LAS VEGAS — The season that couldn’t end soon enough suddenly has new life.
Following the lead of the CSU women, who broke a 20-game losing streak, the men snapped a 17-game skid by defeating Wyoming 68-63 on Wednesday in the Mountain West Conference Tournament play-in game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“We fed off the girls’ game,” said CSU guard Marcus Walker, whose rebound of a Wyoming miss and a full-court sprint for the layup produced a 64-59 lead with 2:15 left. “It’s March.”
CSU, a winner for the first time in 2008, had failed to seal the deal in other games.
“We never gave up on each other. We believed in one another that we’d get a win, eventually,” Walker said after scoring 22 points and handing out five assists.
CSU coach Tim Miles, who drew his first technical of the year in the first half, had seen leads evaporate and comebacks fall short while going 0-16 in the MWC.
“Finally it felt like we believed we were going to win,” Miles said. “We got tired of losing and, down the stretch when Wyoming came at us (closing within a point with 63 seconds left), we just said, ‘Nope, nope. We’ve done this enough. We’re going to break the mold.’ ”
Walk-on Adam Nigon provided the 51-50 go-ahead basket and CSU’s first lead of the second half with 9:10 left. Walker and Willis Gardner combined for four free throws in the final 28 frantic seconds to preserve it.
CSU (7-24) will play league champ and top seed BYU at 1 p.m. today.
The Rams had to overcome a 29-point outburst by Wyoming guard Brandon Ewing, who was 13-of-13 from the foul line.
CSU senior center Stuart Creason, the team’s second-leading scorer, sat on the bench in street clothes and a boot on the foot he reinjured in the regular-season finale. Miles called him “probably doubtful” for BYU.
Las Vegas product Andre McFarland, averaging eight points, helped pick up the slack, scoring a career-high 18 points.
COLORADO STATE (7-24) McFarland 6-10 2-2 18, Walker 9-17 3-4 22, Nigon 4-7 2-2 10, Simmons 0-2 0-2 0, Gardner 1-6 6-8 8, Clayman 3-5 1-2 8, Cohen 0-0 0-0 0, Woodard 0-3 0-2 0, Aguilar 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-51 14-22 68.
WYOMING (12-18) Dermody 1-10 0-0 3, Johnson 3-4 1-3 7, Linskens 0-4 0-0 0, Jones 3-7 3-3 10, Ewing 7-14 13-13 29, Taylor 4-12 0-0 9, Platt 0-1 0-0 0, Nelson 2-4 1-1 5, Bunker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-56 18-20 63.
Halftime — Wyoming 36-31. 3-point goals —Colorado St. 6-21 (McFarland 4-6, Clayman 1-2, Walker 1-7, Nigon 0-1, Woodard 0-2, Gardner 0-3), Wyoming 5-14 (Ewing 2-6, Jones 1-1, Taylor 1-1, Dermody 1-5, Platt 0-1). Fouled out —Aguilar, Taylor, Woodard. Rebounds — Colorado St. 29 (Clayman 7), Wyoming 34 (Dermody 9). Assists — Colorado St. 14 (Gardner, Walker 5), Wyoming 9 (Dermody, Johnson 2). Total fouls —Colorado St. 22, Wyoming 20. Technicals —Colorado St. Bench, Nelson. A — NA.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
