In a commanding performance, the Colorado State Rams overcame a slow start to defeat Dartmouth College 76-55 on Tuesday at Moby Arena, marking their fourth consecutive victory. With this win, CSU enhanced its season record to 8-2, just one game away from embarking on the crucial stretch of their conference schedule.
Despite being renowned for their prowess from beyond the arc, the Rams struggled with their shooting, making only seven of their 18 attempts from three-point range. However, their defense shone brightly, holding Dartmouth to its lowest point total of the season.
First-year head coach Ali Farokhmanesh acknowledged that the team”s initial struggles could be attributed to the emotional toll of their recent victory over Colorado. He expressed satisfaction with how the players rebounded in the second half after taking a nine-point lead into halftime. “That”s human nature that after you have an emotional game like that on Saturday night in front of a sold-out arena, it”s hard to get ready for the next one,” Farokhmanesh stated. “I”m glad we got the win, and we won by a good margin, and the guys responded in the second half the way that we wanted to.”
Brandon Rechsteiner led all scorers with 14 points, all coming in the first half. Other notable performances included Kyle Jorgensen with 12 points, Jevin Muniz contributing 11 points, and Josh Pascarelli and Jase Butler each adding 10 points. Dartmouth”s defense managed to contain Pascarelli, who had previously sunk 16 of 18 three-point attempts in the last two games, limiting him to just two attempts from beyond the arc during this matchup.
Overall, 12 Rams contributed to the scoreboard, each scoring at least two points. “I think we”ve shown we can be successful on offense in multiple ways already this year,” Farokhmanesh noted. “I think they take what the game gives them.”
The game remained competitive for the opening five minutes until Rechsteiner”s consecutive three-pointers shifted the momentum, allowing CSU to take a 12-8 lead. The Rams” largest advantage in the first half was 11 points, achieved after Rechsteiner hit a jumper that put them ahead 25-14 with just over five minutes left before halftime. Dartmouth managed to narrow the gap to five points late in the half, but a layup by Jorgensen and a buzzer-beater layup by Rechsteiner sent CSU into the locker room with a 33-24 lead.
After halftime, Dartmouth closed the gap to 35-31, but CSU responded with a 14-3 run, extending their lead to 49-34 with just over ten minutes remaining. The Rams reached their largest lead of the game at 74-50 with 1:31 remaining on the clock.
Defensively, CSU held Dartmouth to a shooting percentage of 40% and forced 15 turnovers. Despite this, the Rams felt they could enhance their defensive performance as they prepare for upcoming conference play. “I felt like we didn”t defend the way we could. We still won the game, so it was better to learn that way,” said Jace Butler. “But the coaches, we made a big emphasis in practice that you”ve got to defend to be the team you ultimately want to be.”
In terms of rebounding, CSU edged Dartmouth 25-23 and held a slight advantage in assists at 13-12. The game featured minimal free throw attempts, with CSU converting all three of their attempts while Dartmouth went 4-of-8. Overall, the Rams shot 61.1% from the field.
Looking ahead, CSU will face Northern New Mexico on Sunday for their final non-conference game of the season at 1 p.m. at Moby Arena. They will kick off Mountain West Conference play on December 20 against Utah State.
In an impressive display, Carey Booth also showcased his athleticism with a dunk against Dartmouth during the game.
