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The CSU Rams and the Montana Grizzlies opened the season at CSU’s Moby arena on Friday night. The game was Larry Eustachy’s first as the Rams’ coach, in which the Rams’ 13 game home winning streak was in jeopardy. The Grizzlies, who won the Big Sky last year and went to the NCAA tournament, had an early lead against the Rams. The Grizzlies forced turnovers early and led by as many as 10 points.
Guards Keron DeShields, 17 points, and Jordan Gregory, 10 points, led the Grizzlies but the Rams, who have now won 32 straight home openers dating back to the 1980 - 1981 season, hit on 31 of 41 shots from the free throw line and pulled away after taking a 35 – 34 lead, with 17 minutes left.
The Rams outrebounded the Grizzlies 44 – 21, led by senior forward Pierce Hornung with 16. The Rams were led in scoring by an all senior team: Colton Iverson (18) Dorian Green (11), Greg Smith (11) and Wes Eikmeier (10).
The Ram’s next game will be at Moby arena against the Chadron State Eagles on Thursday night at 7:00 PM. The Rams played in front of a crowd of 5,833 at Moby arena, which is currently being expanded. The current CSU home winning streak stands at 14, which is the 9th longest in the nation.