INSIDE THE LINES Checking up on men’s page 6

Women’s basketball season standing page 7

Vol. 128, No. 79 Friday, January 25, 2019 A bullish view on the Ram’s latest foe page 8-9

Deals & More Deals Get yours in the Lory Student 2 inside the lines POWER FIVE PICK ‘EM Game Luke Eddie Colin Justin

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CSU Fresno State #5 vs Michigan Indiana #9 #8 vs Kansas Kentucky #24 #20 vs

Iowa State Ole Miss

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UNLV San Diego State

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Nico Carvacho dunks the ball after a fastbreak as the Rams battle the Montant State University Bobcats. The Rams won 81-77. PHOTO BY DEVIN CORNELIUS COLLEGIAN CHECK OUT OUR BAR! - 16 BEERS ON TAP - NFL SUNDAY TICKET - 11 TVS - OPEN TILL 3AM weeklyWeekly SPECIALSSPECIALS EVERYDAY Monday tuesday wednesday thursday SUNDAY beat the clock 14” Specialty Giant stuffed beat the clock 25¢ Garlic 5-8pM pizza grinders 5-8pm•large pizza bites large pizza 10 Wings the time you call is the price you pay (Dine in only) the time you call is the price you pay $4.99 BIG ASS BEERS & stuffed grinders 32OZ $2.99 all day happy hour $19.99 $1 OFF (Dine in only) Dine in, delivery, take-out ALL DAY Budlight during NFL Games

DELIVERS! | 224-2000 • 1124 West Elizabeth | 223-8600 • 2620 South Timerline | www.krazykarlspizza.com 4 inside the lines Rams see several progressions during rebuild year Luke Zahlmann

