Colorado has a date with Texas.
the The Rams dominated Virginia 67-42 In a top-four matchup on Tuesday. With the win – the first for the state of Colorado NCAA tournament Victory since 2013 – The No. 10 seed Rams set up a first-round March Madness match Thursday against the No. 7 Longhorns in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Colorado State finished the regular season with a 22-9 record. Despite losing in the Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinals to New Mexico, the Rams received an at-large bid and made their way to the field of 64.
“I never imagined it. I knew our guys were ready to compete,” Colorado State head coach Niko Medved said of the blowout win over Virginia. “We had a chance to play here, that's what it is… We'll watch Texas film on the plane and do it again.”
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Here's what you need to know about Texas' first-round March Madness opponent:
Colorado State defeats Virginia for fourth place
Colorado State went on a 9-0 run to close the first half with a 27-14 lead over Virginia. The Cavaliers shot 17.2% from the field, 2-for-9 from three and did not score a single point in the final 10:30 of the half. The Rams, on the other hand, shot 50% from the field and 3-for-7 from three to take a 13-point lead into halftime.
The Rams extended their lead to as many as 25 points in the second half and prevailed 67-42 over the Cavaliers, who won the NCAA Championship in 2019.
Rams forward Joel Scott scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Nick Clifford added 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Cavaliers guard Reese Beckman was the only Virginia player to reach double figures with 15 points.
The Cavaliers finished the game shooting 25% from the field and 3-for-17 from three, while the Rams shot 55.3% from the field and 5-for-14 from three.
Who will Colorado face next in March Madness?
The Rams will face Texas, the No. 7 seed in the Midwest, on Thursday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The winner will advance to the second round to face the winner of No. 2 Tennessee and No. 15 St. Peter's.
When did Colorado State last make the NCAA Tournament?
The Rams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, most recently in 2022, when Colorado State suffered an upset first-round loss to No. 11 Michigan as a No. 6 seed. Colorado State reached the Elite Eight in 1969 and has an overall March Madness record of -5. 12.
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