Fort Worth, Texas – Colorado State took over third place in the men’s Mountain West Conference race Wednesday night with a 66-54 victory over Texas Christian.
Stuart Creason scored 14 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and had six blocked shots to lead the Rams (13-4, 3-2 MWC), who trail Air Force (4-1) and Brigham Young (3-1).
The Rams won despite three starters – Creason, Jason Smith and Cory Lewis – racking up four fouls with 5:09 left, key backup Xavier Kilby fouling out with 12:50 left and Tyler Smith, one of three starting guards, missing the game with a leg injury from practice Monday.
In the first half, Colorado State quickly turned a 15-13 advantage into a 12-point lead, after Kilby’s two free throws with 3:27 left in the first half capped a 12-2 run.
TCU rallied to close the first half and begin the second, tying the game 37-37 with 12:24 remaining.
But Creason pulled CSU out of the only tie of the game as the Rams went on a 10-2 run. Stephan Gilling, starting for Tyler Smith, dropped in a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run in that stretch and the Rams never looked back.
Tim Denson scored a game- high 17 points and Gilling added 11 for CSU.
Alvarado Parker led TCU (10-6, 2-2) with 13 points and eight rebounds. Kevin Langford had 12 points and seven boards, and Blake Adams added 10 points and seven rebounds.
CSU blocked 11 shots and held a 44-35 rebounding edge.
COLORADO STATE (13-4, 3-2 MWC)
Jas. Smith 2-2 1-2 5, Creason 4-5 6-9 14, Lewis 2-6 4-6 9, Denson 5-11 5-7 17, Gilling 3-9 2-3 11, Kilby 0-5 4-4 4, Surratt 0-0 2-6 2, F. Robinson 2-3 0-2 4, Aguilar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-41 24-39 66.
TCU (10-6, 2-2 MWC)
Langford 4-12 4-5 12, Parker 6-7 1-1 13, Hackett 3-9 1-2 9, Owens 1-6 1-4 3, Dougherty 0-3 0-3 0, Ebie 0-0 0-0 0, Wall 1-8 2-5 4, Ibikunle 1-3 1-2 3, Adams 4-10 2-3 10. Totals 20-58 12-25 54.
Halftime – Colorado State 30-25. 3-point goals – Colorado St. 6-12 (Gilling 3-6, Denson 2-3, Lewis 1-2, F. Robinson 0-1), TCU 2-16 (Hackett 2-4, Dougherty 0-2, Adams 0-5, Wall 0-5). Fouled out – Kilby, Owens, Parker, Jas. Smith. Rebounds – Colorado St. 44 (Creason 10), TCU 35 (Parker 8). Assists – Colorado St. 14 (Lewis 5), TCU 9 (Wall 3). Total fouls – Colorado St. 25, TCU 28. A – 3,842.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler contributed to this report.
