FORT COLLINS — It was almost the perfect game for the Colorado State men’s basketball team before catching a red-eye flight to Cancun, Mexico.
CSU led by 19 points early in the second half Monday night, then came up with key plays when Northern Colorado closed within striking distance and beat the Bears 75-61 at Moby Arena.
The Rams (5-3) left straight from the gym for Denver International Airport and will be in Mexico for Wednesday’s start of the Cancun Governor’s Cup against Appalachian State.
“The kids can sleep anywhere: couches, planes, cars. I’m not worried about the guys getting enough sleep,” CSU coach Tim Miles said. “The coaches are different.”
After senior guard Devon Beitzel lit up the Rams with a game-high 29 points for UNC, Miles worried that Appalachian State’s Donald Sims, who averages 24.9 points, could have scored 43 on this night.
But still, CSU controlled a team that won 70-63 in Greeley a year ago.
“We wanted to come out and punch them in the mouth,” CSU forward Andy Ogide said. “We wanted to bring our own energy for going to Cancun.”
Miles reached deep into the Rams’ bench early, using 11 players — including three freshmen — in the first half.
The depth didn’t go unnoticed by first-year UNC coach B.J. Hill, whose 4-6 team is struggling with injuries in a rebuilding season.
“They can play 11. They never had this depth,” Hill said of Miles and the Rams. “He’s getting a lot of guys to buy into the program.”
Wes Eikmeier (17 points) and Travis Franklin (16) led four Rams in double figures.
Northern Colorado’s only lead came on Beitzel’s opening basket behind the arc. Dorian Green answered to start a 16-4 run for CSU. After trailing 54-35 with 14:12 left in the game, UNC twice was down by seven, the second time at 64-57 with 6:23 left.
But the Bears didn’t get any closer.
NORTHERN COLORADO (4-6)
Kaba 4-9 2-2 11, Kingman 1-9 1-2 3, Montgomery 2-3 1-4 5, Lloyd 1-2 0-0 3, Beitzel 10-19 5-5 29, Addo 1-4 1-4 4, Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Garnica 2-6 0-0 5, Bedford 0-0 1-2 1, Arnold 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-53 11-19 61.
COLORADO STATE (5-3)
Franklin 2-6 12-15 16, Ogide 4-7 5-9 13, Eikmeier 6-11 3-4 17, Nigon 1-5 0-0 3, Green 3-5 3-4 11, Hornung 2-2 0-0 4, Wiltz 0-1 1-2 1, Carr 2-3 0-0 5, McFarland 0-3 0-0 0, Bell 0-0 2-2 2, D. Smith 0-1 0-1 0, G. Smith 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 21-46 27-39 75.
Halftime — Colorado State 37-26. 3-point goals — Northern Colorado 8-23 (Beitzel 4-9, Lloyd 1-1, Addo 1-1, Garnica 1-3, Kaba 1-3, Arnold 0-1, Kingman 0-5). Colorado State 6-17 (Green 2-3, Eikmeier 2-5, Carr 1-2, Nigon 1-4, D. Smith 0-1, McFarland 0-2). Fouled out — Hornung, Lloyd. Rebounds — Northern Colorado 33 (Garnica 5, Kingman 5, Montgomery 5). Colorado State 35 (Ogide 5). Assists — Northern Colorado 16 (Kingman 4), Colorado State 15 (Carr 4). Total fouls — Northern Colorado 27, Colorado State 19. Technical foul — Colorado State bench. A — 4,680.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
