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LAS VEGAS – They call the Thomas & Mack Center Pit West for a reason.
New Mexico fans take over the stadium for the Mountain West tournament.
They sure have this week, as the Lobos desperately needed some wins to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Colorado State men’s basketball team felt the heat Friday night as New Mexico defeated the Rams 74-61 in the Mountain West tournament semifinal.
New Mexico went on an 11-0 run to start the game and set the crowd on fire. The Lobos then went on an 8-0 run to end the half, holding CSU scoreless for the final 6:48 of the half.
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The No. 6 seeded Lobos (25-9) built a 16-point lead in the second half before No. 7 CSU (24-10) made a late surge to pull within seven in the final 6 minutes.
But the CSU never got any closer.
“I think the run at the end of the first half was key. They came into the locker room with momentum. They made a lot of plays. They made shots. They made plays. They were active on defense,” CSU coach Niko said. Medved said.
“We just couldn’t make enough shots or get a timely rebound, or we had a key turnover. I thought they really outplayed us on both ends of the floor. Disappointing, but we’ll move forward.” “Go ahead and get ready for what’s coming on Sunday.”
New Mexico advances to Saturday’s title game against San Diego State.
This is what happened in the semifinal and what it means for Selection Sunday.
Colorado State offense struggles
CSU star guard Isaiah Stevens limped into the locker room in the final minute of the first half and appeared to have discomfort in his left leg throughout the game.
He came back and played big minutes and looked healthy in the second half, so it seemed like a manageable problem.
But if he’s bad, so is CSU’s offense. It took until late for the Rams to get rolling a bit.
At halftime (where CSU trailed 33-25), four key players (Stevens, Nique Clifford, Josiah Strong and Jalen Lake) shot a combined 0-for-17 with just two points.
“That’s what they do. They speed up the game and execute on both sides at that pace. We were able to generate some good looks,” Stevens said. “Maybe we rushed at times. We just have to adapt. Honestly, in the first half there were some shots that we just have to make.”
Stevens finished with 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Joel Scott scored 20 on 9-15 shooting.
CSU shot 6-28 (21%) from 3-point range and 34% from the field.
Of his calf injury, which he was covering in the postgame press conference, Stevens said, “I’ll be fine. Nothing more than that. I’m excited to keep playing and move forward.”
New Mexico on the rise
No team in the league had more at stake entering the conference tournament.
New Mexico needed at least two wins to secure a berth in the NCAA tournament. With a plethora of bubbles and bid-stealing teams winning, a third might have been necessary, and the Wolves played like it on Friday night.
The Lobos responded well as CSU cut the score to seven late, making a small 4-0 push to reestablish full control.
New Mexico shot 45% from the floor. Jaelen House scored 19 points and eight assists. JT Toppin had 16 points and nine rebounds.
CSU was outscored 42-30 in the paint and 22-6 in points off turnovers, which is New Mexico’s lifeline.
New Mexico came out with ferocity and rarely disappointed. A Quad 1 win over CSU should give the Lobos a spot in the Big Dance.
Selection Sunday awaits
CSU obviously would have liked to win and get another big win on their resume, but the Rams can now rest and look forward to hearing their name called on Selection Sunday.
Most sites have CSU projected as a #8 or #9 seed.
The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed at 4 pm Mountain on Sunday, March 17.
“Part of the fun is not knowing and having that on Selection Sunday. You have no idea what your seed is going to be, where you’re going to go, who you’re going to play against, and that’s part of the beauty of it,” Medved said. “You know me. I’m a very competitive guy. I hated that way; I wish I could have played better here tonight, but at the same time, this group has given us a lot and we have to wake up tomorrow and have a strong chin and stick our chests out.”
If CSU is in (which is considered a lock), it will be the second time in three seasons for the Rams.
“Selection Sunday is a really special moment. That’s what these guys dream about, so we can’t let this take away from what Sunday will be like,” Medved said. “We’ll do it tonight, something you should do as a competitor, but you’ll wake up tomorrow and look forward to what’s next.”
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
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