FORT COLLINS — Nearly four dozen former Colorado State basketball standouts assembled Saturday at halftime for a Rams “legends” ceremony.
Unfortunately for the current Rams, none of the special guests had any remaining eligibility.
Although San Diego State missed starting forward Ryan Amoroso, out with a bad back, and top player Lorrenzo Wade sat out the shootaround with a stomach ailment, the more athletic Aztecs suffocated CSU 78-59.
Wade scored a season- and game-high 25 points in a team-high 36 minutes.
“We planned to play him for three- or four-minute stretches,” San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. “We played him more than we probably should have.”
Wade said: “I wasn’t feeling well, but the Mountain West is such a close race you can’t afford to give up a game.”
Even Boyd Grant, the revered ex-CSU coach who produced back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, couldn’t help with his presence on the bench during alumni night.
“I told them to win and not let the other team score,” Grant said.
The Aztecs (15-5, 5-2 Mountain West) emerged in a three-way tie for the league lead with Utah and UNLV.
CSU guards Marcus Walker and Harvey Perry returned from a three-game academic suspension. With only two days of practice, both showed some rust and the Rams suffered a setback in terms of developing chemistry.
Walker and Perry combined for 22 points.
“I was extremely disappointed with our energy and passion,” CSU coach Tim Miles said.
But points off turnovers doomed the Rams (7-15, 2-6) for the second straight game. This time CSU was home before 4,000 fans giving up 22 points on 20 turnovers, the same number of turnovers committed at New Mexico on Wednesday.
Footnote.
Both coaching staffs wore sneakers as part of a national “Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend” in support of the American Cancer Society. Miles also wore a pink tie in honor of North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, who died last week after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. The officials used pink whistles.SAN DIEGO STATE (15-5, 5-2 MWC)
Shelton 2-2 1-2 5, Wade 10-16 3-3 25, White 4-8 2-2 10, Williams 1-2 0-0 3, Gay 4-7 0-0 10, Horton 0-0 0-0 0, Spain 4-9 5-6 15, Thomas 1-2 2-2 4, Cheriet 3-5 0-2 6. Totals 29-51 13-17 78.
COLORADO STATE (7-15, 2-6)
McFarland 1-6 0-0 2, Ogide 2-6 2-2 6, Carr 1-6 0-0 2, Nigon 0-1 3-4 3, Gardner 5-7 0-0 12, Franklin 2-4 1-1 5, Walker 5-11 2-2 12, Perry 3-7 2-2 10, Dunn 0-0 0-0 0, Bocar Ba 1-3 0-0 2, Vandervieren 2-2 1-2 5. Totals 22-53 11-13 59.
Halftime — San Diego St. 35-24. 3-point goals — San Diego St. 7-14 (Wade 2-3, Gay 2-4, Spain 2-5, Williams 1-1, Cheriet 0-1), Colorado St. 4-16 (Gardner 2-2, Perry 2-4, McFarland 0-2, Carr 0-3, Walker 0-5). Fouled Out — White. Rebounds — San Diego St. 26 (Spain 8), Colorado St. 29 (Franklin, Ogide 5). Assists — San Diego St. 12 (Williams 3), Colorado St. 11 (Perry, Walker 3). Total fouls — San Diego St. 15, Colorado St. 15. A — 4,009.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
