Colorado State has been a team of runs, on and off the court.
When at their best, the Rams can put together 10-plus point runs in the second halves of games, usually providing the breathing room needed to finish teams off.
Their 12-2 run to start the second half against Virginia Tech opened up a 16-point lead in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic championship game. A 17-5 run against CSU Bakersfield sealed the deal, while in their loss to San Diego State last Saturday, a 15-4 run to start the second half got the Rams back into the game.
These runs have come with their wins as well; Colorado State won their first six straight games, lost two, then won seven more in a row before losing to SDSU in overtime. CSU found themselves down 18 points at halftime and outscored the Aztecs 40-22 in the second period, only to fall 79-72 to the No. 16 team in the nation.
Tonight, the Rams (13-3, 0-1 MWC) host in-state rival Air Force (9-5, 1-1 MWC), who's coming off their own difficult overtime loss to UNLV on Saturday.
The Falcons are much improved compared to recent years, riding the great play of senior guard Michael Lyons. Lyons leads the team in minutes played (33.2), points per game (18.4), rebounds per (5.0) and three pointers made (29). But who's been hot as of late is senior forward Mike Fitzgerald, who leads in MWC scoring with 26 points per in Air Force's two conference games.
For Colorado State, Wes Eikmeier's averaged 21.5 PPG in his last two contests, partly by hitting 6-11 from downtown, while center Colton Iverson's put up a double-double of 16 and 11.5.
Their Rams are looking to not only bounce back from the conference-opening loss, but to continue another long run as well. If CSU can defeat Air Force tonight, it'll be their 23rd straight home win, dating back to November of 2011, which would break a 51-year old record.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. MT at Moby Arena, where you have a chance to witness not only a great college basketball team looking to make their second NCAA Tournament in a row, but possibly also CSU history as well. Tickets are going for as low as $8, and the first 1,500 students with a valid Colorado State ID are always allowed in for free.
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Colorado State conquers St. Bonaventure to tie school record with 22nd straight home win
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. You can follow Rich on twitter or facebook for all your CSU Rams news and opinion.
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