FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Alcorn State’s cross country basketball odyssey got off to a shaky start on Sunday.

J.D. Paige scored a career-high 23 points and had six assists, Emmanuel Omogbo had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Colorado State beat Alcorn State 80-58 in the California Bears Classic.

Denzel Dulin hit 13 of 17 free throw attempts and scored 20 points for Alcorn State, which trailed 44-33 at the half. Reginal Johnson made six of his eight shots and scored 14 points, but the Braves were held to 17-of-58 shooting (29.3 percent).

It was the first of six road games in 25 days for Alcorn. It will play at San Francisco on Wednesday and California on Saturday. Two games closer to home at Louisiana Tech and Georgia Tech follow before the Braves head west again to play Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 20.

Alcorn’s next home game isn’t until Dec. 22 against Rust College.

Alcorn (2-3) had won its last two games before hitting a brick wall against Colorado State (5-1).

Paige was 6-of-9 from the floor, with three 3-pointers, made all eight of his free throws, and the Rams shot a season-best 56 percent. Omogbo had his third straight double-double and the fourth of the season.

“We just kept going to J.D. He had a career night, why not go to him? He has got the hot hand,” Omogbo said.

Colorado State (5-1), which won its seventh straight at home, controlled the glass 47-25 — with 11 on the offensive end. Of the 47 potential rebounds on Alcorn State shots, the Rams grabbed 36.
Colorado State was playing its fourth game in eight days.

“It’s been a long week and today caught up with us, especially early on. The whole game we seemed to be kind of a step slow,” Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said. “What this team really needs is to practice, as the only practice we have done is to go on the court to prepare for other teams. I think this team has only scratched the surface of who we can be.”