Colorado State University Athletics
Game Notes: Men's basketball vs. Denver
12/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
GAME NO. 8 COLORADO STATE (4-3/0-0) vs. Denver (2-3/0-0) Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena | 6:05 p.m. MT
THE MATCHUP Colorado State hosts its second home game of the season as Denver comes to town. The Rams are currently 1-0 at home this season.
About Denver The Pioneers have been off since Nov. 27 and will have played one game over a 17-day stretch since Nov. 17. Denver is 2-3 on the season and 0-2 on the road. The Pioneers are led by David Kummer who averages 12.2 points per game and is also the leading rebounder, pulling down an average of 5.4 boards a game. Also in double-figure scoring is Kyle Lewis at 10.6 points a game.
Series with Denver Colorado State and Denver have met 153 times in the history of the series with the Rams holding the advantage, 85-68.
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.
Colorado State at Northern Colorado For the first 34 minutes, Colorado State and Northern Colorado battled like they were Duke and North Carolina. But the Bears held the Rams to just two points over the last six-and-a-half minutes and pulled away to a 72-59 win, their first over Colorado State since 1986. UNC outrebounded CSU 43-25 overall, and 19-11 on the offensive glass. Bears guard Robert Palacios led the way with 14, to go along with 12 points. Jabril Banks led five UNC players in double-figures with 17 points. The Bears cashed in their offensive rebounds to outscore the Rams 20-3 in second-chance points. UNC's bench scorers also had a 20-5 advantage. The in-state rivals combined for 13 ties and 14 lead changes, but when the Bears took their final lead, they did it with an 11-2 run. The Rams got 17 from Marcus Walker, 16 from Willis Gardner and 14 from Stuart Creason. Many of Walker's points came in the first half, when he hit five three-pointers to keep CSU within one, 32-31, at intermission.
Colorado State vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff After a slow first half, the Colorado State men's basketball team turned up the intensity in front of 2,508 fans in Moby Arena for a 73-48 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Nov. 28. Stuart Creason scored a game-high 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds. The Rams retained a 10-2 lead early in the first half, but after back-and-forth basketball and a pair of three pointers from Arkansas-Pine Bluff guards, the score was 28-24 at the half. Not only did CSU use the scoring run to pull away from the Golden Lions, but played well defensively by blocking five shots, three by Ronnie Aguilar, and held the Lions to 28 percent shooting from the field, a season-low for a CSU opponent. Aguilar chipped in with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds, both career bests, off the bench to help the Rams outrebound Pine Bluff 51-34.
YOUTHFUL OFFENSE This season the Rams field their youngest squad in the last 30 years and the freshmen have really come through. The CSU freshmen are averaging a combined 18.1 points per game with Josh Simmons and Andre McFarland assuming starting roles.
TWO GOOD FOR AT LEAST FIVE Stuart Creason and Willis Gardner are each averaging at least five rebounds a game. The duo accounts for one-third of the Rams' boards each game.
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.
IRON MAN GARDNER Gardner became the first player since Michael 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. Gardner is averaging 34.3 minutes a game this season.
POINTS ON THE BOARD Marcus Walker had the 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.
SOFT TOUCH CSU guards Marcus Walker and Willis Gardner account for half of the teams' free throw attempts. Combined they are 45-53 for 84.9 percent from the line.
ALL-TIME MOBY RECORD Colorado State holds an all-time record of 426-169 (.717) in Moby Arena.
HOME WIN STREAK Colorado State has won 23 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents, a streak which ranks 13th nationally.