LAS VEGAS -- They caught a break when Colorado State guard Dorian Green could not play because of an injury. From there, Fresno State stuck to the task and did the things it needed to do to stay close, even while scuffling a bit at the offensive end and a lot at the free-throw line.

The Bulldogs limited touches for Colton Iverson and got the Rams' big off the floor in foul trouble. They contested shots. For a time, they were in the lead against the second seed at the Mountain West tournament.

(Bulldogs coach Terry: We’re not giving up on Upshaw. Read it at sports.fresnobeehive.com)

But down the stretch, Fresno State's inexperience showed, its lack of strength and physicality around the basket also hurt, and it couldn't get the stops it needed.

Colorado State ended the seventh-seeded Bulldogs' bid at an upset, pulling out a 67-61 victory Wednesday before 9,122 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Down the stretch, we could not come up with a stop that we desperately needed, we couldn't finish the play with a rebound to finish it out," coach Rodney Terry said. "We gave up a couple of drives to guys that we needed to stay in front of, and at the end of games at this time of year, you have to get stops, and we just weren't able to come up with those at the end of this game."

The Bulldogs (11-19) had chances, closing a 55-46 deficit to 55-53 with a three-point play by freshman Marvelle Harris, a Harris jumper and a Tyler Johnson basket. They traded baskets, still down two, before Colorado State just crept away -- with help.

Down 62-60 and looking to foul with 26 seconds remaining after another three-point play by Harris, the Bulldogs saw the ball inbounded to Jon Octeus, a redshirt sophomore making his first career start in place of Green.

The Bulldogs had a chance to foul on the catch but didn't before Octeus passed to Wes Eikmeier, a fifth-year senior who scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and came in hitting a conference-best 89.8% on free throws.

Eikmeier made both foul shots to push the lead to four. Fresno State came down and point guard Allen Huddleston was fouled on a drive, but he could make only the second of two free throws on a day in which the Bulldogs would finish 13 for 23.

Fresno State did get a foul on the right guy to get the ball back with a chance. But forward Greg Smith hit 1 of 2, the Bulldogs couldn't get much of a shot at the other end, and that was about it. They finished as they started (a 55-53 season-opening loss at Texas) with their eighth defeat by seven points or fewer.

"We just could not make some of the plays on defense, getting those stops, finishing with rebounds to go to the other end and get scores," said Johnson, who led Fresno State with 14 points.

Colorado State (25-7) advances to play third-seeded UNLV in a Friday semifinal, but only after getting significant contributions from its bench. Octeus played the full 40; Gerson Santo, averaging 1.9 points per game, had 10.

"Our team has been known all year for our experience and our seniors," Eikmeier said. "We'd be going home if it wasn't for our younger guys, too."

Iverson got only two shots in 23 minutes, scoring seven points. Eikmeier was 0 of 5 in the first half. Pierce Hornung, another senior, took one shot, and Green was out with an ankle injury.

Terry would have jumped at those kind of individual outcomes before the game.

"I'd like our chances," he said. "We had a good contest with those guys up there (in Fort Collins, Colo.), at the 5-minute mark it's a one-possession game on their homecourt. But I definitely would like my chances with Green out of the game and doing what we did on those guys."

Down the stretch, the Rams had enough, with or without them. The Bulldogs didn't, missing three free throws in the final minute and failing to make plays at both ends of the floor.

"This time of year, that's what it's about," Terry said.