Staff Report
Colorado State University rallied Monday night but could not overcome the firepower of UNM sharpshooter Ruben Douglas, who scored 23 points, including 11 in a row during the second half.
The 70-64 road win improves the Lobos to 13-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play despite a variety of distractions, including the departure of point guard Marlon Parmer, who quit the team last week. CSU, meanwhile, fell to 9-10 and 1-4.
"It was a very physical game and we knew it would be because Colorado State plays that brand of basketball," head coach Fran Fraschilla said during his post-game radio show. "I am very, very proud of our team. We did not play great, we turned the ball over 18 times, but we had a lot of different contributors and came up with a solid road win."
UNM led 31-26 at halftime and quickly extended its lead to 37-28, thanks in part to a technical foul on the Rams' Matt Brown. Douglas then took over for UNM, scoring 11 straight points in a five-minute span, including three 3-pointers.
CSU would not fade, however, and hit seven-of-eight free throws to draw within 48-45. The Lobos pushed the lead back to seven after hitting six straight free throws, but the Rams closed to within 58-55 with four minutes remaining after Andy Birley's 3-pointer and a free throw by Brown.
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Chatfield gave UNM a five-point cushion with a smooth scoop shot after Douglas had rebounded his own miss of a three, then Tim Lightfoot put the dagger in the Rams by burying a 3-pointer off a pass from point guard Senque Carey. Lightfoot's bomb was part of a 7-0 run that gave UNM a 65-57 lead and essentially put the game away.
"That was a great 3-pointer by Tim, and I am really proud of the effort he put in tonight," Fraschilla said.
The Rams tried to make a furious rally, recording three steals in the final minute, but could get no closer than the final margin.
Fraschilla praised center Cody Payne, who had six points and five rebounds, for his strong inside play.
"You know Cody didn't play against Wyoming and I felt really bad about that, but it's just a strong show of his character that he came out strong tonight and put in a really gutsy, gritty performance," Fraschilla said. "He just worked hard tonight and I was very happy that he had some quality minutes."
He also praised Douglas, Chatfield and Carey for their performances and later said that he was proud of the whole team's character, hinting at the changes he has seen in the team since Parmer's departure.
"This is just a good group of guys that I am really happy to see pull together for a solid win here," Fraschilla said. "It's been a lot of fun, but of course it's a lot nicer when you win. It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but it's great for us to pick up the win."
Douglas has now scored 20 points in three straight games after doing so just once in his previous 12 games.
Chatfield reached double figures for the second straight game with 14, while Carey added a team-high five assists to go along with eight points. Birley led CSU with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Brian Greene had 17, including 9-9 from the free-throw line, and Matt Nelson had 10.
During the first half both teams played sloppily, combining for 22 turnovers. The Lobos hit 54 percent of their shots from the field, but nearly matched their season average of 12 turnovers with 10 miscues. Douglas and Chatfield scored seven points apiece and Lightfoot came off the bench to tally five points to pace UNM. CSU was led by Greene who had 11. Only three Rams scored more than one basket, including Birley, who was 2-2 from three-point range.
CSU scored the first three points of the game, but UNM went on a 9-0 run to take a six-point lead early on. The Rams eventually caught up and took a 17-15 lead after a 7-0 run that included a Birley trey. Douglas responded with five quick points to vault the Lobos back into the lead, 20-17.
With UNM ahead 27-26, Jamaal Williams missed two free throws, but Douglas stole a Ram rebound and fed Lightfoot for a bucket. Williams then had a fast-break slam on a pass from Cody Payne just before the half ended.
UNM returns home for its next two games, beginning Saturday night in The Pit against San Diego State at 7:05 p.m.
Around the Mountain West Conference: The Air Force Academy took the University of Wyoming to four overtimes before the Cowboys prevailed 83-76 in Laramie, Wyo.
The Cowboys hit five of their last seven free throws down the stretch and withstood a valiant Air Force effort that included 13 baskets from beyond the arc.
With the score 79-76, Cowboy guard Donta Richardson missed the second of two free throws but Wyoming came up with the offensive rebound, which forced the Falcons to foul.
Air Force got gritty performances from Joe Gerlach and A.J Kuhle, who tied with the team lead with 16 points and combined to hit 7-of-12 3-pointers.
The Cowboys got 25 points from Marcus Bailey and 15 from Richardson. Wyoming improves to 5-0 in conference play, while AFA is 1-5.
The game was the longest in both schools' histories.
