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By Stuart
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[h=2]Buff Basketball[/h]–
… CU in the Arena …
December 12th
Getting to Know: Northern Colorado Bears
Colorado*vs.*Northern Colorado*… Saturday, 4:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12*Networks) … 850 KOA … Sirius/XM radio channels 113/197
Bears’ 2014*Record: 4-3
Coach: B.J. Hill, 65-65, fifth year
Series:*Surprisingly enough, the all-time series is tied 18-18 … but the Buffs have won all three games played*between the teams*since the Great Depression, with wins in 1978, 2004 and 2006.
Bears’ record*last season: 19-13 overall; 11-9 in Big Sky Conference play (T-5th) … Played in the CIT
Players to watch … The Bears lost two all-league players from last year’s team, with two of the remaining starters being the guards, Tevin Svihovec and Jordan Wilson. A senior, Svihovec is leading the team with 11.2 points per game. Another guard, Cameron Michael, is second on the team with 11.2 points per game. Dominique Lee, a 6’5″ forward, leads the team in rebounds.
Getting to Know*Northern Colorado*… Here is all you need to know about whether CU should expect a competitive game from Northern Colorado*… The Buffs, as we well know,*were mauled by Wyoming, 56-33. The Bears, meanwhile,*held tough against the Cowboys, falling 78-70. In their last game, played last Saturday, the Bears gave the Colorado State Rams all they could handle, falling 68-58. Northern Colorado has had an entire week to prepare for their game against the Buffs, and will be relishing the opportunity for an upset.
That being said, the Buffs are much stronger, faster, and bigger than their counterparts from Greeley. CU head coach Tad Boyle, who might have taken it easy against his former school had the Buffs come into the game with an 8-0 record, will be pushing the Buffs to take control of this game early and not let go. The game won’t do much to help the Buffs’ RPI rating, but it would be a shock if the Buffs don’t leave the Coors Events Center with their sixth win come Saturday night.
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CU women take on former Big Eight/12 Missouri on Friday night
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado travels to play the University of Missouri on Friday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. MST, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.
BROADCAST: Friday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* The game will be streamed on SEC + allowing fans to watch on the WatchESPN App or WatchESPN.com subject to availability through a service provider.
OPENING TIP: Colorado is playing back-to-back true road contests against out-of-state teams for the first time during the nonconference schedule since opening the 2007-08 campaign at San Francisco and at USC.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 6-2 overall after seeing its five-game winning streak end with a 78-63 setback at No. 22 (AP) / 19 (WBCA) ranked Iowa on Dec. 5.
ABOUT THE TIGERS: Missouri is 6-2 overall coming off a 74-55 win over Saint Louis on Dec. 8. The Tigers are averaging 73.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting. Missouri allows just 58.4 points per game as opponents are making 35 percent from the field. The Tigers have a good edge on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by nine per game.
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December 10th – Boulder******** Colorado State 62,*Colorado 60
Colorado fell to in-state rival, Colorado State, as the Buffs’ leading scorer, Josh Scott, was held without a field goal (0-for-7). The Rams pushed their record to a school-best 9-0 in defeating the Buffs in Boulder for the first time since 2006.
Xavier Johnson posted a season-high 20 points, with Askia Booker chipping in 18, but it was not enough for the Buffs to overcome 14 turnovers. Ram star J.J. Avila led the Rams with 19 points.
“Obviously, that was a very disappointing loss for the Colorado Buffaloes tonight,” said Tad Boyle. “I take ownership, as the head coach. We didn’t finish that game out, we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch. We’ve got a lot of things to work on as a basketball team. We’re 5-3. My hat does go off to Colorado State. They came in here and did what they had to do to get a win. I knew it was going to be a hard fought game before it ever started; it was. We came up a little short. I thought they made plays down the stretch; we didn’t. Close games in college basketball are won by teams that have the gumption to finish it out, play smart, and make plays down the stretch. They did and we didn’t.”
- Game Notes -
- The 62-60 loss halted the Buffs’ 23-game home winning streak in non-conference games, the 11th-longest streak in the nation;
- The victory was only the ninth for CSU in Boulder ever (9-52);
- Colorado’s advantage in the series overall fell to 88-37;
- Attendance was 10,966. Buffs’ record under Tad Boyle before home crowds in excess of 10,000 fell to 21-7;
- Askia Booker tied a career-high with 19 filed goal attempts;
- Josh Scott held without a basket for only the second time in his career (one point vs. Washington State last February)
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- Game Recap -
The talk leading up to the game was all about the Buffs showing more hustle, but the Rams won a scramble for the opening tip, sinking a three-pointer on their first possession to open the game. Askia Booker made a layup*to get the Buffs on the board, with Xavier Talton connecting on a three-pointer to give CU its first lead at 5-3. A jumper by the Rams was then offset by a trey from Xavier Johnson, making it an 8-5 game.* After the teams traded misses, Wesley Gordon hit a jumper to make it 10-5, with a Booker jumper in transition giving CU a 12-5 advantage, forcing a CSU timeout.
Askia Booker picked up foul No. 2 at the 14:51 mark, with Jaron Hopkins coming in to make a layup to offset a free throw by the Rams. A jumper by CSU made it 14-8, with the lead cut in half after a Buff turnover led to a Ram three-pointer. The Buffs’ fourth turnover then led to a CSU layup, cutting the lead to one, at 14-13 at the under 12 media timeout.
A layup*made it a 9-0 run for the Rams, ended when Askia Booker, now*back in the game, assisted on a three-pointer by Xavier Johnson. CSU quickly tied the game at 17-all with a basket, but*a Booker jumper gave the Buffs the lead back. A Jaron Hopkins three-pointer, assisted by Josh Scott, made it 22-17, with the Rams responding with a three on their end to make it 22-20 at the under eight break.
Neither team scored for the next few minutes, with the teams trading turnovers. Xavier Johnson made one of two free throws to end a three-plus minute scoring drought for the Buffs, with a turnaround jumper by the Rams cutting the lead to one, at 23-22, at the under four timeout.
Xavier Johnson made a pair of free throws out of the break to push the lead back to three, with Colorado State making one of two free throws on their end to make it 25-23. Dustin Thomas then got into the scorebook with a pair of free throws, pushing the lead up to four.* A three-pointer for the Rams made it 27-26, but Wesley Gordon picked up the Buffs’ first field goal in seven minutes of play, converting on the ensuing free throw for a conventional three point play. A free throw by the Rams was followed by Josh Scott missing his fifth field goal attempt of the first half. Xavier Johnson missed a pair of free throws on CU’s next possession, with CSU holding the ball for a final shot, with a questionable foul call on Xavier Talton giving the Rams three free throws. All three were made, but Xavier Johnson got a layup at the buzzer, giving him 11 points, and giving CU the edge at the break.