@lukezahlmann

The world of sports is a chasm of constant improve- ment. In a successful program, one of the most important signs of triumph is a team that looks far better in their final game than they did in their opening bout. After four wins in their first five games, the Colorado State men’s basketball team has dropped 11 of their last 14 games, with four coming in their conference slate. For a pundit that peruses a box score and neglects the game, the team seems to be regressing. When considering the year was one of rebuilding for the Rams, the team has been add- ing onto a foundation being set by Niko Medved. As the team has progressed through more than half of their schedule, they’ve shown im- provement in multiple areas. Spreading the wealth To begin the year, the Rams faced a pair of lesser schools with Colorado Christian, a Division II program and Ar- kansas-Pine Bluff, an FCS pro- gram. In those pair of wins, Med- ved’s squad posted 21 assists in each, accounting for more than half of their made attempts. Following their opening wins, the sharing ways subsided for much of the year. In the next 13 games, the Rams offense averaged 11 as- Nico Carvacho (32) and Adam Thistlewood (31) help Kris Martin (30) up from the ground after falling from trying to defend a shot by a CU player. sists per game. Though the The Rams lost to the Buffaloes 86-80 Dec. 1, 2018 in Boulder. PHOTO BY MATT BEGEMAN COLLEGIAN figure would still reside above Wyoming’s average on the Kendle Moore and Adam This- In his first year after being side leads all starters as well, Whether it was the year (9.5), it’s a far cry from the tlewood. largely overshadowed by Gian trailing only Sam Bannec, who 28-point, 20- game brand of basketball Medved The former, inserted into Clavell and Emmanuel Omog- sank his lone attempt, on the against UNLV or his Long has preached. the starting lineup in just his bo, J.D. Paige had to deal with roster. Beach State spree of 23 and 22, In their last four games, the first game and each of the the chaos of a trio of different When his shot has failed, Carvacho has elevated his im- team has begun to find their team’s 18 preceding games, coaches in a single year. Paige has developed into one pact. footing again. With a pair of has been a conference-leading After serving his suspen- of the Rams’ best finishers at With a desire for condition- games posting 25 and 26 as- thief. sion that bled into this year, the rim as well. His improve- ing and pace, Medved has also sists respectively, the team On the year, Moore has aid- Paige has found a new form, ments were most readily avail- brought Carvacho’s workload has averaged 19.25 per game in ed the Rams’ defensive efforts bursting into the limelight for able in his aforementioned to 30 minutes per game with- their last quartet of matchups. with 31 steals. In the team’s the program. After averaging season-high bout against out the big man faltering. That number, inversely from last eight games, the guard has double-digits just once in a SHSU in which he sank only A bevy of advancements in the aforementioned 13-game accumulated multiple thefts in year prior to the team’s cur- a single 3-point attempt, con- Carvacho’s game has put him span, would lead the confer- all but two of the games for a rent campaign, Paige has aver- verting his other six shots near on pace to become one of the total of 15. aged 15.1 points per game this the rim. elite big men in Rams’ histo- ence. Big Chile bringing the heat After the team’s win over The trend for Moore comes year, second on the team. ry, alongside Jason Smith and Air Force in which they accu- after a Danville High School The average has been The dominance Nico Car- Rich Strong. With a full four mulated 25 assists, Medved de- run that saw him swipe 2.9 boosted by several offensive vacho enforced in the Moun- years under his belt, he’ll like- scribed their ball-sharing ways balls per game. explosions from Paige. tain West portion of last year’s ly have his name atop most as being “the way the game is With his ability to cre- In 10 separate games, Paige schedule was merely a precur- statistical leaderboards in CSU supposed to be played.” ate fastbreak opportunities, has posted more than his sea- sor to a full-fledged breakout. history at the conclusion of his In the team’s four games Moore has also been able to son average, with his season Outside of his nation-lead- career in Fort Collins. with 20-plus assists, all are exploit his speed. In that same high (23) coming against both ing rebounding rate (12.4 per As a player that Medved wins. A sign that if the team span, he had a 23-point out- Montana State and Sam Hous- game), Carvacho has also has