Jacksonville St. Vs. Colorado St.: Rams Win Sun Bowl Invitational Title Game

The Colorado St. Rams got the lead early, and while they didn't pull away until much later in the game, they didn't have too much difficulty in beating the Jacksonville St. Gamecocks in the Sun Bowl Invitational Title Game. After taking a ten-point lead into halftime, the Rams ran away with a 79-56 victory in El Paso, Texas.

After taking a 36-26 lead into halftime, Colorado State had its lead trimmed down to as few as five in the second half before running away with things. Jacksonville State got little going on offense during the game, shooting just 32 percent from the field while making only 17 of 28 free throw attempts. The Rams, on the other hand, shot a very strong 60 percent during the game.

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Sun Bowl Invitational Title Game, Colorado State Vs. Jacksonville State: Preview, Game Time, Odds And More

After a narrow victory in the first round of the Sun Bowl Invitational tournament over the UTEP Miners on Wednesday, the Colorado St. Rams (8-4) and the Jacksonville St. Gamecocks (5-8) meet in the championship game on Thursday night. The Rams edged the tournament hosts 56-53 thanks to 16 points and six assists on 7-of-8 shooting from junior guard Wes Eikmeier. The Colorado St. defense held the Miners to 17-of-39 from the field.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks destroyed the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions 78-55, behind 16 points from sophomore guard Brian Williams and 12 points from senior forward Stephen Hall. At one point Jacksonville St. led by 30 points, while Arkansas-Pine Bluff only ever held a one-point lead.

When it comes to season rankings, the Rams hold a huge edge in several important categories. They are 51st in the nation in field goal percentage (47.2%) and 115th in points per game (72.0), while Jacksonville St. is only 329th in field goal percentage (38.0%) and 340th in points per game (54.3). If the Rams can control the pace of the game and get out in transition, they should run away with the Sun Bowl Invitational title based on team statistics for the season-to-date.

Game date, time: 7:30 p.m. MT, Thursday, Dec. 29th, 2011

Location: Don Haskins Center (Sun Bowl Invitational Tournament), El Paso, TX

Radio: 560 AM Denver

Spread: Colorado State is currently favored by 9.5 points, and the over/under is currently 127.5 points.

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Colorado State Vs. UTEP Final Score: Rams Edge UTEP To Improve To 8-4

Colorado State earned its third straight victory on Wednesday by defeating UTEP 56-53 at the Sun Bowl Invitational. The Rams trailed after the first half, but out-scored the Miners 29-24 in the second half to secure the victory. The win improves Colorado State to 8-4, while UTEP falls to 6-7 with the loss.

Wes Eikmeier led the way for Colorado State. The junior guard finished with 16 points and six assists on 7-of-8 shooting. Teammate Will Bell added 12 points and four rebounds in the win on 6-of-10 shooting. Pierce Hornung scored eight and Greg Smith scored seven for the Rams in the win.

Gabriel McCulley scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting to lead the Miners. C.J. Cooper (11 points) and Michael Perez (10 points) also contributed in the loss.

The Rams shot 21-of-42 in the win. UTEP finished 17-of-39 from the field. Colorado State finished with a 26-21 edge in rebounding.

Colorado St. Vs. UTEP Preview: Rams Hoping To Win On The Road

The Colorado State Rams will be visiting the UTEP Miners on Wednesday night at the annual Sun Bowl Invitational that's held during the holiday season.