Fast break
Why the Buffs won: CU went 19-for-21 at the free throw line and outrebounded Utah 41-35.
Three stars
1. Sebastian Rancik. The sophomore forward shook off an 0-for-5 night at the 3-point line to go 9-for-9 on free throws while leading the Buffs with 19 points.
2. Bangot Dak. Posted his fourth double-double of the season, his third in five games and his second in a row, recording 16 points and 12 rebounds.
3. Barrington Hargress. Other Buffs scored more points, but CU’s point guard got CU off to a good start before finishing with nine points and five assists.
Up next: CU takes aim at No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday at the CU Events Center (5 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
After another conference victory, the sort that was painfully elusive a year ago, forward Bangot Dak was ready for the next challenge. Even if that next challenge will be the toughest one so far this season.
Dak had just posted his second double-double in as many games and had been tentatively released from his postgame press conference duties when the junior forward insisted on adding one last thought.
“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to play Texas Tech,” Dak said. “We’re going to come out ready to go.”
CU took care of business in its first conference home game of the season on Wednesday night, defeating Utah 85-73 at the CU Events Center. It took 16 conference games for the Buffaloes to notch two Big 12 wins a year ago, yet the Buffs will be 2-0 in the league when No. 14 Texas Tech visits Boulder on Saturday.
While it has been a favorable slate out of the gate in Big 12 play for the Buffs, CU nonetheless is in impressive company as one of five conference teams to start 2-0, with the Buffs boasting a unbeaten league mark alongside No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 7 Houston and No. 9 BYU.
“Good team victory,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I feel like the ceiling of this team continues to be higher than where we’re playing. We had that thing at a 10-point game multiple times, in the first half and second half, and we couldn’t break it open. We just let them come back.”
Boyle said the two things he has learned to look at immediately on the stat sheet after games for this particular team has been defensive field goal percentage and offensive rebounds allowed. CU was solid on the defensive front, with Utah’s .394 field goal percentage marking just the fourth time in 15 games the Buffs have held an opponent under 40%.
CU surrendered five offensive rebounds in the first half, which the Utes turned into an 8-0 edge on second-chance points by halftime. Utah outrebounded the Buffs 18-16 in the first half but Colorado finished with a 41-35 advantage.
“It just shows the character and the competitiveness of our group,” CU forward Sebastian Rancik said. “We’ve just got to keep getting better every day.”
The Buffs led for much of the contest — the Utes led for just 21 seconds the entire night — after jumping to an 11-1 lead out of the gate. Utah remained close throughout the second half and trailed just 69-67 with under 4 minutes remaining when CU reeled off eight consecutive points, pushing the lead to 77-67 with 1:30 to go.
CU had at least four players score in double figures for the 13th time in 15 games, with Rancik countering an 0-for-5 night from 3-point range by going 9-for-9 on free throws with a team-high 19 points. Dak recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season and his third in the past five games.
The Buffs finished 19-for-21 on free throws and went a perfect 10-for-10 in the second half. Defensively, CU made it a difficult night for Utah’s top two scorers, guards Terrence Brown and Don McHenry. The duo combined for 40 points, but together they shot just .359 (14-for-39) with as many assists (four) as turnovers.
“We did a better job on the glass in the second half,” Boyle said. “Did some good things. It’s just got to be a 40-minute game, a 40-minute effort.”
Colorado 85, Utah 73
UTAH (8-7, 0-2)
Dawes 6-11 3-6 16, Okonkwo 0-1 2-2 2, S.Traore 2-7 2-2 7, Brown 5-17 6-8 16, McHenry 9-22 3-5 24, K.Sanders 2-3 0-0 4, Hayes 0-0 0-0 0, Abbey 1-2 0-0 2, Howard 1-1 0-0 2, I.Traore 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-66 16-23 73.
COLORADO (12-3, 2-0)
Dak 6-12 2-2 16, Rancik 5-11 9-9 19, Malone 2-3 1-2 5, Hargress 4-9 0-0 9, Kossaras 1-5 0-0 3, Johnson 3-6 4-4 12, Holland 1-4 0-0 2, J.Sanders 4-6 1-2 9, Michaeli 3-6 2-2 10. Totals 29-62 19-21 85.
Halftime: Colorado 42-38. 3-point field goals: Utah 5-16 (McHenry 3-7, Dawes 1-3, S.Traore 1-3, K.Sanders 0-1, Brown 0-2); Colorado 8-24 (Dak 2-3, Johnson 2-3, Michaeli 2-3, Hargress 1-3, Kossaras 1-4, J.Sanders 0-1, Holland 0-2, Rancik 0-5). Rebounds: Utah 35 (Dawes, McHenry 7), Colorado 41 (Dak 12). Assists: Utah 11 (Brown 3), Colorado 15 (Hargress 5). Turnovers: Utah 7 (Brown 3); Colorado 11 (Four players with two). Total fouls: Utah 17, Colorado 15. A: 6,768.
