Colorado State put together a bear of a non-conference schedule. Midway through that slate, the Rams have been overmatched more often than not.
CSU was unable to recover from a terrible offensive start and trailed wire to wire in a 77-67 loss Tuesday night at Missouri State, the Rams’ fourth loss in their past five games. It was the third time this season they’ve never had a lead in a game.
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“We’re just a victim of our schedule,” said coach Larry Eustachy, whose team has already faced Florida State, played at New Mexico State and now faces Colorado, Arkansas and Oregon in its next three. “We’re the one school that followed the parameters of the Mountain West’s non-conference scheduling, and we’re certainly paying for it in the win-loss column. But it’ll make us better.”
Colorado State (3-4) missed 16 of its first 19 shots from the field and trailed by double digits the final 9 minutes and 56 seconds of the first half. The Rams missed 11 straight field goals at one point and faced a 42-26 deficit at intermission, their third double-digit halftime deficit this season.
CSU put together a furious rally in the final three minutes. After trailing by as much as 20 in the second half and by 10 with 2:18 to go, a pair of Deion James free throws made it a four-point game with 45 seconds left. Missouri State (6-2) held off the comeback with four consecutive made free throws by Jarred Dixon as the Rams missed a pair of perimeter shots and turned it over on their final three possessions.
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