Kyan Evans sank a career-best six three-pointers to lead No. 12 Colorado St. to a 78-70 upset of the Memphis Tigers in the first round of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle on Friday, March 21.
The loss wraps up a 29-6 season for the Tigers, who achieved a No. 5 seed after not receiving a tournament bid in 2023-24.
โI’m giving honor to God. This season did not end the way we wanted it to, but I am proud of these guys,โ said Tigers coach Penny Hardaway.
Evans led all scorers with 23 points on 7-11 shooting. The sophomore guard hit 6-7 from deep.
Memphisโ postseason hopes evaporated after senior guard Jalen Lake three-pointer with 3:02 remaining. The corner shot put the Rams up 71-61. Colorado St. outscored the Tigers 47-34 in the second half to erase a 36-31 first half lead for Memphis.
Lake and senior guard Nique Clifford added 14 points apiece.
Colorado St. sank 11-30 from beyond the arc for 36.7%, compared to Memphis pedestrian 6-23 for a pedestrian 28.1%. The Rams also shared the ball around more, coming up with 14 assists, to Memphisโ eight. They also did a better job taking care of the ball. The Tigers committed 16 turnovers, while Colorado St. limited their miscues to 10.
The Rams built a 65-55 lead after sophomore Kyan Evans a stepback three three-point shot from with 8:36 left in the second half.
After that, neither team had much luck scoring as Colorado St. settled down into its halfcourt offense. The slow-down strategy was effective. Memphis only managed to score three-points on free throws until Lakeโs three-point dagger.
The Rams strategy against PJ Haggerty was also effective. Colorado State opted to double team the second team All-American most of the game.
As a result, the nationโs third leading scorer was limited to 18 points on 7-23 shooting, including 1-8 from deep. The American Athletic Conference Player of the Year has struggled with his shot in the post season. Haggerty averaged 21.8 points per contest this season.
Dain Dainja led the Tigers with 22 points, after hitting 8-13 from the field, along with 6-10 from the free throw line. The senior center also grabbed 12 rebounds to lead all players. A late season addition to the starting lineup, Dainja thanked Tigersโ coach Penny Hardaway for the promotion by winning the AAC Newcomer of the Year Award.
It has gone well for me. I have learned a lot of things. I have created some great relationships. I feel I have grown so much, even off the court. Coach has helped me with a lot of things. The small details of things and just being a pro,โ said Dainja.
Dainja was a steady low-post presence, particularly during the first half.
โWhat we did well, we got the ball inside early. We could have shot the ball better. We could have hit some shots to open the inside. They packed the paint on Dain in the second half,โ said Hardaway.
Both Haggerty and Dainja were named to the AAC All-Tournament team. Haggerty also nabbed the MVP honor.
Colby Rogers also played well, scoring 18 points on 7-12 shooting. The senior guard also hit 4-7 from deep in his final game as a collegiate player. Fellow senior Moussa Cisse grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench.
Memphis outrebounded the Rams 41-34.
With the roster unclear for next season, Hardaway will turn his focus to rebuilding the roster. A few high school players have been offered scholarships. The transfer window for next season will open in May. The Tigers have brought in several talents from the portal in recent years. The 2024-25 season was no exception.