said ‘plays with his hair on continues to embrace the burst against Air Force, a large ton State. With both games scored his 15.7 points per game fire,’ Carvacho has just begun sharing imposed by Medved, reason for the team’s blowout coming within single digits, his on 59 percent from the field. heating up, a scary thought brighter moments are ahead. win over the Falcons. efforts were the difference. His efficiency leads the Moun- for inner conference and Moore steals, fewer problems In that same bout, the Rams The Colorado native has tain West through the early out-of-conference foes alike. After leaving Drake Uni- accumulated a season-high 15 also upped his efficiency, up- portions of conference play. Luke Zahlmann can be versity to chase his dream job steals, led once again by Moore ping his percentage from last Plucking a highlight game reached at sports@collegian. at CSU, Medved, along with with four of his own. year (35.3) to 44.6 this year, a for Carvacho on the year has com. J.D. turning the Paige en route to his assistant coaches, were fol- nearly 10-percent boost. His become increasingly difficult a career year lowed by a pair of youngsters: 40.9-percent mark from out- as the season progresses. inside the lines 5 Collegian archives: Rams survive MW first round By Andrew Schaller ed Bulldogs’ season and al- sponded, played really well.” into a matchup with a Fresno MT since UNLV beat Air Force @CSUCollegian lowed the second-seeded Rams The Rams played short- State team that aws coming Wednesday afternoon. to escape defeat in a game that handed because of the loss of off a 61-52 upset at the Thom- The last time the Rams Editor’s note: This article was they trailed at halftime. Green, who is nursing a right as and Mack Center against played the Rebels, a Bejarano originally published Thursday, “I made it clear time and ankle sprain, but also suffered UNLV and continued that mo- three-pointer in the final sec- March 14, 2013. It has been re- time again what I think of offensively due to limited min- mentum into the first half in onds rimmed out UNLV held published in it’s original form. (Fresno State coach) Rodney utes given to center Colton its game against CSU. on for a 62-59 victory. Playing without injured ju- (Terry), he’s a great coach,” Iverson who played most of the The Bulldogs failed to con- Friday, CSU will have a nior guard Dorian Green for CSU coach game in foul trouble. tinue that momentum, how- chance at revenge in hopes of the first time in four years, said. “Our team knew who we Junior forward Gerson ever, and came just short of making it to the conference CSU struggled in its Mountain were going to play today, that it Santo stepped into the lineup winning its first conference championship game for the West Tournament first-round was going to be very difficult.” during Iverson’s absence and championship game in the first time since 2003. catch up with Fresno State but CSU struggled offensively tallied 10 points and two re- Mountain West. “Obviously, we tried it here managed to pull out a thrilling throughout the first half with- bounds in 11 minutes off the “I think it carried over for a once and couldn’t do it,” Eu- 67-61 victory in Las Vegas. out Green, shooting just 34.6 bench. little bit,” Fresno State junior stachy said. In a game that featured percent from the field and 20 “Gerson brings a lot. You Tyler Johnson said. “Down “We’ll be without Dorian. 12 lead changes, it was the percent from three point range just have him rebounding, you the stretch, unfortunately we We’re going to practice and Rams that finally pulled in in the first half, but improved have him playing defense, tak- didn’t make all the plays that prepare as if we don’t have him, front for good when senior those numbers to 47.4 and 42.9 ing charge,” CSU sophomore we were supposed to come out which I think is a 99.9 percent guard Wes Eikmeier hit a long percent respectively in the guard Daniel Bejarano said. on the right end.” chance he won’t. That makes it three-pointer to give the Rams second half. “He’s a big key to us winning The CSU victory ensures even more difficult.” a six-point lead with 1:05 left “That first half didn’t real- today, for us to go down the that they will face UNLV in The Collegian sports desk to play, which iced the game. ly show what we were capable stretch, (and doing) what we the second round of the tour- can be reached at sports@colle- The shot from the right of,” Eikmeier said. “I think the want to do.” nament on the Rebels’ home gian.com. wing ended the seventh-seed- second half our team really re- Santo and the Rams walked court Friday night at 9:30 p.m. Photo story: Early season woes through the lens

