Colorado State Rams beat Memphis, advance in the NCAA men's tournament

The Colorado State Rams men's basketball team's winning streak continued Friday when they beat the No. 5 seed Memphis Tigers 78-70 in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in Seattle. It's the first time CSU has advanced to the round of 32 since 2013.

The impressive Rams (26-9) -- a No. 12 seed -- notched their 11th consecutive win, following on the heels of their victory against Boise State last Saturday in the Mountain West Tournament title game.

Kyan Evans made a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

"Whatever Kyan was feeling tonight, I just want to feel that one time," Colorado State coach Niko Medved said.  

Nique Clifford, the Mountain West Tournament MVP, had his quietest scoring night in a month, finishing with 14 points, eight on free throws. But he added eight rebounds and six assists. Jalen Lake pitched in with 14 points and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 12.

The Rams took control to start the second half. Seven players scored in the first eight minutes as Colorado State turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead.

"Just when I don't think this group can give us more, they find another gear, and guys step up," Medved said.

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.

"Maybe not my best shooting night, but I was just trying to find ways to do other things to impact the game when I'm not shooting well," Clifford said.

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 veteran guard and third-leading scorer Tyrese Hunter sidelined by a left foot injury.

"It's not how we wanted it to end," Hardaway said. "We had an opportunity to do some special things, and just couldn't get it done."

The Rams will face No. 4 seed Maryland in round 2 on Sunday. Tipoff time is 5:10 p.m. Mountain Time.