Turnovers wreck Ram road trip
The CSU men’s basketball team committed 70 turnovers and only
topped the 60-point mark once on its three-game road trip during
CSU’s Thanksgiving break.
However, the two losses on the trip were to perennial NCAA
contenders Auburn and No. 24 Oklahoma State. The Rams (2-2) are
looking to forget their road woes and get back on the winning track
at home tonight against Texas Southern (1-2) (7 p.m., Moby
Arena).
“I think our confidence fell,” said coach Dale Layer after the
84-54 blowout loss to Auburn Monday, according to a release.
“Nothing was falling through for us, and with the missed shots,
I think our confidence fell as well. We are a very tired team right
now. This has been a long road trip. We have been gone from home
for a week now, and it’s taken a toll on our guys.”
Layer said the early season schedule may have been a little too
tough for the early season.
Center Matt Nelson led the Rams with 12 points in the last game.
But turnovers coming primarily from the guard positions have really
hurt the Rams. Point guard Michael Morris leads the team with 19
turnovers and backup freshman Dwight Boatner has nine. To make
matters worse, point guard Derrick Stevens suffered a sprained
ankle in the Rams 75-69 wind at Drake on Nov. 29. Stevens is out
indefinitely.
“We’re frustrated because we may have bit off a little more than
we can chew with this schedule,” Layer said.
Texas Southern won the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Tournament last season and lost to North Carolina-Asheville in a
playoff to get into the NCAA Tournament. This season the team has
lost road games at Baylor and Southern Mississippi and won a home
game against Division II Texas College.
Senior forward Lionel Willis led the Tigers against Texas
College with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Sean Walker
added 17 points in the game.
The Rams are led by Nelson and senior swingman Ronnie Clark.
Nelson averages 14 points a game and is shooting .611 from the
field. Clark is the only other Ram to average double figures,
scoring 10.3 points a game and leading the team in rebounding with
five a game.
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