EditorsNote: Several fixes throughout, including date of Colorado-Wyoming game in 2nd graf
Shane Gatling scored 20 points, and No. 24 Colorado rallied after nearly squandering a 15-point lead to beat host Colorado State 56-48 Friday night in Fort Collins.
Colorado (8-2) jumped out to a 27-12 halftime lead behind a stifling defense. The 12 points allowed by the Buffs marked a season low, besting the 15 that Wyoming scored against them on Nov. 24 in Las Vegas.
Colorado State (7-6) chipped away at the deficit in the second half with its own intense defensive effort. For the game, the Rams made 11 steals and forced 21 Buffs turnovers.
Colorado State cut the gap down to one point with less than five minutes remaining. Colorado then scored five straight points, including a Gatling 3-pointer, to give it enough of a cushion to escape.
Gatling's big shot was not the first time on the night his scoring proved vital. While Colorado stifled Colorado State on the defensive end in the first half, the Buffs did not fare much better on their side. None of Colorado's five starters made more than one field goal before intermission.
However, Gatling came off the bench to produce 11 of his game high, almost single-handedly matching the Rams' point production.
Once its offense finally improved, Colorado State had balanced output from Isaiah Stevens with 10 points, and nine points apiece from Nico Carvacho, Adam Thistlewood and David Roddy.
Although the Rams managed 36 points in the second half, their 3-point shooting did not improve much. They shot 2-for-22 (9.1 percent) overall.
The win ended a two-game skid for the Buffs, who dropped a 72-58 decision on Dec. 7 at Kansas, then a 79-76 stunner at home on Tuesday against Northern Iowa.
Colorado outrebounded Colorado State 44-32. Despite their offensive woes, the Buffs shot an impressive 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) from behind the 3-point line, led by Gatling's 4 of 6. Lucas Siewert hit 2 of 3 off the bench and finished with 12 points.
--Field Level Media