Halftime score: Colorado 32, Colorado State 30
The Buffs had their issues in the first half, with eight turnovers,*but had to be*satisfied overall. Josh Scott was scoreless at the break,*with Askia Booker limited in minutes*due to early foul trouble, so the Buffs were lucky to be ahead. A 17-10 edge*in rebounds, coupled with 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc, allowed the Buffs to keep the Rams at bay.
If the Buffs received a tongue-lashing at halftime, it didn’t show, as they opened the second half with a pair of turnovers. Meanwhile, the Rams posted a pair of layups to take their first lead since the 11-minute mark of the first half, at 34-32. The Rams then hit a pair of free throws to make it a 6-0 CSU run to open the second half, with Askia Booker breaking the CU scoring drought with a pair of three throws.*At the under 16 media timeout it remained 35-34, Colorado State.
A Xavier Johnson layup tied the score at 36-all, with Askia Booker giving the Buffs the lead back with a jumper. A basket on the other end by the Rams tied the score again, ending a 6-0 run by the Buffs. A layup by CSU was then offset by a long jumper by Xavier Johnson, tying the score at 40-all. A three-pointer by CSU made it 43-40, Rams, at the under 12 timeout.
A free throw out of the break by the Rams*made it 44-40, with a Dustin Thomas putback then cutting the lead in half. Xavier Talton’s fourth foul led to free throws by CSU, pushing the lead back to four, at 46-42. A Xavier Johnson dunk gave him 17 points, with the Buffs starting to pick up the tempo. Johnson then had a chance to tie the score, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. After the Buffs’ 11th turnover of the game, the Rams converted a conventional three point play, giving CSU its largest lead of the game, at 49-44. An Askia Booker layup in transition gave him a dozen points, pulling the Buffs to back to within three, at 49-46, with under eight minutes to play.
One of two free throws by Jaron Hopkins was offset by a basket by*Ram star J.J. Avila, making it a four point game, at 51-47. Josh Scott, at the 6:24 mark, finally got into the scoring column,*with a*pair of free throws, with the Rams missing the front end of a one-and-one to give CU*a chance to tie the game … but a missed three pointer and a missed lob kept the score at 51-49. An Avila layup and a goaltend call against the*Buffs on a breakaway ensued, and, just like that,*it was a six-point CSU lead, at 55-49.
Colorado timeout with 4:29 to play.
A layup by Avila gave him 19 points, and gave the Rams a 57-49 lead. A jumper by Askia Booker gave him 14 points, with Booker then hitting the Buffs’ first three-pointer since*early in the first half, cutting the lead to three points at the two minute mark. CSU’s answer? A three-pointer of their own, pushing the lead back*to six, at 60-54, with 1:40 to play.
A Booker three-point attempt hit nothing but air, giving the Rams the ball back with 1:20 to play. A contested shot by Josh Scott gave the Buffs the ball back, with Xavier Johnson putting back a Scott miss to make it 60-56 with 52 seconds to play. The Buffs then fouled the Rams’ best free throw shooter … who missed the front end of a one-and-one. Wesley Gordon then got a put back made it 60-58, with 43 seconds still to play.
Another quick foul by the Buffs led to free throws for the Rams, but CSU made only one of two, keeping it a one possession game, at 61-58. A three-point attempt by Booker would have tied the game, but Booker missed, with the Rams getting the ball on a tie up on the rebound. Forced to foul with 22 seconds to play, the Buffs quickly put the Rams on the line, but the Rams made one of two, making it 62-58. Askia Booker was fouled with 16 seconds remaining, making only one of two – 62-59.
J.J. Avila was quickly fouled, missing both. Askia Booker then drove to the basket, but missed, with Xavier Johnson being fouled on the put back with 2.2 seconds to play. Johnson made the first, making it 62-60. Johnson intentionally missed the second free throw, but the Buffs could not come up with the rebound.
Final score: Colorado State 62, Colorado 60
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C-Unit has surprises in store for CSU tonight
From the CU Independent … The confetti doesn’t throw itself, the chants don’t spring up out of nowhere and the buffalo chips don’t randomly drop into the 3,000-plus seats behind the south basket at the Coors Event Center. Behind the C-Unit, the beating heart of Colorado basketball, is a team of students dedicated to turning Boulder into the nation’s rowdiest college basketball city.
We caught up with two of the C-Unit leadership members, senior communications major Michelle Fay and senior finance major Matt Klasco, after last week’s win over San Francisco to talk about the atmosphere in the CEC and their plans for Wednesday’s game against Colorado State.
“In-game, it’s all about party atmosphere, keeping it exciting.” Klasco said. “Obviously we’re here to have a good time, and I think we do a better job than most programs at making it a legitimate party in the stands.”
“We really wanna make every game at that level,” Fay said. “Like crazy rowdy 30 minutes before tipoff, because it really helps the team.”
The party will turn up even harder when the Rams*come to town. Fay and Klasco wouldn’t offer specifics, other than that they are adapting some of the men’s national soccer team supporters’ chants from this past summer’s World Cup, and that they have some new free-throw distractions in the works.
“It’s gotta stay up the sleeve,” Fay said. “Just expect the unexpected.”
“They’re not gonna know what hit them,” Klasco added. “We’ll be able to win that game just by yelling. The sound waves will reverberate and change the ball a little bit. I’m not a scientist, but it seems like it could probably work.”
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December 9th
… CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: Colorado State Rams
Colorado*vs. Colorado State*… Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12*Networks) … Wednesday night’s game is a “Blackout” game – Pepsi will be providing 10,000 black CU t-shirts to the home crowd
Rams’ 2014*Record: 8-0
Coach: Larry Eustachy, third season, 50-25
Last NCAA appearance: 2013
Series: Colorado leads the all-time series by a hefty margin, 88-36, with a 52-8 record in games played in Boulder.*The Buffs have won three-of-four since 2010, including two straight.
