Colorado State Rams Outpaced by New Mexico Lobos in Mountain West Semifinal
The Colorado State Rams faced a challenging contest against the New Mexico Lobos, concluding with a 61-74 scoreline. The Rams' season record now stands at an unmentioned number of victories and defeats, while the Lobos improved their tally in the win-loss column.
The game, held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, saw the Colorado State team put up a resilient fight. Despite trailing with 25 points to the Lobos' 33 by halftime, they managed to add another 36 points to their score in the second half. However, it was not enough to overcome their opponents' consistent performance throughout both halves.
Colorado State showcased commendable accuracy from the free-throw line with an impressive 88 percent conversion rate but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only six out of twenty-eight three-point attempts for a mere 21 percent success rate. Inside shooting was slightly better for them as they made 18 out of 42 two-point shots.
On defense and on boards, Colorado State collected a total of forty-four rebounds – twelve offensive and thirty-two defensive – demonstrating their ability to compete physically. They also registered three blocks and six steals over the course of play but were unable to capitalize fully on these opportunities.
Offensively, Colorado State's players worked together effectively resulting in fourteen assists; however turnovers were an issue as they gave up possession fourteen times which translated into only six points off turnovers for them. Their effort under pressure yielded fifteen second-chance points but this hustle did not translate into overcoming their opponent's lead.
The New Mexico Lobos had a solid game plan that led them to victory. They shot better overall with forty-five percent from field goals and maintained control inside scoring forty-two points in paint compared to thirty by Colorado State. The Lobos also capitalized on turnovers more efficiently than their rivals scoring twenty-two points off turnovers thanks largely due to equal number of steals (six) as that of Rams'.
As fans look forward towards future games featuring Colorado State University's basketball team there is no doubt that lessons will be learned from this semifinal encounter against University of New Mexico's squad at Mountain West Conference tournament hosted by Thomas & Mack Center where attendance peaked at thirteen thousand two hundred thirteen spectators during this high-stakes collegiate event scheduled around nine o'clock Mountain Time Zone.