Spartans continue to hang tough, but Rams’ buzz-saw proves too much

For long stretches Saturday afternoon inside the Provident Credit Union Event Center, San Jose State (8-21, 3-15 MW) showed the fight and rhythm of a team capable of trading punches with one of the Mountain West’s hottest teams.

But against Colorado State (17-11 9-8 MW), a team riding a perfect February and boasting one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, the margin for error was so thin for the Spartans. When San Jose finally cooled and the Rams surged late, the result was an 85–73 Colorado State victory that felt closer for much of the afternoon than the final score indicated.

The Spartans played perhaps its most spirited offensive half in weeks early on, matching the Rams shot-for-shot in a frantic, high-scoring first half. Freshman guard Melvin Bell Jr. sparked the Spartans with 12 first-half points, while Colby Garland orchestrated the offense and attacked the lane with his typical aggressiveness.

Still, Colorado State (17-11, 9-8 MW) had an answer nearly every time.

Rams guard Brandon Rechsteiner was the early catalyst, pouring in 15 first-half points and drilling five of six three-point attempts to stretch San Jose State’s defense.

“That’s what was disappointing,” Spartans head coach Tim Miles said. “They’re one of the best shooting teams in the country, so you’ve got to be able to get to their three-point shooters and Rechsteiner got away from us early.”

Even so, the Spartans stayed within striking distance.

Down 42-37 at half-time, San Jose State was still shooting an impressive 52% and showing flashes of defensive energy behind Marcus Overstreet’s hustle plays and timely rebounding.

The second-half briefly suggested something bigger might be brewing.

Garland, who finished with a game-high 28 points and eight assists, began asserting himself offensively. One sequence midway through the half electrified the building: Garland poked the ball loose, pushed the break and delivered a soaring alley-oop feed to Marvin Bell Jr. for a highlight dunk that briefly gave the Spartans a 55-54 lead.

But sustaining that energy proved difficult.

Colorado State’s offensive precision ultimately wore down the Spartans. The Rams finished the night shooting a remarkable 62% from the field and 53% from three, numbers that left San Jose State constantly scrambling on defense.

“When we dried up and couldn’t get enough stops, that’s when the game got away from us,” Miles said.

The decisive stretch came midway through the second half when San Jose State struggled to get defensive stops and went cold offensively. The Rams capitalized, hitting eight of their final shots during a late surge while the Spartans managed just one field goal during a critical four-minute drought.

Rashaan Mbemba and Carey Booth combined to exploit the Spartans inside during that span, highlighting another issue Miles acknowledged afterward.

“Our interior defense has not been where we need it to be all year,” Miles said. “We’re just smaller than a lot of teams and not as naturally physical.”

Colorado State also controlled the glass (29-21) and outscored the Spartans 38-28 in the paint; numbers that reinforced that physical gap.

In the end, the Spartans had moments; flashes of pace, creativity and resilience that kept them within a possession deep into the second half.

But against a team shooting as well as Colorado State, moments weren’t enough.

“We hung around,” Miles said. “But you’ve got to mentally be tough and sustain it ,and tonight we just didn’t sustain it enough.”

For San Jose State, the effort was there. The execution, especially defensively, simply couldn’t keep up with the Rams’ relentless offensive rhythm.