Colorado
Colorado State
Buffs Bounce Rams, 93-72
January 06, 2003 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER - The Colorado men's basketball team rounded out the non-conference portion of its season with a 93-72 victory over instate rival Colorado State on Tuesday night at the Coors Events Conference Center.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Buffs (10-3) and came in front of a season-high crowd of 8,675.
The Buffs never trailed in the game, taking the lead off the opening tip and controlling the game from there although the score remained close for the better part of the first half. Colorado took control with 6:49 left in the frame, turning in a solid defensive performance while driving en route to a 16-point lead at the half.
"It was a good win against a good Colorado State team," said head coach Ricardo Patton. "Our players are starting to believe that defense helps you win. I was pleased with the effort. We made some miscues down the stretch, but for the most part our defense was pretty good and that is what I've been preaching since day one."
The Buffs used a balanced scoring attack for the second consecutive game with four players reaching double figures once again. Junior forward Michel Morandais led all scorers with 24 points on the night and tied a career-best seven assists. Sophomore center David Harrison had 15 points while senior forward Stephane Pelle had 12 and junior guard Blair Wilson added 10.
The Buffs shot a season-high 57.4 percent (35-of-61) from the floor, topping the 50 percent mark for only the third time this season.
Senior guard James Wright added eight points and a game-high eight assists while junior forward Lamar Harris tied his career high in rebounds with nine.
Colorado State's 7-foot center, Matt Nelson, led the Rams (11-4) with 23 points while guard Ronnie Clark added 17 and forward Brian Green had 12.
The victory concluded the Buffs non-conference slate and the 10-3 record they compiled ties their best in head coach Ricardo Patton's tenure as they posted identical 10-3 marks in 2000-01 and 1999-2000.
Colorado now turns its attention to the Big 12, opening on the road at defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (MST) and the game will be televised regionally on ESPN.
"We're excited for the Big 12," Harrison said. "We want to go out and prove people wrong. I think being picked ninth (in the conference) is an insult. Last season left a bitter taste in our mouths. I worked hard and our team worked hard and ninth is an insult."
