CSU basketball hoping for sellout vs. San Diego State

With students back in school, the CSU men’s basketball team is hoping to play in front of a sellout crowd Saturday night for the first time in two years when it faces San Diego State.

More than 5,000 tickets had been distributed as of Wednesday afternoon for the game matching two of the top teams in the Mountain West, said Ben Lorenzen, the school’s new senior associate athletic director for marketing and sales. That includes 1,000 student tickets, about half of what the school sets aside for each game.

Moby Arena seats 8,745, and Lorenzen said the school is expecting a sellout for the game, which will be televised nationally by ESPNU. Only a few single seats were available for purchase online Wednesday in the lower part of the arena. Tickets still available were priced from $10 to $30 apiece, depending on the seat location. Fans are being encouraged to wear white as part of a “White Out” promotion.

“We’re urging our fans to pre-order tickets online, purchase them in advance at the ticket office or arrive early to avoid long lines at the ticket window the night of the game,” Lorenzen said.

Colorado State University (17-2, 4-2 MW) is off to its best start through 19 games in school history. The Rams sit one game behind San Diego State (15-4, 5-1) and Wyoming (16-3, 5-1) in the conference standings one-third of the way through an 18-game league schedule. The Rams and Aztecs are both receiving votes in both major top 25 polls this week and were the two highest-rated MW teams in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index on Wednesday, with San Diego State No. 22 and CSU No. 36.

“We need our fans,” senior guard Daniel Bejarano said Wednesday. “We play for them, and our fans make us go.”

CSU drew drew 8,018 fans for a Jan. 7 home game against Wyoming but hasn’t filled its 8,745-seat arena since March 9, 2013, against Nevada. That was the last of four consecutive home sellouts that season.

Average attendance for CSU’s home games this season has been 3,917 for 10 home games, putting the school ninth in the 11-game MW. Only Air Force (1,372) and San Jose State (1,319) have lower average attendance. CSU has drawn an average 5,600 for its three league games, and all were played while students were on their winter break.

Coach Larry Eustachy and his players hope the crowds will continue to grow now that students are back in school.

“We’re 17-2, that’s not bad,” Bejarano said. “This isn’t like last year. We’re not down this year. When you come to the games, you’re going to see great basketball.”

Tickets can be purchased online at CSURams.com, over the phone by calling 800-491-7267 or 970-491-7267 or from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at the McGraw Athletic Center Ticket Office on the west side of Moby Arena.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.