FORT COLLINS — Colorado State needed Marcus Walker to fuel an 8-0 run in the second half just to get back into Saturday’s game against Texas Christian. Then the Rams needed a lot of Harvey Perry on both ends of the Moby Arena floor to stay ahead for a 71-65 victory.
Perry, a 6-foot-5 guard who has developed a defensive reputation, made a reverse layup and then hit a 3-pointer from the corner for a 67-61 lead with 1:17 remaining. It was the first time all night the Rams had any lead resembling a comfort zone.
“Defense (is something) I thrive off,” Perry said. “Once you get the defense going, it makes the offense a little easier.”
With locker room jokes about the entire population of tiny Ainsworth, Neb., converging on Moby Arena to cheer on hometown hero Jesse Carr, the CSU freshman dominated the first half. Nearly every shot Carr put up in the first 20 minutes went in while his teammates shot a collective 5-of-16 from the floor. He scored CSU’s last seven points of the first half, which ended 27-27.
Members of Carr’s fan club wore “Ram Cave” T-shirts at the Mountain West Conference game. Unofficial spokesman Dick Schipporeit said “the cave” is an Ainsworth racquetball court where locals gather to watch telecasts of CSU games.
“We’re not just local yokels, we watch a lot of basketball,” Schippo-reit said. “Jesse is as good a point guard as anyone.”
CSU coach Tim Miles said he told Carr: “If someone was watching the stands, they’d think Ainsworth (population 1,800) was empty.”
Kevin Langford helped the Horned Frogs build a 42-33 lead with 5:04 elapsed in the second half. The Rams (8-15, 3-6 MWC) began trading baskets with TCU (13-10, 4-5) before Walker scored seven straight points and Carr added a free throw to pull CSU ahead 52-51.
The biggest factor in CSU snapping a three-game losing streak was slicing the turnover column from 20 to three. Miles said he forced the Rams to run after every turnover in practice.
TCU (13-10, 4-5 MOUNTAIN WEST)
Ruzgas 4-11 2-2 11, Langford 7-8 4-4 19, Ortiz 0-0 0-0 0, Moss 3-8 4-4 11, Rose 1-3 1-1 3, Buljan 3-4 0-0 8, Ebie 2-4 1-3 7, Lancon 0-1 0-0 0, Mitchem 2-5 0-0 4, Butler 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 23-45 12-16 65.
COLORADO STATE (8-15, 3-6)
McFarland 1-3 0-0 3, Ogide 1-3 2-4 4, Carr 5-8 6-8 16, Nigon 0-3 2-2 2, Gardner 3-6 4-4 10, Franklin 1-3 3-4 5, Walker 6-12 6-9 20, Perry 5-6 0-0 11, Dunn 0-1 0-0 0, Bocar Ba 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-45 23-31 71.
Halftime — Tied 27-27. 3-point goals — TCU 7-25 (Buljan 2-2, Ebie 2-4, Langford 1-1, Moss 1-5, Ruzgas 1-7, Lancon 0-1, Rose 0-2, Mitchem 0-3); CSU 4-13 (Walker 2-4, Perry 1-1, McFarland 1-3, Carr 0-1, Gardner 0-2, Nigon 0-2). Fouled out — Mitchem. Rebounds — TCU 29 (Moss 8), CSU 24 (Perry 7). Assists — TCU 15 (Rose 5), CSU 11 (Gardner 5). Total fouls — TCU 22, CSU 18. A — 2,707.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