Rams’ record*last season: 16-16 overall; 7-11 in Mountain West play (t-9th) … no post-season
Players to watch … The Rams lost three*players who started all 32 games last season, but have opened the 2014-15 season undefeated on the back of forward J.J. Avila. The 6’7″ senior leads the Rams in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (8.1 rpg.), and still* has time to be second on the team in assists. Joining Avila is another 6’7″ senior, Stanton Kidd, a transfer from North Carolina Central, where he was a first team All-MEAC player. Kidd is right behind Avila in scoring, with 14.4 points per game, but is a much better free throw shooter (85%, to Avila’s 57%).
The lineup has only ten active players, with seven of them a redshirt from another college where they began their respective careers.
Getting to Know*Colorado State*… The Rams are 8-0, the best start in school history. The record can be viewed both ways … Colorado State has yet to play a true road game (five games at home; three at the Great Alaska Shootout), and the competition has not been stellar, with the biggest win to date coming over UC-Santa Barbara (the Gauchos stayed within ten of Kansas, and defeated Washington State). On the other hand, undefeated is undefeated – there are only 11 schools in Division 1 basketball to date which remain undefeated.
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Boyle: Buffs over-rated
From cubuffs.com … It’s seven games into his Colorado team’s basketball season, and if Tad Boyle isn’t quite certain of his Buffaloes’ identity he sounds pretty sure about this: “We’re not the third-best team in the Pac-12, I can tell you that. Just look at the standings.”
Boyle quickly added this qualifier when I spoke with him on Monday morning after practice: “Now, that could change but it’s up to the players to decide who they want to be.”
And therein lies the Buffs’ dilemma. Late fall/early winter is the period when basketball teams begin to establish an identity they hope sticks tight through mid-March – provided, of course, that identity is winning some games.
But at this early stage, here’s a little of what we know about the Buffs:
·****** They’re huge at home (5-0) but tend to shrink a bit on true road trips (0-2) in low-possession games, which opponents have figured out;
·****** When they want, they can accomplish most of what Boyle expects in playing defense (58.6 points allowed per game) and rebounding (37.1-30.3 edge);
·****** Their shooting from the field has ranged from lights out (58.5 percent at home vs. Auburn) to low wattage (27.9 percent at Wyoming);
·****** Through seven games they’re very close to an unremarkable 1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, with 85 assists and 87 turnovers;
·****** They’ve developed a costly habit of trading baskets instead of getting stops, which prevents them from putting games away or catching up – the latter never more apparent than in Sunday’s 64-57 loss at Georgia.
·****** And as for playing a full 40-minute game, the Buffs can point to the impressive Auburn win (90-59) but it’s real difficult finding another.
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CSU game to be a Blackout game … Parking info for Wednesday night
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team will play host to Colorado State Wednesday at the Coors Events Center with a 7*p.m. tipoff.
Fans are encouraged to wear black for the in-state rivalry and thanks to Pepsi, there will be 10,000 free CU t-shirts handed out.
Due to the fact that campus classes are in session until 5:30 p.m., higher than normal volumes of traffic are expected and fans arriving to campus should plan for delays, particularly in the area of Regent Drive.
Chip’s Corral will open at 5 p.m. as will campus parking for the game.* The doors to the Coors Events Center will open at 6 p.m.* Please additionally allow time for security screenings.
CU will offer shuttle service from East Campus to the 28th Street Frontage Road starting at 5:30 p.m. and drop fans off at the 28th Street Frontage Road for easy access to the Coors Events Center via a pedestrian tunnel under 28th Street.* Shuttles will remain active until 10:30 p.m.
East Campus is located between 30th Street and Foothills Parkway on Colorado Ave.* Parking on East Campus is the McAllister Lot (546).* From Colorado Avenue, turn North on Discovery Drive, take your second right and first left to access Lot 546.
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December *7th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs road woes continue, 12-0 run by Bulldogs to end the first half a deciding factor
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team hoped that their second road trip of the non-conference schedule would be a little kinder to head coach Tad Boyle and his team. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, the road was as unforgiving as it was in Laramie, Wyoming, as Georgia handed CU a 64-57 loss.
In a game of runs, Colorado fell behind on a seven-minute scoring drought and never recovered, entering the locker room trailing 34-22 at half after the game was tied 22-22 at the final media timeout of the first half.
The 22 point first half was the lowest scoring first half CU has had this year, and Georgia’s 12 point lead was the largest any team has put up on Colorado in 2014. The Bulldogs’ three-point shooting was instrumental in building that lead, hitting 43 percent of their shots from behind the arc.
CU on the other hand, struggled mightily from three, going 2-of-17 from three-point range. Interestingly enough, the second made shot, a trey from junior forward Xavier Johnson brought the Buffaloes to within six points with 1:10 left to play. But it was too little too late for CU, who could only sit and watch Georgia hit free throws that sealed their fate.
Johnson was one of the lone bright spots for CU, along with senior guard Askia Booker and junior forward Josh Scott. The three combined for 48 of Colorado’s 57 points, although their shot percentages left room for improvement. Johnson went 4-of-12 shooting while Booker shot 7-of-19 on the day. Scott managed his third double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Booker also had a historic day, passing Alec Burks (’11) to move up to 15th place on the CU all-time scorers list. It was the seniors’ ninth career 20 point game, second this season, and second straight.
… “The scoring drought in the first half hurt, and when you couple that with the fact that we couldn’t get stops either,” said Tad Boyle after the game. “At halftime we were down 19-9 in rebounds and they shot 54%, but in the second half we outrebounded them by 15 and we held them to 40% shooting. We just can’t play only a half of basketball and expect to beat good teams. We have gotten away with that at home, but you can’t get away with that on the road. That early scoring drought hurt us and failing to get stops. In the second half we couldn’t get stops at critical times, we cut it to 8 or 9 and times, but then we just couldn’t get the stops to cut it to 4 or 6.”
- Game Notes -
- Buffs fall to 5-2, with both losses on the road … Next true road game January 7th (at Utah);
- The loss was only the sixth December loss for Colorado in five seasons under Tad Boyle (20-6);
- The Buffs’ next game will this Wednesday, December 10th, vs. Colorado State (7:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
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CU women fall to No. 22 Iowa, 78-63
Jasmine Sborov had a double-double, with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough, as the Buffs fell on the road to No. 22 Iowa, 78-63. Jen Reese, who like most of the Buffs, was in foul trouble for most of the game, wound up with 14 points, while Jamee Swan contributed eight points and 12 rebounds.
The Buffs fell behind, 35-28, at the break, and were never able to mount a serious charge in the second half. The Buffs struggled offensively, hitting only 3-of-15 three point attempts, and didn’t help themselves at the line, going 8-for-15 (compared to 18-for-27 for the Hawkeyes, who lived at the line as CU committed 27 personal fouls).
