Rams overmatched by No. 6 Nevada

The response is what Niko Medved looks for, both throughout a season and over the course of a game.

When you get knocked down, dust yourself off and answer. So when Colorado State came out of the locker room for the second half against No. 6 Nevada on Wednesday night, the Rams had multiple things they could respond to.

The first, a demoralizing second half against the Wolf Pack on Jan. 15 that sent the Rams to their worst loss of the season; the second, and more importantly this time, was an 11-point deficit at halftime on Wednesday.

And like they have done multiple times this season, the Rams bounced back. Momentum swayed in favor of the hosts before the Wolf Pack reminded folks why they are the sixth-best team in the country, pulling away late in a 98-82 win.

“I said this game is right there for us,” Medved told his team at halftime. “It’s a credit to them, the belief that they have to do that and come out. Several times we made a run and, again, we just couldn’t get over the hump.

“There’s no moral victories here, that’s a terrific team. But I thought we had some opportunities there tonight, and we just couldn’t do enough defensively.”

The defensive struggles started early with one name — Jordan Caroline. The senior forward dominated the first half in a way seldom seen in Moby Arena.

Caroline extended his game beyond the arc consistently in the opening frame to the tune of a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. He also flexed his way into the paint, finishing with 30 points and six rebounds just in the first 20 minutes.

“He’s the type of player that can hurt you in all different ways,” Nico Carvacho said.

“When he’s making shots like that from the perimeter, we really don’t have a matchup for him,” Medved added. “What he does better than anything is score in the lane, and he was making shots.”