooting, CSU might have been lost from the start.

Poor Wolf Pack shooting: Despite receiving plenty of open looks, the Wolf Pack couldn’t capitalize. UNR shot 36.4% from the field and an abysmal 19.2% from deep. Nick Davidson and Kobe Sanders made a valiant effort, putting up 45 of UNR’s 59 total points in the game. Davidson was a force, having his way in the paint to start, while Sanders consistently made contested, moving shots in the second half.

Up and down game: CSU had an inconsistent performance, with strong spurts of offense followed by long scoring droughts, but managed to pull it together late for the win. Coming out with more purpose in their next matchup is the goal, but more bench involvement might be necessary going forward.

With the win, CSU advances to the semifinals, keeping its championship hopes — and NCAA Tournament dreams — very much alive. The Rams will face Utah State at 10 p.m. MST Friday.

CSU takes one step closer to securing an NCAA Tournament bid. Already sitting on the bubble, the Rams now have a stronger case for at-large consideration — though a deeper tournament run is likely still necessary.

Read the full story here.

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.

About the Contributor

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

Michael Hovey is one of the sports editors for The Rocky Mountain Collegian, facilitating the sports desk, collaborating with reporters and writing pieces of his own. He joined the newspaper in February and has greatly appreciated all the opportunities that have come with the organization. After settling on a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Hovey stumbled upon The Collegian at the recommendation of a friend. Writing news stories gave him a deeper connection to Colorado State University and its community, making his studies that much more meaningful. Having played numerous sports at a fairly mediocre level, Hovey jumped at the opportunity to cover Division I sporting events. He now gets the chance to surround himself with talented writers, artists and athletes while exercising his preferred form of the English language. Hovey’s favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning about the things they’ve dedicated their lives to. The most surprising part has been the extraneous passions he’s discovered in nearly each one of these people. Hovey’s main goal this year is to foster discovery and allow people in athletics to show a separate side of themselves that may not generally be known. His secondary goal: Try not to stutter on a national broadcast. If not working at The Collegian, Hovey can be found engaging in outdoor activities, finding something tasty or listening to hip-hop.

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