FORT COLLINS — Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy wrote “Urgency” on the blackboard at halftime.
Eustachy knew the stakes. For his team to remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation, a home victory Saturday over UNLV was an absolute must. CSU had erased most of an 18-point deficit in the first half, but there was still 20 minutes to be played.
“I think they’re all ‘must wins’ pretty much,” Eustachy said.
With Colorado State players and an orange-clad crowd of 7,113 holding their breath, UNLV freshman guard Jordan Cornish missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and the Rams survived with an improbable 83-82 victory at Moby Arena.
Colorado State (20-4, 7-4 Mountain West) bounced back from a loss at Wyoming and snapped a three-game winning streak by UNLV (13-10, 4-6), a freshman-laden team starting to figure it out.
The Rams trailed 38-20 but outscored UNLV 19-3 in the final 6:40 of the first half to get back in the game, a furious rally capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Stanton Kidd.
“The second half of the (conference) season, these games have to be ours,” said CSU guard Daniel Bejarano, who scored 18 points.
This one could have gone either way. Rams junior guard Gian Clavell put the Rams up 83-79 with 1:02 to go by making all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. UNLV guard Patrick McCaw made it a one-point game on a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left.
The Running Rebels got the ball back with 14 seconds remaining after Bejarano missed a 3-pointer and an officials’ video review revealed the rebound being knocked out of bounds off CSU. Cornish got his open look from beyond the left elbow for a potential game winner but his shot bounced off the rim.
CSU fans departed from their usual green-and-gold colors to celebrate the annual “Orange Out” game that honors the school’s Colorado A&M past.
“I got emotional after the game,” Eustachy said. “It had about everything. … There’s something different with the orange.”
Kidd, a senior forward, matched his season with 19 points, and got plenty of help from fellow seniors Bejarano and J.J. Avila (15 points, 11 rebounds).
Freshman guard Rashad Vaughn scored 30 points for the Rebels, who have as much athleticism and raw talent as any team in the conference. UNLV defeated then No. 3 Arizona in December but got off to a slow start in conference play.
“Crazy win,” Avila said.
And much needed.