Lore Devos prepares to shoot during the game against the University of Nevada Jan. 23. PHOTO BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN

A Cornell player’s attempts to stop a pass during the game Nov. 25, 2018PHOTO BY TONY VILLALOBOS

Liah Davis moves past a Fresno State defender during the Rams’ game Tatum Neubert attempts to push past a Wolfpack defender during the game against the University of Nevada against Fresno State Jan. 5. Despite a late comeback effort the Rams PHOTO BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN Jan. 23. PHOTO BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN fell to the Bulldogs 66-55. 6 inside the lines Mountain West Basketball review as conference play thickens By Eddie Herz @Eddie_Herz

The line separating contenders and pretenders in the Mountain West becomes more and more evi- dent each day. With about a third of the con- ference schedule in each program’s rearview mirror, we are beginning to get a grasp on which teams will be the most dangerous come Mountain West Tournament time in March. Besides a surprisingly lopsided loss at the hands of New Mexico in The Pit on Jan. 5, the No. 7 Nevada Wolfpack have run through their conference slate thus far. Though this should be to little surprise of any follower of Mountain West basket- ball. Nevada sitting atop the confer- ence standings at the end of January seemed nearly a given heading into the season. However, the manner in which the conference lined up after that was more up in the air. Teams such as Fresno State, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and Utah State have lived up to pre- season second-tier expectations in the conference behind the Wolf- pack. Usual conference-title compet- itors in Boise State, the University Adam Thistlewood looks for an opening during the game against San Houston State on Dec. 8. The Rams won 71-65. of New Mexico and San Diego State PHOTO BY TONY VILLALOBOS MAY COLLEGIAN have experienced unusual, and may- be a bit unexpected, regression. able programs. Now, all it needs to Wolfpack the whole game sends a chance opportunities off the glass NET: 231 The 7-12 (2-4) Colorado State do is avoid duds similar to the UNM clear message that Fresno State is a have benefited UNLV scoring wise Key Wins: vs New Mexico (91- Rams have struggled after a hot start game to earn at least a second seed real competitor. as well. Four of the Rebels’ starters 76) under first-year Head Coach Niko in the NCAA Tournament. are averaging at least 10 points per Key Players: Nico Carvacho, Medved. Though only one full game With Caroline, the Martin twins game. Jeremiah Paige, Anthony Masin- out of fifth place in the conference, and Jazz Johnson on the court ev- ton-Bonner CSU fell into ninth after last night’s ery night, doing so shouldn’t be a The results under Medved ha- blowout defeat in Nevada. tough task. Especially considering ven’t been pretty. Often, however, the Wolfpack have only one true things get ugly before they get pretty Before we extend further, let’s University of Nevada, Las Vegas 11-7 (5- take a detailed look at how the top of road test remaining at Utah State in when transitioning coaches. early March. 1) Medved’s track record indicates the conference, as well as the Rams, Utah State University 14-5 (4-2) have performed this season. NET: 149 that would be the case. He success- Key Wins: vs BYU (92-90), at NET: 38 fully rebuilt Furman’s program after Hawaii (93-59), at New Mexico (80- Key Wins: vs Saint Mary’s (80- enduring a slow first season. Med- 69) 63) ved also improved Drake’s program, Key Players: Kris Clyburn, Joel Key Players: Sam Merrill, though he left for CSU after one sea- Ntambwe, Amauri Hardy Neemias Queta, Quinn Taylor son. The Rebels struggled to find A few close losses have de- The future appears bright Fort Fresno State University 14-4 (5-1) consistency in non-conference terred some of the attention away Collins. Especially considering the University of Nevada, Reno (19-1, 6-1) NET: No. 65 play, winning only six of its 12 games from Utah State in the Mountain only two players on the team which NET: No. 18 Key Wins: vs Northwestern (78- outside the Mountain West. And as West. The Sam Merrill-led Aggies Medved recruited have played ex- Key Wins: vs No. 20 Arizona 59), vs Hawaii (79-64), at Utah State a result, many probably didn’t see a lost games that could have gone ceptionally well for freshmen. Ken- State (72-66), at Fresno State (74- (78-77) successful stretch like this coming either way to Arizona State, No. 21 dle Moore and Adam Thistlewood 64), @ Loyola-Chicago (79-65) Key Players: Braxton Huggins, from UNLV. Houston, and most recently Fres- are each averaging over eight points Key Players: , Deshon Taylor, Nate Grimes But, if one really looks at how no State by one point at home. per game. Caleb Martin, Cody Martin It became apparent the Bull- the Rebels played to begin the Regardless, if Merrill keeps The two are also gaining some One could say Nevada getting dogs would be a force to be reck- season, the current string of victo- playing how he has, and the Aggies valuable experience for their age. an upset defeat out of the way could oned with this season when New ries shouldn’t be shocking. UNLV keep rebounding at their current Moore and Thistlewood both play be good for the Wolfpack moving Mexico State guard Braxton Hug- lost by a combined seven points pace, USU will receiver appropri- nearly 30 minutes per game. forward. gins decided to take his talents to to Cincinnati and Illinois., while ate praise sooner or later. As for this season, expecting Preseason expectations for Fresno. also sticking close to Loyola Ma- Through 19 games Merrill a deep run in the Mountain West UNR were through the roof and Huggins is averaging more than rymount before the Lions pulled is the second-leading scorer in Tournament from the Rams would possibly the highest ever for a 18 points per game to lead the Bull- away late. the conference, with an average be setting expectations a bit high. Mountain West team. The Wolf- dogs. Coupled with Deshon Taylor, The Rebels were seasoned of 18.7 points game. The junior However, outside of the top four pack probably felt as if they were ca- who led Fresno State in scoring last with a challenging non-conference guard has a knack for drawing teams in the conference, the level of pable of going undefeated through season, the Bulldogs possess one of schedule, which has paid off in con- contact and getting to the free competition is pretty equal. the regular season. the best guard duos in the confer- ference play. throw line, where he converts 89.9 So, it isn’t far-fetched to believe However, once Nevada lost to ence. UNLV’s Mountain West games percent of his attempts. CSU will string together some wins New Mexico, the doubters began Efficient play from junior for- thus far have mainly come against Merrill’s scoring capabilities down the stretch in conference play. to creep in. The result was taking ward Nate Grimes in the paint gives the bottom half of the conference. alone make USU a dangerous For example, the Rams still have two UNR off cruise control, and them Fresno State a truly balanced team. But, the Rebels have achieved the program when considering its games remaining against the 5-14 starting to play with even more de- Grimes has come into his own as of confidence they’ve been search- rebounding. The Aggies rebound (1-5) Wyoming Cowboys. As well termination. late, recording a double-double in ing for to come away with wins in at the 12th best rate in the nation as another matchup with last-place Since the New Mexico loss, the four of the Bulldogs’ past six games. tougher circumstances. (41.2 rebounds per game). San Jose State. Wolfpack have won five consec- More likely than not, Fresno The Rebels’ ability to rebound Eddie Herz can be reached at utive games, most of which have State will appeal most to the NCAA at an extremely high rate keeps [email protected]. come with relative ease. Tournament committee for an at- them in most games. UNLV cur- Nevada proved it was a legit- large bid compared to any other rently averages 40.9 boards per imate title contender early on by Mountain West program. game as a team, the 13th-best mark breezing past BYU, Arizona State Though the Bulldogs suffered a in all of . Colorado State University 7-12 (2-4) and USC amongst other respect- defeat to Nevada, sticking with the Plenty of second and third inside the lines 7 Mountain West women’s basketball contenders starting to take form

