Colorado State University Athletics
Game notes: Rams host Bears Monday night at Moby
12/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2010
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Colorado State vs. Northern Colorado | Game 8 |
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| CSU STATISTICAL LEADERS | UNC STATISTICAL LEADERS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Complete Release in PDF Format 
Opening tip
After a nine-day layoff for final exams, Colorado State returns to the court Monday night, playing host to intrastate rival Northern Colorado.
The Rams look to snap a two-game losing streak, and extend a streak of home wins against the Bears to nine games. Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT.
ÂAbout Northern Colorado
The Bears are 4-5 on the season, including a 3-0 mark at home, and winless (0-4) on the road, after Saturday's 71-68 loss at Denver. The Bears have posted wins against Tabor College, Wyoming, Bethune-Cookman and Black Hills State, and have fallen to Arizona, Santa Clara, Valparaiso and at No. 16 Illinois.
The majority of the Bears' offensive production comes from five players, who are all scoring in double figures: seniors Devon Beitzel (16.3 points), Neal Kingman (13.8) and Chris Kaba (10.8), sophomore Elliott Lloyd (10.4) and redshirt freshman Emmanuel Addo (10.1). Each of the players is shooting above 40 percent, led by Addo (70.0) and Kingman (56.7). Kingman, Kaba and Lloyd are also shooting at least 50 percent from three-point range. As a team, UNC shoots 43.8 percent from long range, and 82.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Head coach B.J. Hill is in his fifth season with the Bears, and first as head coach.
ÂRams vs. the Bears
The intrastate rivalry between Colorado State and Northern Colorado is the program's oldest, dating back to the first ever Colorado State basketball game, a 64-15 win in 1901. The Rams have had success against the Bears, posting a 61-35 (.635) record against UNC. The Rams have won nine of the last 11 meetings. However, the Rams and Bears have split the last four meetings, with the home team winning each time. CSU's success against UNC can be largely attributed to its performance at home, where it has posted a record of 43-11 (.796). The 43 home wins against UNC rank as the third-most against an opponent. Last season, the Rams fell in Greeley, 70-63, but two years ago in Fort Collins, the Rams handed the Bears an 85-74 defeat. The annual rivalry was renewed in 2004, after the program's met just twice during the 1990s.
In last year's game, Travis Franklin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Dorian Green posted 13 points for the Rams. Senior Andy Ogide has also had success against the Bears, averaging 10.5 points and six boards in two games. Andre McFarland, who will appear in his fourth game against UNC on Monday, has averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over the past two contests against the Bears.
ÂLooking ahead
Immediately following Monday night's game, the Rams will travel south of the border to Cancun, Mexico, for the Cancun Governor's Cup tournament. The Rams begin the eight-team tournament against Appalachian State on Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. MT. A win would give the Rams a televised game (ESPNU) on Dec. 23 at 8:30 p.m. MT against the winner of the Texas State and Mississippi game. The other teams competing in the tournament are East Tennessee State, Northeastern, St. Louis and Southern Mississippi.