Up next for the 6-2 Buffs … Another road game, this time against former Big Eight and Big 12 foe Missouri. The Buffs will take on the Tigers on Friday, December 12th, at 6:00 p.m., MT (no television).
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December 6th
CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: Georgia Bulldogs
Colorado*at Georgia*… Sunday, 10:00 a.m., MT (SEC Network)
Bulldogs’ 2014*Record: 4-3
Coach: Mark Fox, 89-80, sixth season
Last NCAA appearance: 2011
Series: The Bulldogs lead the series 6-3 and hold a 4-0 lead in Athens. CU last played at Stegeman Coliseum, Nov. 16, 2010 and fell 83-74 in Coach Boyle’s second game at CU. UGA scored 50 second half points after halftime was tied at 33. Current Utah Jazz and former Buff, Alec Burks scored 21 points.
Bulldogs’ record*last season: 20-14 overall; 12-6 SEC (T-2nd) … Played in NIT, ousted in second round by Louisiana Tech
Players to watch … Marcus Thornton powers the Bulldogs leading in scoring (14.7 ppg.), rebounding (7.3 rpg.) and shooting an impressive 56.9 percentage from the field (41-of-72). Three other UGA players average in double figures with Charles Mann (12.3), Kenny Gaines (12.3) and Nemanja Djurisic (11.9).
Getting to Know*Georgia*… Georgia is 4-3 this season with three of its victories at home (Stony Brook, Troy, Florida Atlantic). The Bulldogs’ three losses have come against rival Georgia Tech, No. 10 Gonzaga, and Minnesota (with the latter two in the preseason NIT).
The CU-UGA matchup is the second game of a home-and-home between the two schools with the Buffs taking an 84-70 win back on Dec. 28 in Boulder. CU was ranked No. 21/24 at the time, shot 51 percent from the field as five players netted double figures (led by Askia Booker 19 pts.).
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CU women taking on a ranked Iowa team Sunday afternoon
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado travels to its first out-of-state opponent as the Buffaloes face the University of Iowa on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m. MST, at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
BROADCAST: Sunday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* The game will be televised locally in Iowa City and available online through the BTN Plus subscription service.
OPENING TIP: Colorado has featured the same starting lineup for the first seven games matching the number of the most used lineup for all of last season. The Buffaloes had 10 different starting lineups for various reasons throughout the 2013-14 season.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado improved to 6-1 after defeating San Jose State, 97-89, in overtime on Dec. 6. The Buffaloes have won five straight. Colorado began the season by participating in the 2014 Preseason WNIT, making a quarterfinal appearance and finishing 2-1.
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES: Iowa, 6-2 overall, entered the week ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Sports/WBCA Poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll. The Hawkeyes are coming off an 82-56 setback at No. 7/7 Louisville. Iowa has dropped two of its last three after winning its first five, but is a perfect 5-0 at home. The Hawkeyes average 81.2 points per game, hitting 45 percent from the floor and 69 percent from the foul line. Iowa makes eight 3-pointers per game, hitting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents average 68.6 points against the Hawkeyes on 40 percent shooting. Iowa enjoys a plus-5.8 turnover margin, but allows opponents an edge on the boards by three per game.
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Upcoming schedules:
CU men’s basketball … All times MT …*Sunday, Dec. 7th, at Georgia (10:00 a.m., SEC Networks) … Wednesday, Dec. 10th, Colorado State (7:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) … Saturday, Dec. 13th, Northern Colorado (4:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
CU women’s basketball … All times MT …*Sunday, Dec. 7th, at Iowa (1:00 p.m., no television) … Friday, Dec. 12th, at Missouri (6:00 p.m., no television) … Sunday, Dec. 21st, Wyoming (2:00 p.m., no television)
December 5th
… CU in the Arena …
Utah loses star player for at least a month
… CU plays at Utah on January 7th …
From ESPN … Utah is expected to be without starting forward Jordan Loveridge for at least the next month.
Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak confirmed that the 6-foot-6 junior underwent knee surgery and would be out an extended period. Sources told ESPN.com that Loveridge will likely miss the next month and could be out even longer.
“Cleaned up some loose bodies floating around in that knee,” Krystkowiak told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s going to get that thing strong. It wasn’t really invasive.”
Loveridge was second on the team in scoring (14.7 PPG) last season and led the Utes in rebounding (7.0 RPG). He was averaging 11.5 points per game this season and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range after moving from power forward to small forward.
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CU women outlast San Jose State in overtime, 97-89
Colorado came into the Friday contest with San Jose State ranked third in the nation in three-point defense (.186), but the Spartans didn’t read the scouting report. San Jose State hit on 11-of-27 three-pointers in regulation, helping to force the Buffs into overtime tied at 85-85. The Spartans was unable to connect on a three-pointer in overtime, though, with the Buffs hanging on for a 97-89 win in overtime.
A pair of Buffs posted double-doubles, with Jamee Swan going for 26 points and 11 rebounds for her third career double-double. Haley Smith posted her first career double-double, with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The Buffs were only 8-of-22 from three-point range (with star Lexi Kresl goint 0-for-6), and only 17-of-25 from the free throw line, but were able to hold the Spartans at bay for most of the game. Colorado had a lead of as many as 13 points in the first half, but San Jose State’s frenetic pace (think Loyola-Marymount in year’s past) kept the Buffs from pulling away.
Colorado improved its record to 6-1, with three of those games going into overtime (2-1 … over San Jose State and Colorado State; a loss to Western Kentucky), with the Buffs evening their all-time record in overtime to 23-23.
The Buffs’ next two games will be on the road, starting with Iowa this Sunday (1:00 p.m., no television).
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December 4th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women take on San Jose State Friday in a game free to the public
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado will host San Jose State University on Friday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. at the Coors Events Center. Colorado celebrates Community Day on Friday, admission will be free to all those in attendance. Parking* on Friday will like a normal game; which is free in the Regent Auto Park structure and usual designated public game day areas. Donor permits will also be honored.
