FORT COLLINS — Nique Clifford won the game in 96 seconds.

With Colorado State leading by 11 points with under 13 minutes to play, the fifth-year senior went to the bench for his usual one period of rest during the second half. Three minutes of game time later, the Rams’ lead had shrunk to six and UNLV had all of the momentum.

A key win early in Mountain West play — in a game between teams that entered the day 3-1 in conference play — felt like it might be slipping away from CSU.

But in just three possessions, Clifford returned and took over — showing how much he’s improved since arriving in Fort Collins.

He caught the ball on the right wing, drove baseline toward the basket and drew the attention of three defenders before finding Ethan Morton for an easy layup.

On the next trip down the floor, the Rams drew up a play to get him a 3-pointer off a baseline out-of-bounds play. Catching and shooting the ball in one smooth motion, Clifford drilled the shot with ease.

After helping get another stop on defense, Clifford made one move to get his defender off balance and got into the paint, spinning through contact for an easy bucket at the rim.

CSU’s lead was quickly restored to double figures. Timeout UNLV.

The Rams never looked back on the way to a 20-point win and Clifford’s transformation from underutilized player for Tad Boyle’s CU Buffs into star two-way wing for Niko Medved’s Rams was on full display.

“I think he continues to get better,” Medved told The Denver Gazette. “I think he’s been playing at a really high level, making great decisions, taking good shots, being aggressive not for himself but to create shots for others.”

After shaking off a so-so nonconference slate, CSU is off to a 4-2 start in Mountain West play and firmly in the mix at the top of the conference with a big road tilt at Wyoming Saturday. Clifford, who has become the No. 1 option for the Rams after Isaiah Stevens’ graduation, is at the center of it.

He’s top five in the conference in scoring, second in rebounding and also in the top 10 in assists. Nationally, he’s one of two players averaging over 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. The other? Auburn star Johni Broome, the frontrunner to win the Naismith Player of the Year award.

Clifford, a Colorado Springs native and former Vanguard standout, nearly made the leap to the NBA after last season before making the difficult decision to withdraw and return to CSU.

He was projected as a borderline second-round pick in a weak class but now is setting himself up to potentially be a first-round pick in June.

“I think if I just show what I can do for my team, that’s all I’m really focused on,” Clifford told The Denver Gazette. “At the next level, whatever a team asks me to do, I’m gonna go do. You never know what kind of situation you’ll get put into. I’m just really focused on being myself, being the best I can be for my team and continue to work. Whatever an NBA team asks of me, then that’s what I’ll do.”

The best thing Clifford can be for this year’s Rams? The star.

His worst games of the season came on the road against his old team, Colorado, and at San Diego State. Both were blowout losses for CSU. In the team’s biggest wins, Clifford’s scoring, rebounding and distributing abilities work in harmony.

As a big, athletic perimeter player, he’s able to dictate the game in ways that smaller guards or post players can’t. He often watches NBA stars like Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas’ Luka Doncic to see they control the game and make the other nine on the court play at their pace.

“When you’re confident, you’re able to play at your own pace,” Clifford said. “That’s the point I want to get to. It’s still a work in progress, of course, but I’m so much better than I was a year or two ago. Just knowing I’m in control of the ball, I get to make the decision and I can’t let the defender take me out of that.”

Folks who watched him over three seasons in Boulder didn’t know this version of Clifford. 

“We’ve got everything it takes to win the league, but we gotta go out and show that and prove that,” Clifford said. “It’s not gonna be given to us. We gotta go out there and be consistent.”

The list: Top 5 contenders for Mountain West player of the year

1. Donovan Dent, New Mexico

Dent is the go-to player for the Lobos and he’s making the star leap in Albuquerque. He’s currently leading the conference in scoring at 19 points per game and is second in assists at just under seven a night. Despite losing in the final seconds at San Jose State, New Mexico remains tied atop the Mountain West standings and might be the favorite to win the conference because of Dent.

2. Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Speaking of players who have seamlessly transitioned into bigger roles, Clifford has taken the mantle left behind by Isaiah Stevens and is leading another CSU team with hopes of competing for a Mountain West title. Clifford is fifth in the conference in scoring, second in rebounding and 10th in assists, the only player in the MW to be top 10 in all three categories.

3. Ian Martinez, Utah State

Losing both their coach and top player to Washington, the Aggies are on their way to a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance (under three coaches) thanks to Martinez’s decision to stay in Logan. The senior guard, who actually began his college career at Utah, is having the best season of his career, averaging nearly 17 points per game.

4. Tyson Degenhart, Boise State

Degenhart was the preseason player of the year and he’s continued to build off his stellar junior season by ranking third in the Mountain West in scoring to go with his typical rebounding and playmaking abilities. Boise State is one of the teams competing at the top of the conference and the Broncos are going to need Degenhart to play like a star to win it.

5. Miles Byrd, San Diego State

Another player who has made a leap this season is Byrd, who had every facet of his game on display when the Aztecs ran CSU out of Viejas Arena. Byrd is shooting close to 40% from 3-point range on nearly six attempts per game while averaging over two steals per game.

Upset of the week

UNLV 65, No. 22 Utah State 62

The Mountain West no longer has an unbeaten team. Despite a poor shooting night from star sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr., UNLV became the first team to take down Utah State in conference play. The Aggies are off to a roaring start under first-year coach Jerrod Calhoun (16-2), but the Mountain West is firmly up for grabs with six teams with two losses or fewer in the early stages of conference play.

Mid-major minute

Like the Mountain West, the new-look West Coast Conference appears to be up for grabs. Typical WCC powers Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga and San Francisco are off to hot starts, but so are newcomers Oregon State and Washington State. The Beavers and 16th-ranked Bulldogs played one of the best games of the week with OSU coming away with a 97-89 upset win in overtime Thursday in Corvallis.

Going overseas

Sticking with the theme of Pikes Peak area natives, let’s spotlight former CSU Rams standout Joel Scott, who is playing for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the top German league. After helping the Rams get to the NCAA Tournament last season, the Monument native and former Division II player of the year is averaging 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his first pro season.