Rams roll to a revenge win

CSU 81, UNC 64

fort collins» A year after a shocking nine-point loss at Northern Colorado — a result coach Larry Eustachy called the worst defeat since he took over the Colorado State men’s basketball team — the Rams thoroughly dominated the Bears in arguably their most complete effort of the season.

Just three Rams from this season’s team played in last year’s 73-64 loss in Greeley, but it’s hard not to believe CSU was at least partially trying to make a statement with an 81-64 victory on Saturday.

For the fourth time at Moby Arena this year, Eustachy’s team played significantly better in the second half, turning a one-point advantage at the break into a 20-point lead for most of the final 9 minutes.

Gian Clavell returned from a season-long suspension and played in a regular-season game for the first time in nearly a year, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting off the bench. But he was hardly the most impactful Ram.

Devocio Butler went 7 of 12 from the field and scored a career-high 19 points to lead four Rams in double figures. Nico Carvacho helped the Rams establish an early lead it would never relinquish on the way to his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds on 5 of 6 shooting.

J.D. Paige scored 12 points while adding four rebounds and three assists.

Chaz Glotta scored 18 points to pace the Bears, who fell to 3-6.

CSU now has a week off before a neutral-court matchup next Saturday against Kansas State at the Pepsi Center in Denver.