Colorado State beats San Diego State
by Matt L. Stephens, USA TODAY Sports
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Dorian Green plays with passion, but taking over a game is something new.
He wanted this one.
CSU, ranked No. 24, had its 26-game home winning streak in jeopardy Wednesday, trailing San Diego State, 60-58, with a minute to go. The entire sellout crowd of 8,745 at Moby Arena knew he was going to take a shot.
Green, Colorado State University’s senior point guard, ran off a screen at the top of the arch and heaved a line-drive 3-pointer that rattled home, enough to give the Rams their final lead. A possession later, he put the game away with an old-fashioned 3-point play, allowing CSU to hold on for the 66-60 victory.
“We drew up a play and wanted to run the clock down. We were going to set a ball screen, slip it, then come with another one and turn the corner. I thought I had a good look,” Green said. “This is a mature group of guys and we’ve been playing together for a very long time.
“Like coach (Larry Eustachy) always says, we’re going to put ourselves in position to win the game.”
That experience paid dividends in the final minute between the senior quartet of Green, Pierce Hornung, Colton Iverson and Greg Smith, showing what it means to be “mentally tough” against what Eustachy said is the best team he’s seen (20-4, 7-2 Mountain West) in a long time.
The 3-pointer Green made late was setup by an offensive rebound from Hornung; Iverson blocked out for a defensive board leading to his and-one; and Smith stole the ball from SDSU’s Jamaal Franklin on the Aztecs’ final time up the floor to have the night end with a breakaway dunk by Jon Octeus.
“I’ve watched all their film and they are a great team. They could easily be a Sweet 16 team … If there are 19, 20 teams better than them in the country, I don’t want to play them,” Eustachy said. “Our guys played in spurts throughout the night and finally got their true toughness in the end.”
SDSU guard Chase Tapley torched CSU when the teams met previously on … [For more on Dorian Green leads No. 24 Colorado State Rams past No. 22 San Diego State Aztecs, click here.]








