CSU dominates Utah State in high energy win

 

March 1, 2025

Rams Bring the Fight and the Fire
CSU dominates Utah State in high energy win
By Liv Sewell, CSURams.com

FORT COLLINS– Fight Like a Ram in more ways than one.

It could be for a win, a record, or as Colorado State men’s basketball did on Saturday, for someone else — which made the fight all the more meaningful.

Playing with as much energy as the Cancer Warriors do in their daily battles, CSU dedicated their jerseys to the warriors in attendance, capping off the night with a dominant 93-66 victory.

“It’s another level of motivation,” Nique Clifford said. “It’s a super cool opportunity for us to do this. What we go through on a daily basis is a cakewalk compared to what these people are going through. It gives you a different perspective on real life. What we get to do is a blessing, and we’re super grateful to be able to do it.”

The Rams’ performance was a stark contrast to their previous matchup against Utah State in Logan. That night, CSU found themselves down 27-7 in the opening minutes.

Saturday, however, was a different story. Four double-digit performances — Kyan Evans (15), Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (18), Clifford (26), and Bowen Born (18) — helped CSU flip the script. Born, a transfer from Northern Iowa, brought a spark off the bench, making his presence felt in a big way.

“That young man epitomizes everything I believe in coaching,” head coach Niko Medved said. “Here’s a young man who comes in here, and he got to shoot all the shots at Northern Iowa. He played all the minutes. He comes here and accepts a role coming off the bench. Whether he plays eight or 20 minutes, he just set a tone for us; it was phenomenal.”

The game began with a scrappy intensity, each possession a battle for superiority where CSU won more than they lost, and their defensive pressure proved to be the game-changer. The 27-point victory was just the exclamation point.

“That was probably the biggest thing we did,” Born said. “We did really poorly when we played them the first time this season. When we take care of the ball, and this goes with anyone we play, we end up getting really good looks, and we have guys that can step up and knock shots down.”

Two defensive anchors, Rashaan Mbemba and Ethan Morton, led the way, helping CSU secure 23 defensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points — numbers that underscored their grit and determination.

Their recent performances show a team coming into its own at just the right time, with defense and offense meshing ahead of the Mountain West Tournament in less than two weeks.

“When I look at our team, it’s hard to imagine being prouder of a group of guys than I am now,” Medved said. “You look at where this team was in November and December, and their collective spirit to fight and stay together has just been beautiful to watch and see them get rewarded for doing it.

“I knew we would be ready to play today. But I could sense a whole other level of intensity from these guys. It’s March 1st, and that’s what you have to do. They brought their best here today.”

Now on a five-game win streak, the Rams sit in second place in the Mountain West, with two regular-season games left against San Jose State and Boise State.

Born is just happy to be part of it, bringing energy every time he steps on the court.

“This season is long and it’s difficult,” Born said. “But to be able to come out and bring energy has been my mentality this whole season. I’m just excited, given everything that was going on. That’s something I’m always trying to do — bring energy. How can I pick somebody up? How can I help in any way possible?”

That energy spread to the rest of the bench and the crowd at Moby Arena. Every layup, 3 and dunk ignited the building, turning the game into a statement.

“We owed them one,” Clifford said. “We didn’t come out and play a full 40-minute game when we were up there. The mindset today was really good. The last two days of practice we were locked in defensively, and that showed on the court tonight.”

The energy is contagious, and the Rams are carrying it forward — one game at a time, fighting like Rams to keep it that way.