Roddy struggles; CSU beats UNC
FORT COLLINS» Colorado State fired on all cylinders in the U.S. Virgin Islands and star forward David Roddy undoubtedly led the charge as the Rams rumbled to an earlyseason tournament title.
After averaging 31 points in three contests at the tropical destination, Roddy struggled when CSU hosted Northern Colorado at Moby Arena on Saturday.
Despite his modest 12 points off a 4-of-13 mark from the floor — coach Niko Medved’s squad flexed its formidable depth to fend off the feisty Bears for an 88-79 victory.
“I’m not worried about (Roddy),” junior Isaiah Stevens said. “We’ve all seen him make shots and know he will. We got the win. That’s what we’re most concerned with. And I feel like it’s just a testament to our team. We’ve got a lot of really good players, and any night, you never know whose night it might be. I feel like that’s what makes this team so special. It could be anybody, and everybody had an impact on this game.”
Among other assets off the bench, reserve guards John Tonje and Chandler Jacobs helped guide a comeback after the Rams fell behind by as many as 13 in the second half.
Tonje tallied 20 points, knocking down 7of-8 attempts from the floor. Jacobs added nine points and five rebounds.
The duo came to life in the final 20 minutes — when Tonje accumulated 14 points and Jacobs contributed all three of his converted field goals.
“I thought our bench was awesome,” Medved said. “Early in the second half, I didn’t think our energy was where it needed to be. So I was like, let’s go to our bench. And I thought Chandler Jacobs was phenomenal. He really got involved. I thought his defense was great too.”
Bears senior Bodie Hume, a preseason All-big Sky selection, amassed a game-high 30 points while converting 9 of his team’s 18 successful tries from deep.
“(Hume) just got it going,” Tonje said. “They had a lot of tee-up 3s in transition. He got a couple easy looks and was just feeling it tonight. We don’t want to give up that many points to a certain player, but we’re happy with the outcome.”