BROADCAST: Friday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* A free live video stream will be available through Colorado’s Pac-12.com video player. All CU women’s basketball home games that are not televised will be available through Pac-12.com at this link
http://pac-12.com/videos/university-colorado
OPENING TIP: Colorado entered the week ranking third nationally in 3-point field goal defense (.186) and eighth in blocked shots (6.5 bpg). The Buffaloes top the Pac-12 Conference in both those categories.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado improved to 5-1 after claiming the 2014 Omni Hotels Classic with wins over Missouri State, 87-59, in the first round and a thrilling 87-81 double overtime win over instate rival Colorado State in the championship game. The Buffaloes have won four straight. Colorado began the season by participating in the 2014 Preseason WNIT, making a quarterfinal appearance and finishing 2-1.
*ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE: San Jose State is 4-3 overall, having won its last two, a 110-91 win over Southern Oregon on Dec. 2 and a recent third place finish at the California Classic in Berkeley. The Spartans entered the week as the third-best scoring team in the nation now averaging 93.3 points per game. Only once have they been held below 80, that coming in their 79-54 win over Cincinnati in the Cal Classic consolation. San Jose State averages 80 field goal attempts per game, hitting on 39 percent of those chances. Defensively the Spartans have forced 27 turnovers per game, and their plus-13.3 turnover margin ranks along with the best in the country. But when opponents don’t turn it over, they have a good chance to score. The Spartans allow 85.1 points per game and opponents are shooting nearly 44 percent from the field.
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December 3rd*- Boulder********Colorado*72, San Francisco 55
Askia Booker hit 8-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, leading Colorado to a 72-55 win over San Francisco. The Buffs shot 67% from the field in the second half, pulling away late. Colorado opened with a 7-0 lead, but fell behind by ten midway through the first half as the Dons drained six first half three-pointers. Josh Scott had 12 points (and six rebounds), the only other Buff in double figures.
“That’s the guy we see in practice,” Boyle said of Booker. “His teammates know how good he is, his coaches know how good he is, he knows how good he is . . . (but) it’s so much mental with ‘Ski.’ When he’s in a good frame of mind, positive and dialed in, things are good; when he’s not, things are not good.”
Colorado had a good 15-to-8 assists to turnovers ratio, but were out-rebounded by the Dons, 33-24. Better defense allowed the Buffs to pull away, as the Dons hit 6-of-13 three pointers in the first half (including six of their first ten), but made only one-for-seven from behind the arc in the second half.
“Well we’re still looking for the 40-minute game, I guess”, said Boyle. “We didn’t play as well in the first half, but certainly better in the second half. I do think that the first half had a lot to do with what San Francisco did. We beat a good team tonight. They’re a well-coached team, a tough team and a talented team. They’re going to win some games this year and they’re a lot better than their 4-3 record. They’ve gotten better with every game this year and I think at the end of the year we’ll look back and say that San Francisco was a good win for us. The opportunity now is to go to Georgia and take our show on the road. Hopefully, we fare better in this road game than our last road game. It’s a great opportunity for our guys and our program, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Game Notes …
- The victory was the 23rd consecutive home non-conference win – third on CU all-time list; streak 14th nationally;
- Askia Booker had a season-high 21 points, the 8th game in his career with over 20 points;
- In the second half, Booker was 6-for-6 from the field, 4-for-4 on three-pointers (yet missed two free throws);
- With Xaverior Johnson out with a hamstring injury, Tre’Shaun Fletcher earned his second career start;
- Attendance: 9,025.
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Game Recap …
… Xavier Johnson in street clothes,*did not play due to a hamstring*injury … Tre’Shaun Fletcher got the start in Johnson’s place … Other starters: Josh Scott; Askia Booker; Xavier Talton and Wesley Gordon …
Colorado opened the scoring with a layup by*Josh Scott and a jumper by Wesley Gordon, while forcing turnovers by the Dons on the defensive end. Askia Booker missed his first two three-point attempts, but assisted on a three by Talton, giving CU a 7-0 lead before San Francisco finally got on the board with a layup five minutes into the game.
San Francisco went on a 7-2 run of its own over the next three minutes to tie the game at 9-9, with Dustin Thomas collecting the Buffs’ only basket (but Thomas also missed a layup and air-balled a three-pointer during the Dons’ spurt). The Dons made it five straight baskets to take its first lead of the game at 11-9. A transition basket and an open three gave USF a 16-11 lead, forcing a CU timeout at the 11 minute mark. Another open three-pointer made it a 19-4 run for the Dons, with an open layup making it a 21-11 game.
Dominique Collier made a three-pointer to cut the lead USF lead to seven, with a putback by Eli Stalzer offset by a runout layup for the Dons*after Stalzer missed a free throw. A Xavier Talton jumper made it a four point game, at 23-19, at the under*eight*break.
Another open three by USF pushed the lead back to seven, with a layup by Tre’Shaun Fletcher and a pair of free throws by Josh Scott making it 26-23 … until the Dons hit yet three pointer. A Wesley Gordon layup was then offset … but another three-pointer by the Dons. Askia Booker made a three for the Buffs, but a layup on the other end made it 34-28 at the under four break.
The Buffs then got a four-point play, with Askia Booker being fouled on a made basket. Booker missed the free throw, but Dustin Thomas got the rebound and a putback to pull the Buffs back within two, at 34-32. The teams traded misses in the waning moments of the first half, with the Buffs holding for the last shot … but failing to score.
Halftime score: San Francisco 34, Colorado 32
In the first half, USF shot*54% from the field, while the Buffs struggled with 41%. The Dons out-rebounded the Buffs, 19-13, with 13 assists on their 14 baskets. The Buffs’ leading scorer coming into the game, Josh Scott, had four points at the break, having taken only two shots in the first half.
After the teams traded layups to open the second half, an Askia Booker three-pointer gave the Buffs their first lead since 9-7, at 37-36. Another trey by Booker gave CU an 8-2 run to open the half, and a 40-36 lead at the under 16 break. A putback by Dustin Thomas made it a six point game before a runner by the Dons stopped the bleeding. A jumper by Tre’Shaun Fletcher and a layup by Dustin Thomas then*upped the lead to eight, at 46-38, with 14 minutes to play.
A tip-in by the Dons was offset by a jumper by Askia Booker, with Jaron Hopkins hitting a pair of free throws to give CU its first double digit lead, at 50-40, at the under 12 minute*break.
A dunk on a lob for USF cut the lead to eight, with a putback after a offensive foul*by the Buffs cutting the lead to six, at 50-44. Josh Scott hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back out to eight at the*ten minute mark, with Askia Booker missing a pair of free throws*which*would have given the Buffs their double-digit lead back.*The Dons then missed a pair of free throws on their end, with*an Askia Booker trey giving him 16 points, and the Buffs a 55-44 lead. Josh Scott temporarily made it a 13-point game with a layup, but the Dons responded with a layup of their own, making it a 57-46 game at the under eight break.
