FORT COLLINS — Colorado State’s Will Bell flew in for the dunk. Hating what he had just seen, Manhattan men’s basketball coach Steve Masiello immediately called a timeout.
The score was 2-0. There was 19:06 left in the first half.
If Masiello didn’t like that, he certainly didn’t like most of the rest of what became CSU’s 91-86 overtime victory Tuesday night in an NIT Season Tip-off consolation game at Moby Arena. The Rams took an early 15-point lead but had to hold on in overtime in a game bogged down by the teams’ 61 fouls, 90 free throws and 30 turnovers.
“It doesn’t surprise me on back-to-back nights,” CSU coach Tim Miles said of the massive number of fouls. “When I was a Division II coach, we played Friday-Saturdays and that Saturday night was always a grind. And against a team like Manhattan, it’s a street fight with those guys. They are going to press, they are going to be physical and they should be. That’s what’s effective for them.”
The Rams (4-2) won for the second consecutive night in the tournament, in which they finished 3-1, their only loss to Stanford.
Junior guard Wes Eikmeier led five Rams in double figures with 23 points. Dorian Green added 17 points, and Greg Smith contributed 13 — 11 of which came at the free-throw line.
CSU had more free throws made (43) than field-goal attempts (40).
Manhattan (3-2) made its last seven shots in regulation during a rally that sent the game to overtime. But Eikmeier took it from there, scoring six of CSU’s 12 points in the extra session to help the Rams put away Manhattan.
MANHATTAN (3-2)
Andujar 6-7 2-3 15, Colonette 2-6 11-16 15, Alvarado 7-10 7-7 22, Kates 2-6 1-2 7, Brutus 1-5 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Koita 0-3 0-0 0, McCoy 0-0 0-0 0, McCabe-Moran 3-6 1-3 10, Beamon 4-8 5-5 14, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Laue 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-51 27-36 86.
COLORADO STATE (4-2)
Bell 3-6 3-4 9, G. Smith 1-4 11-12 13, Eikmeier 6-12 11-12 23, Carr 1-3 8-8 10, Green 6-7 2-4 17, Mann 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Sabas 3-4 2-2 11, D. Smith 1-4 6-12 8. Totals 21-40 43-54 91.
Halftime — Colorado State 37-22. End of regulation — 79-79. 3-point goals — Manhattan 9-24 (McCabe-Moran 3-6, Kates 2-5, Andujar 1-1, Alvarado 1-2, Beamon 1-3, Brutus 1-4, Koita 0-3). Colorado State 6-9 (Green 3-3, Sabas 3-4, Eikmeier 0-1, Carr 0-1). Fouled out — Beamon, Brutus, G. Smith, D. Smith. Rebounds — Manhattan 31 (Colonette 14), Colorado State 23 (G. Smith 6). Assists — Manhattan 13 (Alvarado 5), Colorado State 10 (Carr 5). Total fouls — Manhattan 35, Colorado State 26.
A — 890.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
