Possibly the Colorado males’s basketball group nonetheless has a February run within the combine to create a postseason push.
However that objective simply grew to become way more tough.
No. 8 Arizona displayed zero indicators of fatigue after taking part in a triple-overtime recreation simply 48 hours earlier, outplaying CU in each side at hand the Buffs a 99-79 defeat on Saturday night time on the CU Occasions Heart.
Arizona ended a five-game dropping streak in Boulder whereas retaining sole possession of the highest spot within the Pac-12 Convention standings. It was CU’s first loss on the Occasions Heart this season after the posting the primary 13-0 residence begin in program historical past.
It was a extra palatable ultimate rating than the 47-point drubbing the Buffs endured at Arizona a month in the past, when CU performed with out Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams. But it had the texture of a way more deflating loss because the Buffs, taking part in at full energy, fell behind by 20 factors somewhat greater than 5 minutes into the second half.
“Typically it’s needed that you just’ve simply bought to tip your cap to the opposite group,” CU head coach Tad Boyle mentioned. “I assumed Arizona performed nice tonight. They deserved to win. They had been the extra aggressive group. They made photographs and so they had been bodily. We didn’t play nicely sufficient to win. And that was apparent.”
The Buffs trailed by just one level when CU heart Eddie Lampkin Jr. fouled Arizona massive man Oumar Ballo on a putback basket with 10 minutes, 14 seconds left within the first half.
Ballo transformed the 3-point play whereas Boyle opted to maintain Lampkin on the bench the rest of the half with two fouls. The sport was by no means that shut once more. Ballo took benefit of CU’s void inside, authoring a tip dunk and one other offensive rebound that led to a Caleb Love 3-pointer because the Wildcats constructed a 12-point lead late within the first half. CU scored the ultimate 4 factors of the body to chop Arizona’s result in 47-40 on the break.
If the Buffs gained any momentum from that transient burst to finish the half, it evaporated rapidly. Lampkin missed an open layup on the primary possession of the second half, and Arizona promptly obtained back-to-back 3-pointers from Love and Keshad Johnson. CU remained inside 10 factors after a 3-point play from da Silva with 17:09 to play, however the Wildcats scored the subsequent 10 factors to push their result in 20. The Buffs by no means significantly threatened the remainder of the best way.
CU couldn’t gradual UA your complete night time, because the Wildcats ended with a .529 area objective proportion, the third-highest mark by a Buffs foe this season. Arizona’s .455 mark from 3-point vary (10-for-22) additionally was the third-highest by a CU foe this season, and the Wildcats grew to become the fourth group to hit at the very least 10 3-pointers in opposition to the Buffs this season.
Each groups had six turnovers at halftime, however CU completed with 16 whereas the Wildcats posted solely 9, resulting in a 23-12 benefit for UA in factors off turnovers. The Wildcats additionally turned 12 offensive rebounds right into a 23-15 edge in second-chance factors.
“I really feel like we gave them too many buckets off of turnovers, off of second-chance factors,” da Silva mentioned. “You’re simply gifting away possessions on offense. And on protection, if you happen to don’t rebound clearly the possession is rarely going to be over till you get that board.”
Quick break
Why the Buffs misplaced: Arizona shot .529 from the sector and made 10 3-pointers whereas CU completed with 16 turnovers.
Three stars:
UA’s Oumar Ballo: Recorded his fourth consecutive double-double, ending with 16 factors and 13 rebounds.
UA’s Caleb Love: Went simply 6-for-15 total however was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers with 19 factors.
CU’s KJ Simpson: Went 0-for-4 from lengthy vary, however nonetheless completed with 20 factors and a career-high 9 assists.
Up subsequent: CU begins its ultimate Pac-12 journey by Los Angeles on Thursday night time at UCLA (7 p.m., ESPN).
ARIZONA (19-5, 10-3)
Johnson 2-4 0-0 5, Ballo 5-9 6-8 16, Love 6-15 3-3 19, Larsson 7-11 2-3 18, Boswell 6-12 0-0 15, Krivas 3-3 2-2 8, Bradley 6-9 2-2 14, Lewis 0-3 0-0 0, Borovicanin 0-0 0-0 0, Martinez 1-2 2-3 4, Weitman 0-0 0-0 0, Murauskas 0-0 0-0 0, Menaugh 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-68 17-21 99.
COLORADO (16-8, 7-6)
Williams 3-7 2-4 8, da Silva 8-13 3-3 20, Lampkin 2-3 0-0 4, Hadley 2-5 8-8 13, Simpson 7-16 6-6 20, O’Brien 2-4 0-0 5, Hammond III 2-5 3-5 9, Diop 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-54 22-26 79.
Halftime — Arizona 47-40. 3-point area objectives — Arizona 10-22 (Johnson 1-1, Love 4-6, Larsson 2-4, Boswell 3-8, Bradley 0-2, Martinez 0-1); Colorado 5-17 (Williams 0-1, da Silva 1-2, Hadley 1-3, Simpson 0-4, O’Brien 1-2, Hammond III 2-4, Diop 0-1). Rebounds — Arizona 33 (Ballo 13); Colorado 31 (Hadley 6). Assists — Arizona 14 (Boswell 4); Colorado 12 (Simpson 9). Turnovers — Arizona 9 (Ballo, Boswell 2); Colorado 16 (Williams 5). Whole fouls — Arizona 23; Colorado 17. Technical fouls — Johnson, Simpson, Hadley. Attendance — 10,548.
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