Michael Bettis / Loveland Reporter-Herald)
FORT COLLINS — Defense and rebounding are supposed to be the pillars of a Larry Eustachy-coached team.
But instead those fundamentals have been weaknesses recently for Colorado State, and they were noticeably lacking again Sunday night in the Rams' shocking 73-64 loss at Northern Colorado.
CSU was beat on the glass 41-34 against a UNC team that came in with negative rebounding margin on the season (-0.9) while allowing the Bears to shoot a season-best 50 percent from the field (24 for 48).
And so, in a season that began so promisingly with a win at Northern Iowa as part of a 5-0 start, the Rams (6-4) have now lost four of five, the most recent to a team that had yet to beat a Division I opponent this season.