FORT COLLINS — Colorado State survived the first of several Front Range encounters against the so-called Air Force/Princeton offense.
The Rams just need a little work against the defense.
CSU held on for a 44-40 win against Denver, now coached by former Air Force boss Joe Scott. It was the lowest-scoring game ever at Moby Arena and drew only 2,497. The previous low was a 45-42 win over Wyoming in 1979.
“Anytime you play the Princeton-type offense, it’s never a fun game to play,” said CSU 7-0 center Stuart Creason, held without a first-half rebound.
“It was ugly, but at the end of the year all anyone sees is a ‘W’,” said Rams first-year coach Tim Miles, now 5-3.
Miles moved to a 2-3 second-half zone, which Scott anticipated, but it was basically a second-half standoff after CSU clawed to a 27-23 halftime lead. Each team scored only five baskets in the final 20 minutes.
“It’s a good experience. It’s not the last time we’ll see this, especially with Air Force and Colorado on the schedule,” Creason said.
DU’s Kyle Lewis tied it at 29 with 13:22 left but the Rams led the rest of the way. Still, the Pioneers (2-4) had a chance to pull it out after Joe Jackson’s 3-pointer with 9.3 seconds left made it 41-40. DU sent CSU freshman Josh Simmons to the line, where he hit both with 8.9 seconds left.
Tyler Bullock’s shot was well short of the rim for DU, and Simmons closed out the scoring with another free throw.
CSU guard Marcus Walker (13 points) was the lone player on either side in double figures.
The outside shot was atrocious on both ends, with CSU hitting 2-of-9 behind the arc and Denver sinking 4-of-25.
“We missed every shot at the end of the game,” Scott said. “We were missing the broad side of the barn, or we would have won the game. It’s part of the process to give yourself a chance to win.”
Recalling how his first two Air Force teams couldn’t even dream of winning on the road, Scott said the last step is just getting those final shots to fall. The Pioneers at least were in position to win at the end.
“Tim’s going through the same thing with his guys,” Scott said. “We made it the kind of game we wanted to make it. These guys figured out a way to win the game, so you have to give them credit.”
DENVER (2-4)
Kummer 2-10 2-3 6, Tanner 4-7 1-1 9, Bullock 0-7 0-0 0, Rohnert 1-4 4-4 6, McNally 2-2 0-1 4, R. Lewis 0-1 1-2 1, K. Lewis 2-3 0-0 5, Jackson 3-7 0-1 9. Totals 14-41 8-12 40.
COLORADO STATE (5-3)
McFarland 0-2 0-0 0, Creason 2-5 4-6 8, Walker 6-15 1-1 13, Nigon 1-1 0-1 2, Gardner 4-7 0-0 9, Clayman 1-1 0-0 2, Simmons 0-1 5-7 5, Woodard 1-3 0-0 3, Aguilar 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-36 10-15 44.
Halftime — Colorado State 27-23. 3-point goals — Denver 4-25 (Jackson 3-7, K.Lewis 1-2, Rohnert 0-1, R.Lewis 0-1, Tanner 0-2, Bullock 0-5, Kummer 0-7), Colorado St. 2-9 (Gardner 1-2, Woodard 1-2, McFarland 0-1, Walker 0-4). Fouled out —Creason. Rebounds — Denver 24 (McNally 6), Colorado St. 29 (Aguilar, Nigon 5). Assists — Denver 8 (Tanner 4), Colorado St. 8 (Simmons, Walker 3). Total fouls — Denver 20, Colorado St. 16. A — 2,497.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
