Quick break
Why the Buffs misplaced: UCLA took benefit of 9 first-half turnovers by CU to submit a 15-2 edge in factors off turnovers within the opening body. The Bruins completed with a 19-4 benefit in factors off turnovers off of CU’s 14 giveaways.
Three stars
UCLA’s Sebastian Mack: Went 7-for-11 from the sector and 5-for-7 on the free throw line earlier than ending with 19 factors and 4 rebounds.
UCLA’s Adem Bona: One of many prime submit gamers within the Pac-12 posted 14 factors, seven rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
CU’s Cody Williams: The proficient freshman shook off a latest slide by going 8-for-9 with 18 factors.
Up subsequent: The Buffs will attempt to salvage a break up of their remaining Pac-12 journey via Los Angeles on Saturday night time at USC (8 p.m. MT, ESPN).
LOS ANGELES — The frustrations continued for the Colorado males’s basketball staff. And the opening the Buffaloes have dug for themselves when it comes to a possible NCAA Event bid continues to get deeper.
A second-half comeback went for naught on Thursday for the Buffs, as UCLA held on down the stretch handy CU a 64-60 defeat within the remaining Pac-12 Convention go to to Pauley Pavilion.
It was CU’s fourth loss prior to now 5 video games and was UCLA’s sixth consecutive victory in opposition to the Buffs, who’ve misplaced 9 of their previous 10 video games in opposition to the Bruins.
The Buffs shot a strong .571 within the first half (12-for-21) however couldn’t get out of their very own method, committing 9 first-half turnovers. UCLA took benefit of the generosity to submit a 15-2 benefit in factors off turnovers within the first half alone whereas constructing a 38-29 lead on the break.
It was the sixth consecutive win for the surging Bruins and their eighth prior to now 9 video games.
“First half turnovers value us this recreation,” CU head coach Tad Boyle mentioned. “I don’t say this after losses fairly often, however I’m very pleased with this staff for a way the best way they fought and scratched and clawed. As a result of I believed our competitiveness and our protection, even our offense, was actually good within the second half. You shoot 52% from the ground, however they’ve 19 factors off our turnovers and it’s a one-possession recreation. That’s all you could know proper there.”
Two extra turnovers by CU within the first two minutes of the second half helped the Bruins push their result in 14 factors at 43-29 earlier than the Buffs lastly began chipping away. UCLA went over 5 minutes and not using a area purpose whereas the Buffs mixed continued robust capturing with a sudden treatment for the turnover issues.
CU tied the sport at 51-51 on a KJ Simpson-to-Tristan da Silva dunk with rather less than 7 minutes remaining, and the sport was tied once more at 54-54 on a da Silva 3-pointer with about 4:50 to play. UCLA, nonetheless, responded with a 9-2 run, giving the Bruins a 63-56 lead with 2:06 remaining.
The Buffs remained inside 63-60 on a driving basket by freshman Cody Williams, and a defensive cease gave CU a remaining probability after taking a timeout with 17 seconds remaining. However a driving try from da Silva was off the mark, and UCLA’s Lazar Stefanovic knocked down a free throw with 2.1 seconds left to seal the win for UCLA.
“We sort of dug ourselves a gap, particularly within the first half,” da Silva mentioned. “That’s actually all it got here right down to for us, (19) factors off turnovers. We don’t should be excellent, however it might’t be like 20 factors.”
Williams shook off a mini-slump over the earlier three video games by going 8-for-9 with 18 factors, whereas da Silva hit three 3-pointers and completed with 16 factors. Simpson went 1-for-7 and completed with a season-low 4 factors, though he additionally recorded team-highs of seven rebounds and 5 assists.
CU outshot the Bruins .522 to .444, however the Buffs couldn’t overcome UCLA’s lopsided 19-4 benefit in factors off turnovers. UCLA did seize 10 offensive rebounds however by no means actually took benefit of the additional possibilities, because it was the Buffs who posted an 8-6 edge in second-chance factors regardless of grabbing 4 fewer offensive boards.
The Buffs misplaced for simply the ninth time in 114 video games beneath Boyle by which they’ve shot at the least 50%. And as soon as once more, CU can have little or no time to regroup forward of a Saturday night time date at USC.
“I feel the most important factor is popping out and actually locking-in on the defensive finish from the bounce,” Williams mentioned. “Simply taking good care of the ball was an enormous factor. For those who flip the ball over (in opposition to UCLA) you’re not going to get the ball again for 35 seconds, as a result of they’re going to run it to the ultimate second of the shot clock. He needed to get the sport going quick and we did that higher within the second half than the primary half. We sort of simply dug ourselves a gap, which is why we got here up slightly bit brief.”
COLORADO (16-9, 7-7 Pac-12)
C.Williams 8-9 0-0 18, da Silva 6-11 1-2 16, Lampkin 5-7 2-2 12, Hadley 3-8 2-4 8, Simpson 1-7 1-2 4, Hammond 1-3 0-0 2, O’Brien 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-46 6-10 60.
UCLA (14-11, 9-5)
Bona 5-9 4-5 14, Andrews 5-11 1-2 13, Mack 7-11 5-7 19, Stefanovic 2-5 1-2 6, B.Williams 1-4 1-2 4, McClendon 1-7 0-0 2, Buyuktuncel 2-5 0-0 4, Mara 1-2 0-0 2, Nwuba 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 12-18 64.
Halftime — UCLA 38-29. 3-point area objectives — Colorado 6-15 (da Silva 3-6, C.Williams 2-3, Simpson 1-3, O’Brien 0-1, Hammond 0-2), UCLA 4-12 (Andrews 2-3, Stefanovic 1-2, B.Williams 1-3, Mack 0-1, McClendon 0-3). Rebounds — Colorado 29 (Simpson 7), UCLA 29 (Bona 7). Assists — Colorado 14 (Simpson 5), UCLA 8 (McClendon 3). Turnovers — Colorado 14 (Williams 4); UCLA 5 (Andrews 3). Whole fouls — Colorado 15, UCLA 12. Attendance — 7,183.
