SB Nation User Blog: bhsmarine

Rams Win Close One Over Montana 62 - 61

bhsmarine — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:47:43 -0000

Final - 12.12.2009	1	2	Total
Montana Grizzlies	23	38	61
Colorado St. Rams	30	32	62

Complete Coverage >

With 9.6 seconds left freshman Dorian Green knocked down two free throws to put the Rams up and the defense did the rest as they stopped Montana's last two attempts. The Rams sit at 7-4 on the season and Montana dropped to 6-4. It was an odd game for the Rams as instead of doing the little stuff needed to win they just out shot Montana.

CSU lead by 7 and half while holding Montana to 33% shooting in the first half and 43% for the game. The Rams shot 50% from the field and 7-15 from behind the arc. What hurt the Rams was their poor free throw shooting, only hitting 11-22. Montana also kept it close by only turning it over 9 times to the Rams 17. Montana also held the advantages in steals 10-4 over CSU. The Rams did win the rebound margin 35-29. It was a very tight game as both teams had ups and downs.

CSU will host Northern Arizona next Sunday, December 20th, as the last of their four game home strand.

Rams Put Undefeated Home Record on the Line Against Montana

bhsmarine — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:20:52 -0000

Next Game

Montana Grizzlies
@ Colorado St. Rams

Saturday, Dec 12, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Moby Arena

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The Montana Grizzlies(6-3) will roll into Moby Arena and try and stop the Colorado State Rams(6-3) from making it six wins at home. Montana ranks #113 in the RPI and the Rams are close behind at #120 after beating Colorado on Thursday. The last two years the teams have played they spilt with each winning by a huge margin. More after the jump...

The Rams will have to slow down big man Brian Qvale and his 11.4 ppg, 1.8 blocks, and 8.6 rebounds. Their leading scorer Anthony Johnson averages 19 points a game.

The Rams will need to come out and play another complete game like they did against Colorado. Travis Franklin could make a name for himself if he keeps playing how he has early this year. Travis Busch will keep trying to work himself into the rotation on his recovering knee and will be a player to watch over the next month.

Looking at the stat sheet the Rams have the advantage on the glass, especially the offensive glass where they average 12.9 offensive rebounds per game to Montana's 8.2 average. The other big advantage for the Rams comes from their 7.8 steals to 5.9 for Montana. That could be a possible 10 points from offensive rebounds and another 4 from steals that could separate the Rams from the Grizzlies.

The Rams are use to going to the line, however Montana gives up 6 less fouls per game then the Rams are use to. That could swing that possible 14 point advantage back to Montana along with their higher field goal % and free throw %.

Colorado State Takes Down CU 77-62

bhsmarine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:09:23 -0000

Final - 12.10.2009	1	2	Total
Colorado Buffaloes	26	36	62
Colorado St. Rams	36	41	77

Complete Coverage >

The Colorado State Rams(6-3) extended their home winning streak to four against in state rival Colorado(6-4) behind the strong showing of Travis Franklin. Franklin had a double double with 22 point and 10 rebounds in the 77-62 win over the Buffalos. The Buffs lead early by 4 but the Rams crawled back into it and took a 10 point lead at half. At one point CSU lead by 18 in the second half. However the Buffs would cut that to 7 with around three minutes remaining until the Rams hit their free throws and stretched the lead out again. Catch more after the jump...

The Buffs were lead but freshman Alec Burks who had 22. For the game the Buffs shot 37.3% and were out rebounded 36-25. Cory Higgins had a rough night shooting the ball, 1-10, as he finished with 12 points.

The Rams crashed the boards and had an 11 rebound advantage which could have been higher as a couple times two Rams went for the ball and tipped it away from each other. The defense was great tonight, they had active hands that caused 11 steals out of 15 turnovers. They played good help side defense and made CU work for every basket they made. The Rams only shot 25% from three point land but hit 42% field goals and 76.9% free throws. Now some player analysis as this was my first time seeing the Rams up close this year.

Travis Franklin stepped up when the Rams needed a player to step up. He could consistently get to the basket for easier shots, played great defense, rebounded like a big man, and made big plays to keep the crowd and his team pumped. It is what the Rams have been lacking since losing Marcus Walker, but he can be a bigger presence then Walker was due to his size and style.

Dorian Green had 21 points for the Rams, he can play now but I hope Tim Miles can get more out of him as the team's point guard. Green made some freshman mistakes for sure.

Big man Andy Ogide had a great game with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Like last year he is the Rams only legitimate big man. The deal with Ogide is the more he dribbles the better the chance something bad is going to happen, he scored almost all his points on one or less dribble shots and dunks. His ball handling skills are below what you would like as a Rams fan.

