Colorado State hosts Nevada Tuesday Night

CONTACT: Ryan Pfeifer. Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Brand Enhancement

 | Ryan.Pfeifer@colostate.edu

FORT COLLINS  – Colorado State men’s basketball looks to keep momentum going after defeating rival Wyoming by 35 points on Saturday when Nevada visits Moby Arena on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. MT.

Opening Tip
– Colorado State matched its largest margin of victory over rival Wyoming in the Border War on Saturday at 35 points in an 88-53 decision.

-The Rams never trailed in the game and led by as much as 36.

– CSU shot a season-best 60.7% in the win and matched its season-high for made 3s with 14.

– Nique Clifford recorded his third straight double-double 12th of the year with 22 points and 11 rebounds adding in five assists and a steal.

– Clifford has recorded a double-double in four of the past five games. He is averaging 19.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists during that stretch.

– The fifth-year has scored 20-plus points in seven of the last eight games averaging 20.6 points.

– He is averaging 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

– Clifford is one of two Division I players to have 425 points, 225 rebounds and 100 assists along with UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg.

– Clifford is third in the nation with 8.56 defensive rebounds per game and 11th for total rebounds at 10.1.

– He was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team after earning third team honors last season.

– Jalen Lake is having a strong senior season averaging 11.6 points on 41.0% shooting including 33.1% from behind the arc.

– Kyan Evans had his eighth game of the year with three or more made 3s on Saturday going 3-of-7. He scored 15 points to go with his four assists.

– Evans has turned a corner in the past 15 games averaging 11.2 points shooting 47.1% from 3-point range with 3.4 assists per game.

– Jaylen Crocker-Johnson recorded his fifth double figure scoring game in the past six with his 11 points in the win. He set the tone for the Rams on Saturday making his first two 3s.

– Crocker-Johnson is averaging 11.3 points during that six-game span.

– CSU ranks 16th in the nation making 78.0% of its free throw attempts this season.

– Colorado State’s defense has turned it up in conference play. They are allowing just 67.4 points and holding opponents to 42.9% shooting.

– In conference games only, the Rams rank fourth in Bartorvik for adjusted defensive efficiency at 102.2 and KenPom as well at 102.8.

– Head coach Niko Medved is in his seventh year leading Colorado State. He is 133-84 as the Rams’ head coach. He has the second most wins in program history trailing only Jim Williams (1955-80) and his 352.

– He became the fifth coach in program history to reach 100 wins in Fort Collins last year.

– Medved is the only coach in program history to win 20-plus games four times.

– He picked up his 200th career win in November with the Rams’ overtime win over TCU.

After a strong non-conference season, Nevada has been streaky in Mountain West play. The Wolf Pack dropped their first four games by a combined 11 points before winning three straight. They went on to drop the next three, but are entering Tuesday’s game on a four-game winning streak.

Stretch big man Nick Davidson leads the Nevada offensive attack averaging 16.0 points per game and making 40.7% of his 3s.

Kobe Sanders leads the Wolf Pack backcourt with 14.4 points and 4.6 assists per game.

What’s Ahead
Colorado State embarks on a two-game road trip starting Saturday at UNLV. The Rams and Running Rebels will tip off at 8 p.m. MT.

CSU will return to the state of Colorado and take on Air Force next Tuesday in Colorado Springs at 7 p.m. MT.