USF posted a layup*on their end, but the Buffs got an unusual three point play on their end – a Fletcher free throw, followed by a missed Fletcher free throw and a putback on an offensive rebound by*Josh Scott. The Dons first three-pointer of the second half made it a nine point game, at 60-51, with a Booker*step back jumper pushing the lead back to 11 with six minutes to play. With Askia Booker out of the game, the Buffs struggled in their offensive sets, but the Dons could pull no closer, as the teams traded baskets over the next two minutes – 64-53 at the under four break.
Askia made his fifth three-pointer in six attempts to end any realistic hope for the Dons, making it a 67-53 game with three minutes to play. A Dominique Collier three-pointer made it 70-53 as the Buffs pulled away. Josh Scott hit a pair of free throws to give him a dozen points, giving CU a 19-point lead with 90 seconds to play. A USF basket ended the CU run, but it was too little, too late.
Final score: Colorado 72, San Francisco 55
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December 2nd
CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: San Francisco Dons
Colorado*vs.*San Francisco*… Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.,*MT (Pac-12 Networks)
Dons’ 2014*Record: 4-2
Coach: Rex Walters, seventh season, 102-96 at USF
Last NCAA appearance: 1998
Series: USF leads the series, 3-1, with one of those games coming in the NCAA tournament, a 62-55 victory for the Dons. The game was the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. It was CU’s first-ever trip to the NCAA’s, and the Buffs finished third, winning the consolation game after falling to San Francisco in the semi-finals. The Dons won, 62-50, behind future Hall-of-Famer*Bill Russell, with future NBA players Jerry Mullen and K.C. Jones also on the team;
- The lone victory in the series for the Buffs came in 2009, when*CU won, 78-54, in Boulder;
-*The following season, USF won in overtime, 83-81. That*game was played in San Francisco, and was the third game of the Tad Boyle era at Colorado (incidentally, the Buffs played*San Francisco after playing Georgia on the road. CU lost to both teams, falling to 1-2).
Dons’ record*last season: 21-12 overall; 13-5 in West Coast Conference play (3rd) … Played in NIT
Players to watch … San Francisco has three players averaging in double figures in the first six games of the 2014-15 season. Kruize Pinkins, a*6’7″ senior forward (No. 15)*is averaging 17.0 point per game, Mark Tollefsen, a 6’9″ junior center (No. 23) is averaging 14.8,*while Tim Derksen, a 6’3″ junior guard (No. 32)*is averaging*13.0 pointer per game.*Rebounds are spread out evenly amongst the starters, with four players averaging between 5.8 and 6.7 rebounds per game (Josh Scott is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs; Wesley 6.6) … Tollefsen has scored in double figures in all six games … The Dons feature four juniors and a senior in its starting lineup.
Getting to Know*San Francisco*… The Dons are 4-2 on the new season, with three games at home, and three at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.*Colorado is the first – and only – Power Five conference team on the San Francisco calendar. The four wins have come over South Carolina State, Notre Dame (California), Hawai’i, and Montana, while the two losses have come against Florida Gulf Coast (the host of their own tournament), and Evansville.
The Dons are 5th in the nation in rebounding (the Buffs are 54th), and will try and stay with Colorado on the boards. In their most recent outing, against Montana, Kruize Pinkins had 26 points (on 9-of-11 shooting), while Tim Derksen had 17 points and Mark Tollefsen 15.
About the Dons, from*WSBT.com … The Dons are led by 6-7 senior Kruize Pinkins, an all-West Coast Conference preseason team selection who averages team bests of 17 points and 6.7 rebounds. San Francisco boasts four players averaging at least 5.8 rebounds, including 6-9 junior center Mark Tollefsen (14.8 points, six boards), junior Tim Derksen (13 points, 5.8 rebounds) and senior Matt Glover (7.7 points, 6.7 boards). The Dons, who were picked to finish fourth in the WCC behind No. 8 Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary’s, do not play another team from a major conference … PREDICTION: Colorado 74, San Francisco 69.
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Note … “Buff Basketball – November, 2014” has been moved, and can be found in*the CU at the Game Archives …
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Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie
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[h=2]Buff Basketball[/h]–
… CU in the Arena …
December 12th
Getting to Know: Northern Colorado Bears
Colorado*vs.*Northern Colorado*… Saturday, 4:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12*Networks) … 850 KOA … Sirius/XM radio channels 113/197
Bears’ 2014*Record: 4-3
Coach: B.J. Hill, 65-65, fifth year
Series:*Surprisingly enough, the all-time series is tied 18-18 … but the Buffs have won all three games played*between the teams*since the Great Depression, with wins in 1978, 2004 and 2006.
Bears’ record*last season: 19-13 overall; 11-9 in Big Sky Conference play (T-5th) … Played in the CIT
Players to watch … The Bears lost two all-league players from last year’s team, with two of the remaining starters being the guards, Tevin Svihovec and Jordan Wilson. A senior, Svihovec is leading the team with 11.2 points per game. Another guard, Cameron Michael, is second on the team with 11.2 points per game. Dominique Lee, a 6’5″ forward, leads the team in rebounds.
Getting to Know*Northern Colorado*… Here is all you need to know about whether CU should expect a competitive game from Northern Colorado*… The Buffs, as we well know,*were mauled by Wyoming, 56-33. The Bears, meanwhile,*held tough against the Cowboys, falling 78-70. In their last game, played last Saturday, the Bears gave the Colorado State Rams all they could handle, falling 68-58. Northern Colorado has had an entire week to prepare for their game against the Buffs, and will be relishing the opportunity for an upset.
That being said, the Buffs are much stronger, faster, and bigger than their counterparts from Greeley. CU head coach Tad Boyle, who might have taken it easy against his former school had the Buffs come into the game with an 8-0 record, will be pushing the Buffs to take control of this game early and not let go. The game won’t do much to help the Buffs’ RPI rating, but it would be a shock if the Buffs don’t leave the Coors Events Center with their sixth win come Saturday night.
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CU women take on former Big Eight/12 Missouri on Friday night
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado travels to play the University of Missouri on Friday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. MST, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.
BROADCAST: Friday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* The game will be streamed on SEC + allowing fans to watch on the WatchESPN App or WatchESPN.com subject to availability through a service provider.
