San Diego State had one brief lead against Colorado State Tuesday, but a determined Ram team raced off to a fast start and never let up in a 79-71 win.
The Rams (16-5, 4-4 Mountain West), coming off an 0-2 week capped by a tough overtime loss, had dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25. With something to prove, the first half looked for a time to be all Colorado State.
The team rushed to a 7-0 lead over SDSU (16-5, 5-3 MW) on a jumper and a layup by Nique Clifford, then a three-pointer by Isaiah Stevens, in a sign of what was to come. The duo tormented the Aztecs most of the game.
Reese Waters broke the spell with a jumper, but nearing the midpoint of the half, the Rams had a 14-point lead, 21-7.
Waters pulled SDSU back into the game as the Aztecs went on a 10-0 run to come within four points of the lead at 21-17. After a pair of free throws by Kyan Evans, Lamont Butler answered from long distance to cut the deficit to three.
But Colorado State again took control with Clifford making a jumper and Joel Scott hitting a three to go up again by eight.
The Rams contained Jaedon LeDee – he had only one basket in the half – and forced turnovers. The Aztecs had eight, leading to their largest halftime deficit of the season at 37-29.
To begin the second half, SDSU again pulled within three, thanks to Butler and Micah Parrish, who made three free throws after being fouled by Stevens. But the Ram guard promptly atoned for his mistake with a jumper to put Colorado State back up by six.
Then LeDee re-emerged and this time the Aztecs did more than slash the deficit – they went up by one.
Down by 10, the conference’s leading scorer grabbed the offensive rebound off a miss by Butler and put it in. Miles Byrd came in, and off another rebound by LeDee, dunked. Moments later, Butler added a three, then after a miss by Elijah Saunders he made a layup that pulled the Aztecs closer, at 57-55.
Clifford then completed a three-point play, yet Saunders and LeDee answered, and trailing by one, Butler hit a jumper to give San Diego State its first lead of the night, 61-60, at the 7:29 mark.
It lasted all of 30 seconds and they would get no closer.
After settling down in the second half, turnovers proved costly again late. The Aztecs finished with 15, including four each for Butler and Saunders.
Colorado State head coach Niko Medved told CBS Sports that his team won with “toughness, defense, rebounding.” On the other hand, toughness was an issue for SDSU, head coach Brian Dutcher said.
“We’re not mentally quite there, where we can survive on the road when we don’t play our best,” he said.
Stevens and Clifford, despite foul trouble for the latter, each finished with 20 points for the Rams. Clifford had a double-double, adding 10 rebounds. Waters led SDSU with 17.
The tests keep on coming for the Aztecs, but this time at Viejas Arena. No. 17 Utah State (19-2, 7-1 MW) heads to San Diego for the 12:30 p.m. Saturday clash.
