A sold-out crowd filled Moby Arena with orange attire while the Colorado State men’s basketball team defeated Wyoming 84-71.

This season has been challenging for the Rams. After coming off a tough loss in San Diego, a Border War victory is just what the doctor ordered.

John Tonje delivered a pair of two-handed slams in his game-high 25-point performance. He was moving downhill anytime he touched the ball. Tonje’s aggressive gameplay paid off by going 8-for-8 at the free throw line and shooting almost 47% from the field.

Floor General

Going into halftime, Isaiah Stevens already racked up 8 assists. He ended up with 12 assists by the end of the night while putting up 15 points on 6-of-10 from the field. Stevens dished an assist to almost every Ram that touched the floor. Getting double digit assists on the night is nothing new for the senior guard, but this performance puts Stevens above Ellen Nystrom as the Rams’ all-time leader in assists for men’s and women’s basketball. CSU started the game hot and had an answer anytime Wyoming attempted a run for the lead.

Team Effort

James Moors, the 6-foot-10-inch forward from New Zealand, contributed 16 points and shot 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Moors had 56% accuracy on free throw shots during the season, but stepped up and knocked them down against Wyoming. He set screens like a brick wall and helped get his teammates open all night.

Junior guard Baylor Hebb got the start tonight and helped CSU’s offense get rolling early by knocking down a corner three and benefiting the team. Hebb also stood in and took a charge on the defensive side of the ball.

Joe Palmer made his presence known in little time with two offensive rebounds during a single possession that eventually led to a Ram’s bucket. Palmer also hit a three off the bench and took a charge of his own.

Every single Ram that touched the floor in the game scored and the bench tallied 26 points in a complete team effort by the squad. CSU remained aggressive on both ends of the floor and were too much for the Wyoming team to handle tonight and evened the Border War series in the 2022-23 season.

What’s Next

The 14-17 CSU Ram’s played their final road game of the season against San Jose State Spartans on Tuesday with a 63-46 loss and redeemed themselves with a 92-84 win against New Mexico on Friday night’s regular season closer. The Mountain West Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 8. There is nothing better than being a college basketball fan in the month of March!