Senior Day Showdown

Senior Day Showdown
From December struggles to March contenders
By Liv Sewell, CSURams.com

FORT COLLINS– Nothing fills a stadium like Senior Night—except, perhaps, $1 Beer Night.

With hordes of students, drink in each hand, Colorado State men’s basketball honored their seniors in their final game at Moby Arena.

The Rams put on a dominant performance, securing an 83-56 win over San Jose State. The victory marked their sixth season sweep and a program-record 15th conference win.

“I think it’s cool anytime our seniors can go out like that,” coach Niko Medved said. “They got an opportunity for the ovation at the end of the game. But with the 15 conference wins, just to reflect on where this team was in the middle of December—then to think they would set the record for conference wins—is pretty remarkable.”

CSU’s four seniors—Nique Clifford, Bowen Born, Ethan Morton, and Jalen Lake—each had their moment. Clifford led the group with 15 points, while Lake added 12. Morton knocked down his second three of the season, and Born, in typical fashion, took another hit to the face along with his five points.

“It was definitely emotional,” Lake said. “It hit me today. I was trying to take it one day at a time, but when I saw the crowd, seeing the fans—these four years have been really special. Not only on the court, but off it as well. It’s a family environment. These guys—the teammates and coaches—have helped me in so many ways.”

But while Senior Night was a celebration, it also served as a reflection of how far this team has come.

Back in December, the Rams were struggling. A rocky stretch of games tested their confidence, forcing them to reevaluate their approach. But instead of folding, they grew.

“A mentor of mine told me when I first became a head coach, ‘The first thing you learn is you have to have a group you can lose with first,'” Medved said. “I didn’t really understand it until I became a head coach. What it really means is you’re going to have adversity. You have to have a group of guys that you can go through that with, and that are going to continue to fight and grow.”

That fight was evident against the Spartans. CSU shot 56% from the field while holding SJSU to just 40%. Their defensive intensity, ball movement, and ability to finish at the rim showed just how much they had evolved since those early-season struggles.

Now, they take that intensity to Boise.

“I think we’re really dangerous,” Kyan Evans said. “Especially when we’re playing together on offense and, most importantly, bringing that defensive intensity. Getting deflections, steals, turnovers—that’s when we’re at our best. When we’re playing well, we’re going to be tough to beat.”

As they head toward the postseason, the Rams have learned that rankings and records don’t define them—resilience does.

Because no matter the seed, each team takes a stab at every opponent during the Mountain West championships.

“You look at last year, we had such an unbelievable start,” Medved said. “We were 13th in the country, everyone was talking about us. And this league was such a bear. Every game just felt like the weight of the world. I think this team kind of let that go and started focusing on what they could control.

“It’s been refreshing to not look at all those things and just stay in the moment. I think it’s helped the team—and the coaches too.”

And if December was the storm, March is shaping up to be the calm—right before CSU makes some noise.

The path ahead won’t be easy. The Mountain West has proven to be unpredictable, and every team is fighting for its season. But if the Rams have shown anything, it’s that they’re built for the grind.

“We stayed resilient through it all,” Lake said. “I remember going into Christmas break and coach Medved said these are the days when teams make the biggest jump and have the biggest growth. We really took that to heart. We took it one day at a time and got so much better. We started to trust each other.”

They don’t need the hype or the rankings. They don’t need the perfect season.

They just need a chance.