Colorado State (15-7, 4-3) came into the contest against Air Force (11-10, 0-6) knowing it was a must-win to keep their NCAA Tournament dreams alive.
CSU started the game playing their way, moving the ball well. The team went on a 9-0 run early to take the 9-3 lead and four Rams scored in the first 10 minutes of action.
The Rams' effort on the defensive end frustrated Air Force as well, as the Falcons didn't make their first field goal until nearly seven minutes into the contest.
Pierce Hornung played like a man possessed, bullying opponents, grabbing two rebounds in the first 1:30. The junior forward built his board total to eight at the break, while he also led the Rams in scoring with seven. Hornung was all over the place, flying to the ball for rebounds and always giving effort on defense.
But, even though Colorado State held the 27-20 lead at halftime, the pace—slow and steady, working the shot clock by both teams—favored Air Force and their dominant defense that allows only 58.8 per game.
Hornung kept it rolling in the second half, scoring six quick points, rebounding relentlessly and even stealing a pass to turn it into a transition opportunity. Four minutes into the second half, Hornung recorded his third career double-double, while his rebound tip-in ran the Rams' lead to 17 at 41-24. During that stretch, CSU went on a 22-6 run, and basically sealed the victory then and there.
Hornung finished with a career-high in points with 23 and tied a career-high in rebounds with 17—leaving the game to a standing ovation—carrying his team to victory.
And Colorado State needed Hornung to enjoy one of the best games of his career, as their usual solid shooting from behind the arc was ice cold Saturday to the tune of 4-22 (18.2 percent). While the Rams couldn't score from downtown, they couldn't be stopped down low, outscoring Air Force 30-14 in the paint.
When asked about if he noticed his team missing outside shots and realizing he needed to be big in the paint Hornung said, "That was a key to the game for us tonight. We talked about that the past two days; win the paint and we're going to win the game. Sometimes the threes don't fall but we did a good job of stepping up and attacking down low and winning the paint, which was a key to the game."
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist actively seeking a career in journalism. Along with being your CSU Rams Examiner, Kurtzman is also the Denver Broncos Examiner and writes for Blake Street Bulletin, Stadium Journey, Bleacher Report, and Mile High Hoops.
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