Colorado State University (CSU) wrapped up its nonconference schedule with an impressive 104-54 victory over Northern New Mexico on March 2, 2024, at Moby Arena in Fort Collins. This win improved the Rams’ record to 9-2 ahead of their upcoming Mountain West Conference opener against Utah State.
From the outset, CSU established dominance, leading from the first whistle. The Rams outscored Northern New Mexico by a staggering margin in the first half, tallying 60 points compared to the Eagles’ total of 54 points for the entire game. Notably, despite missing key players, including big men Rashaan Mbemba and Kyle Jorgensen, the Rams showcased their depth by having their bench outperform the Eagles, 56-54.
First Half Highlights and Performance Analysis
CSU opened the game with a powerful start, scoring the first nine points and quickly extending their lead to 16-4 within just over four minutes. A three-pointer from Brandon Rechsteiner solidified a 20-point lead at 39-19 with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. The Rams finished the period with a commanding 60-26 lead, propelled by Rechsteiner’s 12 points and a remarkable shooting percentage of 67.6%.
CSU head coach Ali Farokhmanesh commented on the challenge of facing a smaller team, stating, “These games sometimes can be really hard because of the way they’re played… So as far as the way they handled it like they did, I thought they still responded even in the second half when they were up by as much as they were.”
Second Half and Balanced Team Effort
The second half began with CSU continuing its offensive momentum, pushing their lead to 67-28. While the Rams shot a slightly lower percentage of 53.6% in the second half, they maintained control of the game. Northern New Mexico attempted to close the gap, but the closest they managed was 29 points with 7:13 remaining on the clock.
CSU’s offensive strategy proved effective, as they scored 48 points in the paint and sank 11 three-pointers. Ten players contributed to the scoring, with Darnez Slater leading the way with 17 points. Other notable performances included Jon Mekonnen with 13 points, Rechsteiner and Nikola Djapa each contributing 12 points, while JoJo McIver and Josh Pascarelli added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Farokhmanesh emphasized the importance of team involvement, particularly with upcoming conference games on the horizon. “We needed everybody again. So, it’s going to happen down the road, especially when we are playing 20 conference games,” he said.
CSU also excelled in rebounding, dominating the boards with a 40-28 advantage and recording 24 assists compared to Northern New Mexico’s 11.
With the Mountain West Conference season set to begin, the Rams look forward to their match against the Utah State Aggies next Saturday.
