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 Jan. 12. The 6-foot-3 senior had been feeling ill that morning, but responded with 12 of his 19 points in overtime to put the Rams away, 79-72. He took a similar role Wednesday.
Tapley paced the Aztecs (18-6, 6-4 MW) with 16 points, including shooting 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and responded to just about every defense the Rams threw his way.
Only issue for SDSU, though, scoring-wise, was Franklin disappearing in the second half.
After posting 9 points in the first 20 minutes, Franklin – who's third in the conference in points per game at 17.5 -- was held to 2 in the second, unable to make a single field goal.
Turnovers also played a role in the Aztecs' inability to hold on to the slight lead they held most of the way. Though SDSU (16-6, 6-4) only gave it away eight times, three came in the final 5 minutes, 15 seconds, leading to 4 crucial CSU points.
"Yeah, that doesn't help either. You've got to be able to get a shot to have a chance to score," SDSU coach Steve Fisher said. "We were in a position to win, we didn't quite get it done. That's what makes it hurt all the more."
CSU remains in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West standings with the victory, 1/2 game behind New Mexico. SDSU drops into a tie for third with Air Force.
Green led CSU with 16 points. Smith (15) and Hornung (12) also reached double-digits. It was the first ever meeting between two Top 25 teams inside Moby Arena (SDSU unranked by AP, No. 22 in USA Today Coaches' Poll).
Matt L. Stephens writes for the Fort Collins (Colo.) Coloradoan, a Gannett property.
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