Game Notes: Rams end road swing at Nevada

Dec. 18, 2007

GAME NO. 11 COLORADO STATE (5-5/0-0) at Nevada (5-4/0-0) Wednesday, dec 19, 2007 | Reno, Nev. | Lawlor Events Center | 8 p.m. MT

THE MATCHUP Colorado State finishes a three-game road swing in Reno, Nev. The Rams have played eight of the season's 10 games away from home this season.

Look at the Rams The Rams have a trio of players averaging in double figures. CSU is struggling on the road this year and averages just 58.8 points per game while being -8.6 on the boards. Five players for the Rams average more than five points per game.

About Nevada The Wolfpack is 5-4 overall and riding a three-game win streak into the matchup. Brandon Fields was named the WAC Player of the Week this week and is averaging 13.3 points per game. Nevada is led in scoring by Marcelus Kemp with 18.8 points per game while JaVale McGee pulls down a team leading 8.3 rebounds a game. The Wolfpack is 4-1 at home with the lone loss coming to California on Nov. 28.

Series with Nevada The Rams and the Wolfpack are tied the in the eight-game series with four wins each. CSU has won half on the road and half at home while Nevada has taken three at home. The two teams last faced off in 1999, which was a 66-49 win at Moby Arena. Career steals leader Milt Palacio had a CSU single-game record with eight steals versus the Wolfpack in the game. The Rams are on a three-game win streak coming into the meeting.

Memorable series moment In the 1997 contest in Reno, CSU guard Jameel Mahmud hit one of his four makes from beyond the arc in the game but it was his last that was most important. He hit a game-winning three-pointer with five seconds remaining to seal the 63-60 victory for the Rams. Mahmud was the team's leading scorer with 20 points.

Local connections Freshman guard Andre McFarland was born in Las Vegas, Nev.

Colorado State at North Dakota State Stuart Creason scored a career-high 25 points as the Rams made an incredible comeback for the second-straight game, but were unable to handle the Bison in the game that was a homecoming for Tim Miles, falling 83-69 Saturday afternoon in Fargo. Creason's effort in the second half was key for the Rams as he pulled down six rebounds and blocked two shots in the second stanza.CSU (5-5) cut a 16-point Bison advantage to just five on a jumper by Creason with 6:24 to go in the game. The Rams continued to battle for the next two minutes but NDSU responded with a 4-0 run to go up nine. CSU's mistakes, four turnovers in two minutes, cost them as the Bison were able to extend the final margin to 14. Also in double-figures for the Rams was Wills Gardner with 15 and Marcus Walker with 12. The Rams were outrebounded by 10 in the game and finished with 14 turnovers. CSU stole the ball six times and despite not having a single point on a turnover in the first half finished with 16 off turnovers to just 14 by the Bison.

YOUTHFUL OFFENSE This season the Rams field their youngest squad in the last 30 years and the freshmen have really come through. The five CSU freshmen are averaging a combined 16.7 points per game with Josh Simmons and Andre McFarland assuming starting roles.

DOUBLE DIGITS Marcus Walker, Stuart Creason and Willis Gardner each average double figures for the season in scoring. The Rams' leading scorer has come from the trio in every game this season. Together they account for 66.7 percent of CSU's total points.

The 700 club Willis Gardner, Marcus Walker, Josh Simmons and Andre McFarland each are shooting at least .700 from the free-throw line this season. Gardner leads the way shooting .882 (30-34) and having hit 17 consecutive shots before his misses at North Dakota State. The quartet shoots a combined .777 from the line and averages 11.2 attempts a game.

Gardnering some Attention Willis Gardner leads the team in free throw percentage, dishes out a team-high 3.3 assists per game, ranks second on the team with 4.5 rebounds a game and leads the team averaging 35.0 minutes per game.

Championship Colorado State won its first Top of the World Classic championship in Fairbanks Nov. 18. Stuart Creason was named the tournament MVP and Marcus Walker, who set the record for most points in a game with 43 against TSU, joined him on the squad.

POINTS ON THE BOARD Marcus Walker had CSU's best scoring outing in more than 30 years as he scored 43 points against Tennessee State at the BP Top of the World Classic. Walker shot the lights out hitting on 15-of-18 from the field, 83.3 percent.

IRON MAN GARDNER Gardner became the first player since Micheal Morris on Nov. 19, 2005, to play the full minutes in a game on Nov. 9 at Montana. He is the first Ram in two decades to play all 40 minutes in his Colorado State debut. He also played 40 minutes against North Dakota State. Gardner is averaging 35.0 minutes a game this season, fourth in the Mountain West.

ALL-TIME MOBY RECORD Colorado State holds an all-time record of 427-169 (.716) in Moby Arena.

HOME WIN STREAK Colorado State has won 24 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents, a streak which ranks 13th nationally.

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