Nay to Pierce Hornung 9 minutes and 5 fouls? All but 1-2 were dumb fouls too. Hornung had 2 offensive rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals but if you can only get on the court for 9 minutes before fouling out your not helping the team rest its other big men and severely limiting your own production.

I am going to stop harping on the assist to turnover ratio as much (9-13 tonight) as the offense isn't set up for lots of assists. They give each other the ball in space and drive to the hoop getting good shots which works but not conducive to assists.

One last note to the fans, great job showing up big with 5,293! But do we really need to throw the pregame free giveaways on the court? We were closer to hitting our own players then the Buffs or refs. That is just bush league and there is no call for it in any circumstance! I will let the charging the court slide as the 9 game football losing streak was fresh in all our minds, but next time make sure its a ranked opponents or we just won the MWC. Keep coming out to Moby and we could see a lot more wins this year, just keep it classy Fort Fun.

CSU Rams Host Colorado at Moby Arena

bhsmarine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:49:33 -0000

Next Game

Colorado Buffaloes
@ Colorado St. Rams

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009, 6:30 PM PST
Moby Arena

TV: The Mtn

Complete Coverage >

The rivalry between Colorado State(5-3) and Colorado(6-3) will add another chapter Thursday night as the Buffs walk into Moby Arena in Fort Collins. The Buffs hold a three game streak in the series, the last time the Rams beat the Buffs on the hard floor was December 2006. As the football games go these are usually close, except for last year when the Buffs won 75-56. Before that the last 5 games were decided by two possessions or less with the last three being 3 points of less. A look at the teams after the jump...

The Colorado Buffalos are off to a good start at 6-3 and dropping a game to Gonzaga by only 4 and they took Arizona to overtime before losing. They are lead by guards Cory Higgins (20.6 ppg) and freshman stud Alec Burks(15.4 ppg). As a team they are shooting 50.3% from the field and 78.5% from the stripe. They lack a dominating force inside as do the Rams so it will be a key for both teams to try and establish a presence inside and dominate the paint. 6'9" Austin Dufault will attempt to be that presence for the Buffs along with Shane Harris-Tunks when he gets minutes.

The Rams will counter the guard play with freshman Dorian Green and another. The Rams have been shifting around their guards with the play of Adam Nigon, Travis Franklin, Arin Dunn. In consistent shooting and more turnovers then Tim Miles would like has left him looking for someone to stand up. Transfer forward Travis Busch is back early from knee surgery and could give the Rams a much needed boost at the 3-4 spots from the bench. His minutes will need to be limited however as they want him ready for conference play. 6'9" Andy Ogide will have to be the Rams inside presence against the Buffs. He has been inconsistent early on leading to him coming off the bench against Denver University.

The keys for both teams will be to establish inside play and have smart guard play. The crowd at Moby is usually lackluster and even a bit embarrassing at times, but you mention a CSU vs. CU game and kids will show. The Buffs will have to deal with crowd noise. If the Rams can come out firing early and keep the crowd in it all game they have a chance to win one against a good CU team. For the Buffs it will be about shooting a high percentage and keeping the crowd quiet and sending them home early to prep for finals.

If your in the Fort head over to Moby Arena, first 1000 fans get a free t-shirtt!

Armed Forces Bowl - A Look at the Numbers

bhsmarine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:39:49 -0000

Next Game

Houston Cougars
@ Air Force Falcons

Thursday, Dec 31, 2009, 9:00 AM PST
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl - Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

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Air Force and Houston are facing off in the Armed Forces Bowl on New Years Eve. Lets take a quick look at how the teams stack up against each other. The bold numbers denote that team is ranked higher in that certain category. Stats after the jump...

Catagory	Air Force	Houston
Scoring Offense (PPG)	#53 - 28.3	#2 - 43.9
Rushing Offense (Yards)	#4 - 273.6	#81 -134
Passing Offense (Yards)	#118 - 82.3	#1 - 447
Total Offense (Yards)	#77 - 355.9	#1 - 581.1
Turnover Margin (TO per G)	#3 - 1.42	#19 - .62
Penalties (Yards per G)	#26 - 44.6	#7 - 40.5
3rd Down Conversions	#29 - 43.5%	#3 - 51.9%
Red Zone Conversions	#63 - 81.6%	#20 - 86.4%
Time of Possession	#19 - 31:44	#112 - 27:22
Total Defense (Yards)	#10 - 284.8	#108 - 442.7
Opponent 3rd Down Conv.	#7 - 30.3%	#89 - 41.9%
Sacks (Per Game)	#58 - 1.92	#76 -1.69

It looks to be a battle of run vs. pass and who can impose their tempo on the other team. In these 12 categories the teams match off an even 6-6 with Houston taking most the offensive categories and Air Force the defensive ones. In a quick bit of analysis I would say whoever imposes their tempo in this game wins. There will be a full write up as the game gets closer.

