LAS VEGAS – Colorado State secured its second Mountain West Tournament championship on Saturday afternoon, defeating Boise State 69-56 in the title game at the Thomas & Mack Center. With the win, the Rams earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, capping off an impressive tournament run.
“It’s surreal. What an incredible story. I mean, this team, the legacy of this team is going to live on forever,” Colorado State head coach Niko Medved said. “It’s a great story, just for people. Resilience and staying together and believing in something bigger than yourself. Like these guys said, not getting ahead of yourself and just going to work.”
Nique Clifford delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 24 points, 14 of which came in the second half. The Rams’ bench proved crucial, outscoring Boise State’s reserves 28-20, while Colorado State also held a 9-6 edge in second-chance points.
“It’s awesome. That’s what you work for all year,” Clifford said. “They picked us seventh. That’s something we took part in and we wanted to prove everyone wrong. It feels super sweet to be able to do so.”
Despite an early deficit, the Rams used a dominant first-half stretch to seize control. After trailing 6-0 out of the gate, Colorado State responded with a 25-3 run over a ten-minute span. Bowen Born provided an early spark off the bench, hitting three first-half three-pointers to help CSU establish a 32-22 halftime lead. Boise State struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 33.3% from the field and 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The Broncos, led by Tyson Degenhart’s 22 points, attempted to claw back in the second half but couldn’t overcome CSU’s firepower. Boise State’s offense sputtered again in the second half, allowing the Rams to pull away with multiple extended scoring runs. Colorado State set a Mountain West championship game record with 12 made three-pointers, going 6-of-11 from deep in the second half alone.
“We gave it our all. That’s what you have to do in these tournaments,” Degenhart said. “We’re playing for an NCAA Tournament bid. If you don’t give it your all, it’s a disservice to your team, your teammates, your fans. So we gave it our all and we came up short, and that’s sometimes the way it goes.”
Clifford took over down the stretch, scoring 14 second-half points, while Kyan Evans added a key three-pointer during a pivotal 11-0 run that forced Boise State to burn two timeouts. The Rams extended their lead to as much as 21 points before closing out the victory comfortably.
Boise State, which had relied on strong second halves throughout the tournament, struggled to generate consistent offense against CSU’s defensive pressure. The Broncos shot just 8-of-27 from three-point range and were limited to only six second-chance points.
“I think most were probably open. I think there were some instances where we got the shot clock down and probably didn’t get the best look down,” Degenhart said. “But sometimes, it’s just the way the flow of the game goes. It was harder to get in the paint. So we had to shoot some from the outside. That’s kind of the way the cookie crumbles.”
With the victory, Colorado State (25-9) clinched its second Mountain West Tournament title, adding to its 2003 championship. Clifford was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while teammate Kyan Evans joined him on the All-Tournament Team alongside Degenhart, Nelly Junior Joseph (New Mexico), and Donovan Dent (New Mexico).
Both teams now await Selection Sunday to determine their NCAA Tournament fate, with CSU locked into the field and Boise State hoping its resume is enough to earn an at-large bid.
“Selection Sunday is going to be really special. I want these guys to enjoy every single moment of it and not focus on everything else,” Medved said. “Then we’ll turn our attention right away to whoever we play. We’re going to enjoy the heck out of this right now. They’ve earned it.”
