SEATTLE — Kyan Evans made a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead No. 12 seed Colorado State past fifth-seeded Memphis 78-70 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Nique Clifford, the Mountain West Tournament MVP, had his quietest scoring night in a month, finishing with 14 points, eight on free throws. He added eight rebounds and six assists for the Rams (26-9), who extended their winning streak to 11 games and advanced to face either Maryland or Grand Canyon in the second round on Sunday.
This 12-over-5 result was no shocker, with Colorado State a 2 1/2-point favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Coach Penny Hardaway’s Tigers (29-7) were not at full strength, with sidelined by a left foot injury.
Dain Dainja had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis, ending the season with his third straight double-double. PJ Haggerty, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, finished with 18 points.
Jalen Lake pitched in with 14 points for Colorado State and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 12.
The Rams took control to start the second half. Seven playres scored in the first eight minutes as Colorado State turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead.
Clifford, who made just two field goals in the first 27 minutes, hit a turnaround jumper with 13:38 left to give the Rams a 52-50 advantage. The next time down the court, he found Bowen Born for an open layup to make it 54-50. The Tigers did not get within one possession the rest of the day.
Record setter
Haggerty converted a transition layup with just under four minutes left in the first half to break the AAC single-season scoring record — previously held by Kendric Davis — with 746 points.
___
AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: . Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up .
The post Kyan Evans and favored No. 12 seed Colorado State beat short-handed Memphis 78-70 in March Madness appeared first on Associated Press.
