FORT COLLINS — There is a revamped feel to this Colorado State basketball team, mostly because it pretty much is a revamped team.
Inside-out basketball is gone. Relying on one or two scorers to carry the team through is gone.
In its place are these Rams, who won their season opener 64-58 over Montana on Friday night at Moby Arena.
These Rams pledge to scrap, scrape and claw their way to victory and they did just that. Offense was rough around the edges (19-of-48 shooting), but what CSU lacked in execution and a feathery shooting touch it made up for in sheer brute force. The Rams outrebounded Montana 43-24. Every player that played had at least one rebound vs. the Grizzlies.
There were 12 offensive rebounds included in that total, and those were turned into 12 second-chance points. CSU bullied its way to the free throw line 29 times, making 22.
“I would love it to be a ballet, this graceful, beautiful performance. But that was more of a street fight, there’s no doubt about it,” CSU coach Tim Miles said. “I’ll take it any way we can get it.”
At the epicenter was guard Wes Eikmeier, who led the team with 21 points, powered by a 10-for-10 performance from the free-throw line. He led four Rams in double figures, which included forward Pierce Hornung, who notched a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
“We know we’re not the biggest team in Division I, that’s for sure,” Hornung said. “And we’ve really got to focus on rebounding, boxing out and get all five guys with a rebounding effort. We did a pretty good job of that.”
MONTANA (0-1)
Steward 4-4 1-1 11, Ward 4-5 0-0 8, Cherry 2-14 6-6 11, Jamar 5-10 1-1 12, Hutchison 2-2 0-2 4, Stockton 2-5 1-2 5, Gregory 0-1 0-0 0, Weisner 1-5 2-2 5, Henderson 0-0 0-0 0, Wood 0-3 0-2 0. Totals 20-49 11-16 58.
COLORADO STATE (1-0)
Bell 0-3 5-6 5, Hornung 3-6 3-4 10, Eikmeier 5-13 10-10 21, Green 0-3 0-0 0, G. Smith 6-11 2-7 14, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, D. Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Carr 4-10 2-2 12. Totals 19-48 22-29 64.
Halftime — CSU 30-23. 3-point goals — Montana 5-16 (Steward 2-2, Jamar 1-2, Weisner 1-3, Cherry 1-5, Wood 0-2, Stockton 0-2), CSU 4-12 (Carr 2-4, Hornung 1-2, Eikmeier 1-3, G. Smith 0-1, D. Smith 0-1, Green 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Montana 24 (Hutchison, Jamar 5), CSU 43 (Hornung 12). Assists — Montana 12 (Cherry, Jamar 3), CSU 4 (Green 2). Total fouls — Montana 23, CSU 18. A — N/A.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