OPENING TIP: Colorado is playing back-to-back true road contests against out-of-state teams for the first time during the nonconference schedule since opening the 2007-08 campaign at San Francisco and at USC.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 6-2 overall after seeing its five-game winning streak end with a 78-63 setback at No. 22 (AP) / 19 (WBCA) ranked Iowa on Dec. 5.
ABOUT THE TIGERS: Missouri is 6-2 overall coming off a 74-55 win over Saint Louis on Dec. 8. The Tigers are averaging 73.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting. Missouri allows just 58.4 points per game as opponents are making 35 percent from the field. The Tigers have a good edge on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by nine per game.
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December 10th – Boulder******** Colorado State 62,*Colorado 60
Colorado fell to in-state rival, Colorado State, as the Buffs’ leading scorer, Josh Scott, was held without a field goal (0-for-7). The Rams pushed their record to a school-best 9-0 in defeating the Buffs in Boulder for the first time since 2006.
Xavier Johnson posted a season-high 20 points, with Askia Booker chipping in 18, but it was not enough for the Buffs to overcome 14 turnovers. Ram star J.J. Avila led the Rams with 19 points.
“Obviously, that was a very disappointing loss for the Colorado Buffaloes tonight,” said Tad Boyle. “I take ownership, as the head coach. We didn’t finish that game out, we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch. We’ve got a lot of things to work on as a basketball team. We’re 5-3. My hat does go off to Colorado State. They came in here and did what they had to do to get a win. I knew it was going to be a hard fought game before it ever started; it was. We came up a little short. I thought they made plays down the stretch; we didn’t. Close games in college basketball are won by teams that have the gumption to finish it out, play smart, and make plays down the stretch. They did and we didn’t.”
- Game Notes -
- The 62-60 loss halted the Buffs’ 23-game home winning streak in non-conference games, the 11th-longest streak in the nation;
- The victory was only the ninth for CSU in Boulder ever (9-52);
- Colorado’s advantage in the series overall fell to 88-37;
- Attendance was 10,966. Buffs’ record under Tad Boyle before home crowds in excess of 10,000 fell to 21-7;
- Askia Booker tied a career-high with 19 filed goal attempts;
- Josh Scott held without a basket for only the second time in his career (one point vs. Washington State last February)
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- Game Recap -
The talk leading up to the game was all about the Buffs showing more hustle, but the Rams won a scramble for the opening tip, sinking a three-pointer on their first possession to open the game. Askia Booker made a layup*to get the Buffs on the board, with Xavier Talton connecting on a three-pointer to give CU its first lead at 5-3. A jumper by the Rams was then offset by a trey from Xavier Johnson, making it an 8-5 game.* After the teams traded misses, Wesley Gordon hit a jumper to make it 10-5, with a Booker jumper in transition giving CU a 12-5 advantage, forcing a CSU timeout.
Askia Booker picked up foul No. 2 at the 14:51 mark, with Jaron Hopkins coming in to make a layup to offset a free throw by the Rams. A jumper by CSU made it 14-8, with the lead cut in half after a Buff turnover led to a Ram three-pointer. The Buffs’ fourth turnover then led to a CSU layup, cutting the lead to one, at 14-13 at the under 12 media timeout.
A layup*made it a 9-0 run for the Rams, ended when Askia Booker, now*back in the game, assisted on a three-pointer by Xavier Johnson. CSU quickly tied the game at 17-all with a basket, but*a Booker jumper gave the Buffs the lead back. A Jaron Hopkins three-pointer, assisted by Josh Scott, made it 22-17, with the Rams responding with a three on their end to make it 22-20 at the under eight break.
Neither team scored for the next few minutes, with the teams trading turnovers. Xavier Johnson made one of two free throws to end a three-plus minute scoring drought for the Buffs, with a turnaround jumper by the Rams cutting the lead to one, at 23-22, at the under four timeout.
Xavier Johnson made a pair of free throws out of the break to push the lead back to three, with Colorado State making one of two free throws on their end to make it 25-23. Dustin Thomas then got into the scorebook with a pair of free throws, pushing the lead up to four.* A three-pointer for the Rams made it 27-26, but Wesley Gordon picked up the Buffs’ first field goal in seven minutes of play, converting on the ensuing free throw for a conventional three point play. A free throw by the Rams was followed by Josh Scott missing his fifth field goal attempt of the first half. Xavier Johnson missed a pair of free throws on CU’s next possession, with CSU holding the ball for a final shot, with a questionable foul call on Xavier Talton giving the Rams three free throws. All three were made, but Xavier Johnson got a layup at the buzzer, giving him 11 points, and giving CU the edge at the break.
Halftime score: Colorado 32, Colorado State 30
The Buffs had their issues in the first half, with eight turnovers,*but had to be*satisfied overall. Josh Scott was scoreless at the break,*with Askia Booker limited in minutes*due to early foul trouble, so the Buffs were lucky to be ahead. A 17-10 edge*in rebounds, coupled with 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc, allowed the Buffs to keep the Rams at bay.
If the Buffs received a tongue-lashing at halftime, it didn’t show, as they opened the second half with a pair of turnovers. Meanwhile, the Rams posted a pair of layups to take their first lead since the 11-minute mark of the first half, at 34-32. The Rams then hit a pair of free throws to make it a 6-0 CSU run to open the second half, with Askia Booker breaking the CU scoring drought with a pair of three throws.*At the under 16 media timeout it remained 35-34, Colorado State.
A Xavier Johnson layup tied the score at 36-all, with Askia Booker giving the Buffs the lead back with a jumper. A basket on the other end by the Rams tied the score again, ending a 6-0 run by the Buffs. A layup by CSU was then offset by a long jumper by Xavier Johnson, tying the score at 40-all. A three-pointer by CSU made it 43-40, Rams, at the under 12 timeout.
A free throw out of the break by the Rams*made it 44-40, with a Dustin Thomas putback then cutting the lead in half. Xavier Talton’s fourth foul led to free throws by CSU, pushing the lead back to four, at 46-42. A Xavier Johnson dunk gave him 17 points, with the Buffs starting to pick up the tempo. Johnson then had a chance to tie the score, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. After the Buffs’ 11th turnover of the game, the Rams converted a conventional three point play, giving CSU its largest lead of the game, at 49-44. An Askia Booker layup in transition gave him a dozen points, pulling the Buffs to back to within three, at 49-46, with under eight minutes to play.
