Lytle: Buzzer-beater the cruelest end to Colorado State basketball’s March Madness magic

SEATTLE — Jalen Lake slowly walked down the court with a stunned look in his eye.

An impossible-to-imagine cauldron of emotions must have been gurgling inside of him.

Lake was seconds from his name being etched into history as a March Madness legend.

His 3-pointer to take a final-seconds lead on No. 4 Maryland seemed certain to send the No. 12 Colorado State men’s basketball team to one of the most famous wins in CSU athletics history.

Instead, Lake and his teammates walked off the floor at Climate Pledge Arena with a type of shock only few athletes have felt after Derik Queen hit a contested runner at the buzzer.

“I can't even put it into words,” Lake said of his emotions after the 72-71 loss to Maryland.

The finish feels brutally unfair for Lake, his teammates and coaches and CSU fans.

It was a stupefying end for a stupefying run.

The pain will linger, but history will remember this CSU team with the fondest of feelings.

Lake’s pain wasn’t the moment in history he didn’t get. It was for a team and program that meant everything to him.

“I just wish I could wear Colorado State for the rest of my life. I mean, it means that much to me,” Lake said.

The senior guard is a perfect symbol for this team. He’s not always the flashiest of players but always put his head down and worked. In the biggest moments of this 2025 March Madness run, he stepped up.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

COLORADO STATE LEADS ‼️#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Nwrc7Ymq8e
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025

It’s what this team was. These Rams were bad in November and December. They weren’t fit for any type of postseason play, much less an NCAA Tournament run.

A 5-5 record and some brutal defeats. They worked and worked and found the right roles. Nique Clifford grew from a good player to a mega-star and likely first-round NBA pick.

Kyan Evans found his footing and became a star in his own right, with his own March Madness game for the ages to beat Memphis. Lake continued his steady defense and shooting. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Rashaan Mbemba, Bowen Born, Ethan Morton, Nikola Djapa.

Down the line, each player had their moment as the Rams won 11 games in a row to steal an NCAA Tournament bid with the first Mountain West tournament title for the program since 2003.

This is a one-of-a-kind run. A roster of good players who found a way to fit everything together and land just CSU’s sixth men’s NCAA Tournament win ever.

The Rams beat a 5-seed and were inches (or one uncalled extra step on Queen's drive) away from toppling a No. 4 to become America’s Cinderella.

CSU went 19-4 from New Year’s Eve on, with the only losses coming against NCAA Tournament teams.

This was pure magic. An unforgettable run.

“I've had as much fun and joy coaching this group as any group I've ever been a part of, and they just keep giving us more. As a coach, you always hope that your players really learn something life-changing being a part of your program,” an emotional Niko Medved said after the game.

“But you know what I learned from this is they teach me more. They give me more probably than I give them. Just being around this group every day, it's made me a better coach, it's made me a better person, and I just can't thank them enough for this experience.”

The business-side of college sports may hit soon like a ton of bricks because the college sports world keeps turning, but this team and the feeling it gave fans over the last few months will last.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Buzzer-beater the cruelest end to Colorado State's March Madness magic