Colorado State 87, Air Force 73

What happened?

Colorado State’s impressive second half propelled the Rams to a 87-73 victory over in-state foe Air Force on Senior Day at Moby Arena. John Gillon and Emmanuel Omogbo were the catalysts for CSU’s second-half surge, scoring 22 points and 18 points respectively.

CSU’s seniors all contributed to the victory. Antwan Scott was the only other Ram to score in double-digits, finishing with 17 points. Joe De Ciman turned in an all-around performance, finishing with seven points, nine rebounds and five assists. Tiel Daniels added four points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Fred Richardson garnered the start and scored six points in 18 minutes before fouling out.

What does this mean going forward for CSU?

CSU improved to 16-15 on the season, and went 8-11 in conference play. The Rams now have to wait and see how UNLV and Utah State do in their games to determine which seed each team is awarded in the Mountain West Tournament. CSU’s victory over Air Force does guarantee the Rams will finish at least with a .500 record.

Positives

Gillon played like a dual-threat point guard, totaling 22 points and eight assists. He made 4-6 shots from beyond the arc and made all ten of his free throw attempts. Simply put, Air Force had no answer for the speedy, diminutive guard.

Omogbo was very aggressive, scoring 18 points in only 20 minutes. He was also active on defense with three steals and a block.

As a team, CSU moved the ball very well. The Rams made 23 field goals as a team, and tallied 20 assists. Excellent ball movement and unselfishness.

Negatives

Poor first-half offensive start which only yielded 22 points. CSU shot 6-28 from the field, and only 4-17 from three. The Rams will need to avoid this type of start in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament.

MVP of the game

John Gillon. This was one of his best performances this season.

What’s next?

CSU takes on an opponent that is yet to be determined in the Mountain West Tournament on March 9th.