In a solid performance, the Colorado State Rams overcame a sluggish start to defeat Dartmouth 76-55 on Tuesday at Moby Arena, marking their fourth consecutive victory. This win improved CSU”s season record to 8-2 with just one more game left before they enter the Mountain West Conference schedule.
Despite being one of the top teams in the nation for 3-point shooting, the Rams managed to hit only seven of their 18 attempts from beyond the arc. However, their defense shone through, limiting Dartmouth to their lowest scoring output of the season. First-year head coach Ali Farokhmanesh acknowledged that the team”s first-half performance was affected by their emotional win against Colorado on Saturday. Nevertheless, he was pleased with their ability to regroup and perform well in the second half after leading by nine points at halftime.
“That”s human nature that after you have an emotional game like that on Saturday night in front of a sold-out arena and in the ups and downs of what that game was, 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 was the standout for the Rams, scoring 14 points, all in the first half. Other contributors included Kyle Jorgensen with 12 points, Jevin Muniz with 11, and both Josh Pascarelli and Jase Butler adding 10 points each. Dartmouth focused on limiting Pascarelli, who had previously made 16 of 18 3-pointers in the Rams” last two outings. His two attempts from distance came in the second half, both finding the net.
A total of 12 Rams found the scoresheet in the game, showcasing their diverse offensive capabilities. “I think we”ve shown we can be successful on offense in multiple ways already this year,” Farokhmanesh commented. “I think they take what the game gives them.”
The opening minutes of the match were competitive, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Rechsteiner shifted the momentum, turning an 8-6 deficit into a 12-8 lead for CSU. The Rams built their largest lead of the first half to 11 points after Rechsteiner”s jumper made it 25-14 with 5:19 left in the period. Dartmouth managed to reduce the deficit to five points before halftime, but CSU finished strong with a layup from Jorgensen and a buzzer-beater from Rechsteiner, leading 33-24 at the break.
Dartmouth opened the second half strong, narrowing the gap to 35-31, but the Rams responded with a 14-3 run, extending their lead to 49-34 with 10:46 left in the game. CSU”s lead reached 74-50, their largest of the contest, with just 1:31 remaining.
Defensively, the Rams held Dartmouth to a shooting percentage of 40% and forced 15 turnovers, although they felt there were areas for improvement. Jace Butler remarked, “I felt like we didn”t defend the way we could. We still won the game, so it was better to learn that way. But the coaches, we made a big emphasis in practice, just that you”ve got to defend to be the team you want to be ultimately.”
CSU edged Dartmouth in rebounding 25-23 and held a slight advantage in assists at 13-12. The game featured limited free throw attempts, with CSU hitting all three of theirs while Dartmouth went 4-of-8. Overall, the Rams shot 61.1% from the field.
The Rams will next face Northern New Mexico on Sunday at 1 PM in their final nonconference game of the season before starting Mountain West play against Utah State on December 20.
