When it was over, the memories of it were just as exciting and thrilling as the real thing.
You had to start with Marcus Byrd’s 3-pointer at the buzzer and work your way back through the second half to get a true handle on what Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy called a great college basketball game.
Coach Joe Scott of Denver went a step further, calling it an “intense college basketball game.”
Anyway, Byrd’s shot cut CSU’s margin to one point, and the final buzzer signaled an 85-84 victory for the Rams, extending their season’s record to 11-0. The Pioneers (5-6) relied on some deadly outside shooting, hitting a school-record 17-of-31 3-pointers, but even the sharpshooting couldn’t offset the stellar play of CSU’s J.J. Avila, Tiel Daniels and Daniel Bejarano down the stretch in the second half.
After playing behind DU’s 3-point barrage for much of the way, the Rams fought into the lead, 49-47, with 13:39 to play and the race to the finish line began.
The Rams shot 75 percent from the field in the second half, 18-for-24, and powered to the finish line on the strength of a 31-17 edge in rebounding, including 15 on the offensive boards. They capitalized with 11 second-chance points.
“You had two teams that offensively played great,” Scott said. “We didn’t run down some long rebounds. There were seven or eight that kept them alive.”
Passing was a premium for both teams, with CSU collecting 24 assists while DU had 18.
But Eustachy said he thought the game turned when he put his team in a zone defense.
“We had a zone that we hadn’t used all year,” Eustachy said “When we switched to a zone, it changed the game. I don’t know what they shot from 3-point range, but it was incredible. To come in here in this environment and win the game, it was a great win. But we’re about as half as good as we’re going to get.”
A key stat was at the free-throw line, where the Rams held a 14-5 advantage in made shots.
Four Pioneers finished in double-digit scoring, led by Brett Olson’s 20 points.
Bejarano led the Rams with 25 points and eight rebounds, Daniels tallied 20 points and Avila 10 along with nine assists.
“Our defense wasn’t great tonight, but they played really well,” Olson said. “We didn’t play well enough to beat a good team.”
Sparked by nine 3-pointers, the Pioneers carried the first-half action and led through the final eight minutes.
Four of the five DU starters cashed in 3-pointers. Olson and Byrd had three apiece.
The Rams stayed close and benefited from nine offensive rebounds. With a free throw by Daniels and a 3-pointer by Joe De Ciman, the Rams put on a rush in the last 53 seconds to cut DU’s advantage to 37-34 at halftime.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