Falcons Beat Prairie View, Look to Washington State

bhsmarine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:11:26 -0000

Final - 12.8.2009	1	2	Total
Prairie View Panthers	20	21	41
Air Force Falcons	36	39	75

Complete Coverage >

The Falcons shot the roof off Clune Arena on their way to a 75-41 victory. The Falcons shot 52% from the field, 44% from 3-point range and 88% from the free throw line. Grant Parker lead them with 14. Against a inferior team they did what they should have and dominated and as a team dished out 22 assists to a mere 8 turnovers.

Air Force will travel to 6-2 Washington State this Saturday. It will be the first big test of the season for the Falcons. If Air Force can keep it close and use their free throw shooting and ball discipline they might squeeze one out late. On the road will be tough as WSU is averaging 80 points a game and is 3-0 at home. They will have to slow down sophomore Klay Thompson who is averaging 25.9 points per game. I would look at the effort more then the final score to evaluate the Falcons in this one.

Next Game

Air Force Falcons
@ Washington St. Cougars

Saturday, Dec 12, 2009, 1:00 PM PST
Spokane Arena - Spokane, WA

Complete Coverage >

Making the Rounds 12/8/2009

bhsmarine — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:30 -0000

Air Force - Thisbowl game is nothing new for Air Force.

BYU - Cougars are excited to get after the Beavers of Oregon State.

CSU - Steve Fairchild is still confident in his program.

New Mexico - The Rio Grande Rivalry just ain't what it use to be.

San Diego - The Aztecs played at tough UCSB.

TCU -TCU looks to take down #23 Texas Tech at home.

UNLV - The Running Rebels are #18.

Utah - The Utes have quite a week of basketball in front of them.

Wyoming - Cowboys are excited for the New Mexico Bowl.

Air Force Basketball Starts Four Game Homestand

bhsmarine — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:33:39 -0000

Next Game

Prairie View Panthers
@ Air Force Falcons

Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Clune Arena

Complete Coverage >

The Air Force Falcons will host Prairie View A&M at home as they look to boost their 4-2 record. It has been a good start for the Falcons early as they have done well with their weak schedule. No team in the Mountain West sits below .500 and the Falcons are aiming to not fall below that for awhile. Grant Parker is leading the Falcons with 17.7 points per game off a nifty 50% shooting percentage. Guard Evan Washington is posting a smooth 22-13 assist to turnover ratio. The Falcons have to be pleased with their performances so far and look to stay on the winning track.

CSU Takes Down Denver University

bhsmarine — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:43:13 -0000

Final - 12.5.2009	1	2	Total
Denver Pioneers	29	30	59
Colorado St. Rams	35	29	64

Complete Coverage >

Starting their longest home stretch of the season, 4 games, Colorado State defeated Denver University 64-59. Another poor shooting performance by the Rams, just 38%, was boosted by making 32 free throws at a 76% clip. Hitting 4-8 from down town also helped them sneak out a victory against the Pioneers. The biggest stat to me is how the Rams almost ran a 1/1 ratio on assists to turnovers, 11/12. That is they type of team play they need since they lack a big scorer. The Rams out rebounded DU 30-23.

DU was led by Andrew Hooper off the bench with 11 points. Adam Nigon led the Rams with 14 and Andy Ogide who came off the bench had 12.

The Rams will host rival Colorado this Thursday,12/10.

Making The Rounds 12/4/09

bhsmarine — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:41:12 -0000

Air Force - A few notes about heading to Fort Worth, maybe, and post season football awards.

BYU - BYU basketball falls to in-state foe Utah State.

CSU - Lets continue with the Rams successful program, volleyball beats Middle Tennessee in 1st round of NCAA tourney.

New Mexico - NMU looks ahead to New Mexico State.

SDSU - Recap of Aztecs beating in city rival USD.

TCU - TCU volleyball takes their 1st round game. An opinion piece about TCU's bowl musings.

UNLV - Lon Kruger looks to improve on shot selection from behind the arc.

Utah - The Utes drop an ugly one to Weber State.

Wyoming - The Cowgirls basketball stays undefeated.