FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Colorado State needed someone to get them started against a team which was playing the second of a back-to-back games. Travis Franklin answered the bell.
“That is my kind of game,” Franklin said. “My game is a high energy game, and it worked well against Northern Arizona, a team that had to play last night at Air Force.”
Franklin had 22 points and six rebounds as Colorado State won its fourth straight, beating Northern Arizona 64-56 Sunday night.
“Travis had good energy, and he made his foul shots,” Colorado State coach Tim Miles said. “Whenever he makes his foul shots he’s good.”
Franklin was 10 for 13 from the free-throw line. He was even better from the field, missing only 1-of-7 shots.
“You have to get to the goal, and that’s my trademark, getting inside, ” Franklin said. “I either make the shot or the free throws if I get fouled.”
Dorian Green added 18 points for the Rams (8-3). The winning streak is Colorado State’s longest since it won nine straight in the 2006-07 season.
“There was no atmosphere in this building, and this game was for anybody that wanted to step up and do it,” Northern Arizona coach Mike Adras said. “Fortunately for them, Franklin wanted to step up and do it, and that was the difference.”
Gabe Rogers had a season-high 17 points for Northern Arizona (4-7). No other Lumberjack had more than eight points.
“Gabe had a nice game,” Adras said. “You have to have two or three guys like that to win, especially on the road.”
Northern Arizona, which played at Air Force on Saturday, was plagued by 20 turnovers.
“I wouldn’t say we had tired legs,” guard Cameron Jones said. “We just didn’t get into our game, didn’t make our shots in the first half or down the stretch.”
Northern Arizona opened the second half with a 15-5 run, cutting the lead to 38-36 on Jones’ jumper with 13:15 left. The Lumberjacks pulled ahead 40-39 on two free throws by Shane Johannsen with 12:18 to go.
After Rogers hit a 3-pointer, DeAngelo Jones sank two free throws and Josh Lepley one to put Northern Arizona up 46-42 with 9:42 left.
“They got some life in the second half and took advantage of some things,” Franklin said. “And then we got our game back.”
The Rams went from a straight man defense into a variety of zone defenses to change the tempo in the game. Colorado State then went on a 12-0 run that included two putbacks by Greg Smith.
“We were behind, and we weren’t getting stops,” Miles said. “We needed a change of energy, a change of momentum in the game and it worked, the press and the zones.”
Rogers hit two more 3s, the second with 3:13 closed the gap to 56-52 with, but Green sealed the game with a layup and two free throws in the last two minutes.
Franklin had 12 points by halftime, and Colorado State led 33-21 at the break.