By Sergio Santistevan @TheRealsSergio West Side of the Bracket As the midway point of the Mountain West women’s basket- ball season approaches, a clear view of conference contenders has started to form. With all top four teams within one game of each other, the last month and a half of the conference Coming into the season, the season will be critical for each Lobos were picked to finish fifth team to try and gain some room in the Mountain West preseason on top of the standings. Colorado poll. The Lobos have beat expec- State women’s basketball has won tations this season due in large five conference championships part to senior center Jasia Nunn. and two tournament champion- Nunn, who fell short of averaging ships. Current Head Coach Ryun a double-double during league Williams is the winningest coach play last season, was named to in program history, but this season the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, has been one of Williams’ biggest which recognizes the best center tests. in the country. After losing over half of his In addition, freshmen guards, players from last year’s team to Jayla Everett and Ahlise Hurst, graduation and transfer, Williams’ have been exceptional in their first squad has suffered growing pains collegiate seasons averaging 13.8 this season. Sitting second to last and 8.8 points respectively. in the conference, the Rams have Aside from a narrow-loss to 12 games remaining to see if they Auburn University at the begin- gain any momentum before the ning of the season and the Uni- Mountain West tournament. versity of Nevada, Las Vegas two The states that make up the ’s sector of women’s basketball. INFOGRAPHIC BY MEG With CSU’s chances of claim- weeks ago, the Lobos have faced METZGER-SEYMOUR COLLEGIAN ing a conference trophy looking and defeated decent competition slim, here are the teams looking to this season. This week, UNM was Gamez had a near double-double add a key win to their resume this Colorado State (7-10, 1-5) contend thus far: able to get revenge against their of 20 points and nine rebounds season but will have plenty of op- RPI: No. 208 Boise State University (15-2, 6-0) lone-conference defeat to UNLV and Utti topped her teammate by portunities as they have matchups Key Wins: None RPI: No. 62 in a wild overtime game. adding 19 points and 13 rebounds. with BSU, Fresno State and UNM Key Players: Lore Devos, Mollie Mounsey Key Wins: Washington, Fresno State, Wyo- With two matchups against The Bulldogs faced the tough- all to come. ming Fresno State University looming est non-conference competition UNLV (5-12, 3-3) Key Players: Riley Lupfer, Marta Hermida, the Lobos need to at least split the this season and it could prove to RPI: No. 216 Braydey Hodgins series to have a chance at the con- be pivotal as the season progress- Key Wins: New Mexico ference crown, but one of the best es. Winning their series against Key Players: Katie Powell, Nikki Wheatley, games of the conference season UNM, University of Wyoming Paris Strawther will be March 3 when they visit and their final matchup with BSU Boise, Idaho. could see the Bulldogs walk away Fresno State University (12-5, 5-1) with the conference title. RPI: No. 122 Utah State (10-7, 5-1) Key Wins: Utah State RPI: No. 151 Key Players: Candice White, Maddi Utti, Aly Key Wins: None Gamez Key Players: Shannon Dufficy A season that began with little expectation due to losing over half of the roster from last season has been a disaster for the CSU wom- The early favorites to repeat en’s basketball program. Head as Mountain West champions Coach Ryun Williams is used to have not disappointed. Led by the Unlike USU, UNLV has been competing for conference titles, reigning Mountain West Most the biggest disappointment in not last place. Valuable Player, Riley Lupfer, the the Mountain West this season. This season, CSU is going Broncos have been on a tear this A team that shared last season’s through a bit of a rebuild while season by riding a 16-game confer- regular-season championship has young players learn the ropes. ence win streak that dates back to greatly underachieved. Picked in The lack of returning players has last season. the preseason poll to finish sec- opened the door for internation- The four-year starter Lupfer Led by senior guard Candice The biggest surprise of the ond, even with four first-place al players Lore Devos and Lena averages 12.1 points, 2.1 assists White, the Bulldogs find them- season thus far is Utah State. The votes, the Rebels are seven games Svanholm. Devos leads the team and 3.1 rebounds per game as her selves as a conference contender. Aggies have rode on the success of under .500 with January coming in scoring and rebounding as a team sits atop the conference. The The Bulldogs have been battle their two juniors Shannon Dufficy to a close. true sophomore. The amount of Broncos are beating teams by an tested so far this season by losing and Hailey Bassett. Dufficy is one But given that two of their playing time both players have average of 14 points with the help to four teams ranked in the top- of the best scorers in all of the con- top two players, Katie Powell and seen this season will pay dividends of their defense and three-point 100 RPI. If they could have pulled ference and will be in the conver- Paris Strawther, missed a chunk going further. shooting. off a win against UCLA, USC, Ar- sation for conference MVP at the of the early portion and a tough Once a top-40 defense in the The Broncos defense has been izona State or Boise State, their season’s end. The 6-foot-2 guard is non-conference schedule, the country, the team has plummeted. impressive, forcing their oppo- RPI would be much better. averaging a double-double on the Lady Rebels can’t be ruled out. CSU is at -8.3 rebounding disad- nents to commit 19 turnovers White leads the Mountain season. Fellow conference foes saw vantage and allowing 58 points per and scoring 21 points off of those West in scoring at around 19 points Already the Aggies have what this team is capable of as they game to the opposition. turnovers. Alongside their shoot- per game, but she also gets the job topped last season’s number of split the season series with UNM The Rams are winless on the ing and average of 8 three-point done on the other side of the court, wins by three. A small statistic that with their loss ending in overtime. road and only have one win in con- baskets a game, it is clear why the too, averaging five rebounds. has helped USU this year is their MW Preseason All-Confer- ference play this season, but not Broncos are the defending confer- A team led by their senior lead- three-point percentage. The Ag- ence player Powell is averaging all hope should be lost. The top- ence champions. er has also seen the rise of soph- gies went from 324th in the NCAA nearly 15 points per game and six four scorers all return next season University of New Mexico (16-2, 6-1) omore sensations in Maddi Utti last season to 104th this season. rebounds despite missing a month and will be familiar with Williams’ RPI: No. 43 and Aly Gamez. The Bulldogs Big They have seen some high of action with a right ankle injury. system. Key Wins: Stephen F. Austin, Oklahoma, Three made their case as the con- level of competition this season UNLV can be one of those Sergio Santistevan can be Houston ference’s best trio against San Di- as they have faced USC, Brigham teams that finds a way to get hot in reached at [email protected]. Key Players: Jaisa Nunn, Aisia Robertson, ego State University. White scored Young University and the Uni- the Mountain West tournament Jayla Everett 28 points by making 6 of 9 threes, versity of Oregon. USU has yet to and make a run. 8 inside the lines inside the lines 9 Words From the Enemy Fresno State’s Anthony De Leon weighs in on the matchup

