GAME NOTES: Tied for the best overall record among Mountain West Conference teams, the Colorado State Rams focus their attention on the Nevada Wolf Pack as the two teams meet at Moby Arena on Wednesday night.

The Rams were nationally ranked just a few weeks ago after running off 14 straight wins to begin the season, but that record pace came to a halt on Jan. 3 when the New Mexico Lobos sent CSU to a 66-53 loss in Albuquerque. Four days later, Wyoming turned the trick as well with a 60-54 decision. In an effort to prevent a third straight loss, the Rams dialed up the offense over the weekend and posted a 92-87 victory at Air Force.

Now 2-2 in conference play, the Rams find themselves tied with Utah State for sixth place in the standings, even though they have the same overall record of nationally-ranked Wyoming (15-2).

As for the Wolf Pack, they are actually a step ahead of Colorado State in the MWC with two wins in three tries, even though their overall mark of 6-9 makes them one of two teams in the league to be playing below .500. Following a painful eight-game slide, Nevada recently enjoyed a four-game win streak, but that came to an end this past Saturday when the team tumbled against Fresno State at home, 69-66.

With respect to the all-time series, Nevada clings to a 7-6 advantage after winning the lone meeting a season ago by a score of 76-67 in Reno.

After defeating in-state rival UNLV the Wolf Pack was bound to have a let down and that's exactly what happened as the team bowed to Fresno State over the weekend by three points. AJ West nearly registered a triple-double as he tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocked shots, while Marqueze Coleman and Tyron Criswell produced 19 and 12 points, respectively, for a squad that converted a mere 2-of-16 shots from behind the 3-point line.

On a team that is shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and a brutal 26.2 percent on the perimeter, the Pack follows the lead set by a trio of double- digit scorers as West sets the tone with 11.9 ppg on 51.3 percent accuracy from the floor. Although he somehow has just six assists in 365 minutes of action, West also paces the program with 9.5 rpg and 46 blocked shots, numbers that have helped limit the competition to only 63.8 ppg. D.J. Fenner and Coleman check in with 11.7 and 11.1 ppg, respectively.

All but one starter scored in double figures for the Rams during their offensive explosion over the weekend, with J.J. Avila filling his stat line with 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists as he shot 11-of-16 from the field in the five-point road win. Before fouling out, Stanton Kidd chipped in 17 points, Gian Clavell added 13 and Joe De Ciman registered 12 for a team that shot 52.6 percent from the field and outscored the Falcons at the free- throw line, 24-11.

Even though he has made good on just 60.5 percent of his opportunities at the charity stripe through 17 games, Avila is still the leading scorer overall for the Rams with 15.2 ppg as he converts 54.9 percent from the floor. In addition, Avila is not only the leading rebounder as well with 7.5 per contest, he is first in assists (56) and steals (33), making him one of a very rare breed in college basketball these days. Kidd (11.5 ppg) and Daniel Bejarano (10.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) also play key roles for the Rams, although the latter missed the Air Force meeting due to a case of strep throat.

Even though Bejarano may miss this meeting as well, the Rams still have more than enough firepower to take down a visiting Nevada team that is struggling to be consistent.