FORT COLLINS – After a Thanksgiving trip to Palm Springs for two games, Colorado State men’s basketball returns to Moby Arena on Wednesday night. The Rams host LMU at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at CSURams.com/Tickets or by calling 800-491-RAMS (7267).

Opening tip

– For the third time this season, Colorado State went to overtime and for the second time they emerged victorious after five minutes of overtime, defeating TCU 76-72 in Palm Springs.
– With the win, the Rams reached two milestones. trainer Niko Medved won the 200th victory of his career Nique Clifford passed the 1,000 career point mark.
– Clifford scored a game-high 25 points and finished with his third double-double of the year with 12 rebounds to go. He added six assists and three blocks, the best of his career.
– Three more Rams finished with double-digit points Jalen Lake (15), Bowen born (13) and Rashaan Mbemba (10).
– Nique Clifford has led or tied for the team lead in rebounds in all seven games and has also reached double figures in each game.
– Clifford leads Colorado State in scoring, averaging 18.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
– He was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team after earning third-place honors last season.
– Jalen Lake increased his scoring to an average of 15.1 points during his senior season. He has scored in double figures in the last six games. Lake had 15 points and hit three three-pointers in the win against Washington.
– Freshmen Kyle Jorgensen earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors after averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in his first two games. He scored seven straight points in overtime for the Rams, passing TSU.
– The freshman has started three games and averaged 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds.
– This is the third season in a row that CSU and LMU have competed against each other. The Rams won at home in 2022 and in Los Angeles in 2023.
– Head coach Niko Medved He is in his seventh year leading Colorado State. As head coach of the Rams, he is 121-77. He enters Wednesday with the second-most wins in program history, tied with Stew Morrill (1992-98) and Larry Eustachy (2012-18).
– He became the fifth coach in program history to reach 100 wins last year in Fort Collins.
– Medved is the only coach in program history to win more than 20 games four times.
– In November, he celebrated his 200th career win in the Rams’ overtime win over TCU.
– The Rams welcome 10 new faces to the program in 2024-25. Six are transfers and four are true freshmen.
– The program’s all-time leading scorer and assist provider, Isaiah Stevens switched to professional basketball after his eligibility was exhausted. He is currently with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat.
– Stevens helped the Heat to a 2024 Summer League championship.
– CSU currently has two players in the NBA or G League with David Roddy (Atlanta Hawks) and Isaiah Stevens (Miami Heat/Sioux Falls Skyforce).

Scouting the Lions

LMU comes to Fort Collins after winning the Cancun Challenge last week, defeating Belmont and Wyoming. The Lions are 3-3 this year and have a common opponent in CSU in North Dakota. LMU lost at home to UND 77-73.

Stan Johnson’s team features four players averaging double-digit points, led by Jevon Porter with 17.0 points per game.

Guard Will Johnston leads the Lions’ offense to an average of 15.3 points and leads the team with 3.8 assists per game.

What lies ahead?

The rivalry renews Saturday when Colorado State travels to Boulder to take on Colorado at 6 p.m