By Luke Zahlmann Taylor and Nate Grimes and the spite the loss, they were able to which is good enough for sixth to be successful in that area. But A: When you play well on of- @lukezahlmann addition of Braxton Huggins keep the game under 10 points, in the Mountain West despite despite Carvacho leading the fense, it gives the team confi- and Noah Blackwell shows that helping this team realize they missing the whole month of De- nation in rebounding, the last dence when transitioning back Before one of the Rams’ there was a lot of talent on this could compete at a high level. I cember due to an elbow injury. time Colorado State matched to defense. This Bulldogs team biggest matchups of the year, squad coming into the season. believe the Bulldogs rode that The offense runs through Tay- up against the Bulldogs he fin- plays with a lot of passion on Rocky Mountain Collegian The questions were whether or confidence into the Wooden lor, and when he was out with an ished around his season aver- both sides of the ball, while also Sports Director Luke Zahlmann not the new coaching staff could Legacy tournament, allowing injury the Bulldogs had trouble age, with 13 rebounds in that wearing their emotions on their spoke to reporter Anthony De lead them to success. them to dominate Northwest- finding a player to run the of- game. Carvacho had a formi- sleeves. When they are strug- Leon of Fresno State’s The Col- ern and only narrowly lose to fense through, which led to the dable opponent in Nate Grimes, gling, it is easy to see the frus- legian to get an inside look. Miami in the finals. emergence of Braxton Huggins who is no slouch himself, and in tration throughout the team. in his absence, averaging 18.5 the last matchup had 10 boards. But as the season has gone on, The Bulldogs played a points per game. Huggins is a So I look forward to seeing that they have gotten better at keep- hard out-of-conference Coming into the year, pure shooter who has the ability matchup again, but I don’t be- ing that composure. With that So far, Fresno State has slate that included a to create his shot. With the re- lieve Carvacho’s rebounding is being said, all it takes is for the outperformed their pre- ranked Texas Christian Deshon Taylor was picked turn of Taylor, the offense now something to be feared when Bulldogs to get in a rhythm on season expectations of as a Preseason All-MW has a duo that forces teams to looking at team rebounding as a offense early for them to gain University squad, how pick their poison. whole. In the last matchup, both confidence that translates to the a fifth-place finish. What has that experience im- player but has been the team’s second-leading Fresno State and Colorado State defensive side of the ball. has been the key? pacted the team thus accumulated 33 rebounds. Cur- far? scorer. Has it been a CSU possesses the top rently, the Bulldogs are ranked slight disappointment sixth, with 36.2 rebounds per A: I believe that the preseason rebounder in the nation game compared to Colorado What’s your prediction? for Taylor or has he em- in Nico Carvacho, how do prediction of the Bulldogs fin- braced Braxton Huggins’ State’s 34.1. ishing fifth in the Mountain A: The three-game stretch of the Bulldogs match up West was, by all accounts, made playing TCU, Northwestern and success? with Carvacho and how A: Fresno State, 76. Colorado because of the uncertainty of Miami early on in the season will they lead the way in Fresno State has been State, 69. the how the program would per- tested this Bulldog team to find the third-best defense in Luke Zahlmann can be form under Coach Hutson in his out if the season was going to be A: I wouldn’t necessarily call limiting the big man? reached at [email protected]. first year as a head coach after a success or a disaster. The TCU Taylor’s rank as the team’s points allowed this year, Rodney Terry decided to leave game was a good measuring second leading scorer a disap- what has driven their for the University of Texas, El stick on where the talent level pointment. Taylor is currently A: Nico Carvacho is an outstand- success on that end? Nico Carvacho tries catching a rebound ball during the game against San Houston State Dec. 8, 2018. The Rams won 71-65. Paso. The return of Deshon of the roster was at the time. De- averaging 16.1 points per game, ing rebounder and has the build PHOTO BY TONY VILLALOBOS MAY COLLEGIAN

Old Town 218 Walnut Open Daily 7 am - 2 pm Expires May 16, 2019. Expires May 16, 2019. Expires May 16, 2019. 10 inside the lines Be sure to watch these storylines as the year paces on for the Rams By Luke Zahlmann @lukezahlmann

If one phrase has headlined the postgame soliloquies of Col- orado State women’s coach Ryun Williams, ‘we gotta hit shots,’ reigns victorious. Less focused on is defense, an area where the Rams have followed their prototypical con- ference-best ways. Nor have the sights been set on reducing turn- overs, an area the team has been second-best in. Finding open shots and pro- ceeding to make those attempts have been a facet that has often eluded the Rams. Their inability to convert in the face of minimal pressure is just one area among many to watch as the season progresses. Knockin’ down the gimmes As previously mentioned, the Rams have struggled to sink their easiest shots. Though the Rams have not been the worst in the confer- ence, their 38.2-percent mark from the field has seldom im- pressed. The Rams’ Border War rival, Wyoming, has shot a confer- ence-best 46.4 percent on the year. For comparison, Williams’ squad has eclipsed that tally in only a pair of games. Both were wins over Denver and Chadron State and the two highest-scor- ing games of the year for the team. Of the 10 lowest-efficiency games for the Rams, eight were losses and six were by double figures. With their defense already established, the team refining their ability to nail open shots will be a catalyst for their suc- cess moving forward. Missing 11 layups, similar to their most re- cent loss, will seldom yield pos- itive results. Establishment of a consistent facil- Tatum Neubert, Taylor Mole, Lauren Brocke, and Lena Svanholm cheer on their teammates during the Jan. 23 game against the University of itating force Nevada. PHOTO BY ALYSE OXENFORD COLLEGIAN Hannah Tvrdy graduated. sey, Lore Devos and Lauren is tremendous, and she’s also for the team’s outside force has Brocke has the ability to break Roichelle Marble, one of the Brocke among others to handle a very tough and competitive been the aforementioned lack of out in the final stages of the year. team’s seven new players, went the ball. While each have shown young lady with a great basket- success on open 3’s. With a game-winning down with an injury prior to the flashes of their own, the former ball mind,” Williams said. “She’ll If Mounsey finds her way 3-pointer under her belt already, year even beginning. has found her footing far more be joining us from one of the more consistently, Moby Mad- the redshirt freshman from Boi- Now, with Grace Colaivalu often. best junior college programs and ness is likely to follow for Rams’ se, Idaho has shown glimpses of If she is unable to find a coaches in the country, and will faithful. an impact performer. putting forth her best effort, the Who’s going to elevate their game? team is still searching for consis- groove as the year progresses, definitely add to our CSU win- Her teammates have shown tency from their point guards. Williams may look elsewhere. ning culture.” One game it was Devos, an- the support for her rise after her Colaivalu, once the team’s Either way, the team needs a Following a 21-point aver- other it was Mounsey. Colaivalu shot to beat UNLV. proverbial sparkplug, has taken steadying force along the lines of age in her two exhibition games, was the third of the team to ac- “My teammates have so on a larger role this year. In her the departed Tvrdy. that excitement elevated several cumulate 20 or more points in a much confidence in me,” Brocke newfound guise, the guard has ‘McBuckets’ finding the bottom of notches. Once the regular season game. said. “My coaches have just shown both the peaks and val- the net began, so too did the struggles. All three have had their mo- been telling me ‘when your time leys of her game. The buzz around Moun- In four of her first six games, ments, with other players shin- comes, get ready to knock down In a pair of respective games, sey following her transfer from Mounsey tallied single-digit ing in spots as well. The problem those shots.’” Colaivalu has scored more than Seward County Community scoring totals, shooting below for the Rams is outside of Moun- As her minutes eclipse the 15 points. In five others, the College had Williams feeling jit- 30 percent in each. In the last sey and Devos, those breakouts 20-per-game mark and she gains team’s leading ball handler has tery. teams’ last two games, Mounsey have been infrequent. comfort on the floor, Brocke has dished seven or more assists. In his new sharpshooter, has scored four points apiece As the only two players on the ability to get hot from out- Among games where Co- Williams had added a player that and gone 1-of-10 from outside. the team averaging double-digit side and handle the ball in spurts laivalu has posted more assists led the entire nation her fresh- Intertwined between her scoring, the Rams’ leaders have as well. than turnovers, the team has five man year, regardless of the divi- lulls have been two 21-point done their part. Adding a third, After losing Elin Gustavs- of their seven wins, highlight- sion, in 3-point field goals. games, an 18-point contest and in turn creating a three-headed son, Ellen Nystrom and Tvrdy ed by her season-high 12- Prior to her arrival, Williams a 19-point total. The team has attack for the offense would be a in recent years, the development outburst in the team’s win over laid out a laundry list of benefits gone 2-2 in the four. boon to the teams’ success. of the new big three under Wil- Chadron State. from Mounsey’s addition. The team has utilized ball The likely culprit: Brocke. liams will be pivotal. Outside of Colaivalu, the “Mollie can flat out shoot screens and off-ball action Though Colaivalu will con- Luke Zahlmann can be team has fielded Mollie Moun- it. Her ability to stretch the de- throughout the year to get tinue to harness many of the reached at sports@collegian. fense from the three-point line Mounsey open. The problem team’s assist opportunities, com. inside the lines 11

J.D. Paige sprints during the game against San Houston State Dec. 8 2018. The Rams won 71-65. PHOTO BY TONY VILLALOBOS MAY COLLEGIAN

Colorado State University guard Kendle Moore goes for a layup against the Arkansas Kendall Moore tries breaking through two San Houston players during the game against Razorbacks Dec. 5, 2018. He would end the game with 16 total points against the San Houston State Dec. 8, 2018. The Rams won 71-65.PHOTO BY TONY VILLALOBOS MAY Razorbacks. PHOTO BY JOSH SHROEDER COLLEGIAN COLLEGIAN

WHY THE CHANGE? To comply with the governor’s 2018 executive order. To reduce exposure to secondhand smoke on campus. To support the campus community in quitting, reducing, or never starting the use of tobacco and related products.

Learn more about the policy and how to quit tobacco tobaccofree.colostate.edu 12 inside the lines

CSU FRESNO ST. RAMS BULLDOGS

7-12, 2-4 RECORD 14-4, 5-1 u

75.3 PPG 76.8 u

78.3 OPPG 65.8 u

u 46.6 FG% 46

34.3 RPG 36.2 u

u 11.6 TPG 13.3

Nico Carvacho Braxton Huggins 15.7 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 59% FG 18.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 43.7% FG

J.D. Paige Deshon Taylor 15.2 PPG, 40.9% 3-PT 16.1 PPG, 35.2 MPG, 67 assists

Kendle Moore Nate Grimes 8.5 PPG, 57 assists, 31 steals 11.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 32 blocks The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Friday, January 25, 2019 13

of 14 inside the lines

CSU FRESNO ST. RAMS BULLDOGS

7-10, 1-5 RECORD 12-5, 5-1 u

55.3 PPG 72.9 u

u 58.5 OPPG 62.5

38.2 FG% 43.6 u

34.3 RPG 36.1 u

u 13.2 TPG 15

Lore Devos Candice White 13.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 44.5% FG 19.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 48.1% FG

Mollie Mounsey Maddi Utti 11.6 PPG, 33.8% 3-PT, 5.2 RPG 11.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 14 blocks

Grace Colaivalu Aly Gamez 5.8 PPG, 76 assists, 17 steals 10.9 PPG, 56 assists, 36 steals inside the lines 15

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