One of two free throws by Jaron Hopkins was offset by a basket by*Ram star J.J. Avila, making it a four point game, at 51-47. Josh Scott, at the 6:24 mark, finally got into the scoring column,*with a*pair of free throws, with the Rams missing the front end of a one-and-one to give CU*a chance to tie the game … but a missed three pointer and a missed lob kept the score at 51-49. An Avila layup and a goaltend call against the*Buffs on a breakaway ensued, and, just like that,*it was a six-point CSU lead, at 55-49.
Colorado timeout with 4:29 to play.
A layup by Avila gave him 19 points, and gave the Rams a 57-49 lead. A jumper by Askia Booker gave him 14 points, with Booker then hitting the Buffs’ first three-pointer since*early in the first half, cutting the lead to three points at the two minute mark. CSU’s answer? A three-pointer of their own, pushing the lead back*to six, at 60-54, with 1:40 to play.
A Booker three-point attempt hit nothing but air, giving the Rams the ball back with 1:20 to play. A contested shot by Josh Scott gave the Buffs the ball back, with Xavier Johnson putting back a Scott miss to make it 60-56 with 52 seconds to play. The Buffs then fouled the Rams’ best free throw shooter … who missed the front end of a one-and-one. Wesley Gordon then got a put back made it 60-58, with 43 seconds still to play.
Another quick foul by the Buffs led to free throws for the Rams, but CSU made only one of two, keeping it a one possession game, at 61-58. A three-point attempt by Booker would have tied the game, but Booker missed, with the Rams getting the ball on a tie up on the rebound. Forced to foul with 22 seconds to play, the Buffs quickly put the Rams on the line, but the Rams made one of two, making it 62-58. Askia Booker was fouled with 16 seconds remaining, making only one of two – 62-59.
J.J. Avila was quickly fouled, missing both. Askia Booker then drove to the basket, but missed, with Xavier Johnson being fouled on the put back with 2.2 seconds to play. Johnson made the first, making it 62-60. Johnson intentionally missed the second free throw, but the Buffs could not come up with the rebound.
Final score: Colorado State 62, Colorado 60
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C-Unit has surprises in store for CSU tonight
From the CU Independent … The confetti doesn’t throw itself, the chants don’t spring up out of nowhere and the buffalo chips don’t randomly drop into the 3,000-plus seats behind the south basket at the Coors Event Center. Behind the C-Unit, the beating heart of Colorado basketball, is a team of students dedicated to turning Boulder into the nation’s rowdiest college basketball city.
We caught up with two of the C-Unit leadership members, senior communications major Michelle Fay and senior finance major Matt Klasco, after last week’s win over San Francisco to talk about the atmosphere in the CEC and their plans for Wednesday’s game against Colorado State.
“In-game, it’s all about party atmosphere, keeping it exciting.” Klasco said. “Obviously we’re here to have a good time, and I think we do a better job than most programs at making it a legitimate party in the stands.”
“We really wanna make every game at that level,” Fay said. “Like crazy rowdy 30 minutes before tipoff, because it really helps the team.”
The party will turn up even harder when the Rams*come to town. Fay and Klasco wouldn’t offer specifics, other than that they are adapting some of the men’s national soccer team supporters’ chants from this past summer’s World Cup, and that they have some new free-throw distractions in the works.
“It’s gotta stay up the sleeve,” Fay said. “Just expect the unexpected.”
“They’re not gonna know what hit them,” Klasco added. “We’ll be able to win that game just by yelling. The sound waves will reverberate and change the ball a little bit. I’m not a scientist, but it seems like it could probably work.”
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December 9th
… CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: Colorado State Rams
Colorado*vs. Colorado State*… Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12*Networks) … Wednesday night’s game is a “Blackout” game – Pepsi will be providing 10,000 black CU t-shirts to the home crowd
Rams’ 2014*Record: 8-0
Coach: Larry Eustachy, third season, 50-25
Last NCAA appearance: 2013
Series: Colorado leads the all-time series by a hefty margin, 88-36, with a 52-8 record in games played in Boulder.*The Buffs have won three-of-four since 2010, including two straight.
Rams’ record*last season: 16-16 overall; 7-11 in Mountain West play (t-9th) … no post-season
Players to watch … The Rams lost three*players who started all 32 games last season, but have opened the 2014-15 season undefeated on the back of forward J.J. Avila. The 6’7″ senior leads the Rams in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (8.1 rpg.), and still* has time to be second on the team in assists. Joining Avila is another 6’7″ senior, Stanton Kidd, a transfer from North Carolina Central, where he was a first team All-MEAC player. Kidd is right behind Avila in scoring, with 14.4 points per game, but is a much better free throw shooter (85%, to Avila’s 57%).
The lineup has only ten active players, with seven of them a redshirt from another college where they began their respective careers.
Getting to Know*Colorado State*… The Rams are 8-0, the best start in school history. The record can be viewed both ways … Colorado State has yet to play a true road game (five games at home; three at the Great Alaska Shootout), and the competition has not been stellar, with the biggest win to date coming over UC-Santa Barbara (the Gauchos stayed within ten of Kansas, and defeated Washington State). On the other hand, undefeated is undefeated – there are only 11 schools in Division 1 basketball to date which remain undefeated.
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Boyle: Buffs over-rated
From cubuffs.com … It’s seven games into his Colorado team’s basketball season, and if Tad Boyle isn’t quite certain of his Buffaloes’ identity he sounds pretty sure about this: “We’re not the third-best team in the Pac-12, I can tell you that. Just look at the standings.”
Boyle quickly added this qualifier when I spoke with him on Monday morning after practice: “Now, that could change but it’s up to the players to decide who they want to be.”
And therein lies the Buffs’ dilemma. Late fall/early winter is the period when basketball teams begin to establish an identity they hope sticks tight through mid-March – provided, of course, that identity is winning some games.
But at this early stage, here’s a little of what we know about the Buffs:
·****** They’re huge at home (5-0) but tend to shrink a bit on true road trips (0-2) in low-possession games, which opponents have figured out;
·****** When they want, they can accomplish most of what Boyle expects in playing defense (58.6 points allowed per game) and rebounding (37.1-30.3 edge);
·****** Their shooting from the field has ranged from lights out (58.5 percent at home vs. Auburn) to low wattage (27.9 percent at Wyoming);
·****** Through seven games they’re very close to an unremarkable 1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, with 85 assists and 87 turnovers;
·****** They’ve developed a costly habit of trading baskets instead of getting stops, which prevents them from putting games away or catching up – the latter never more apparent than in Sunday’s 64-57 loss at Georgia.
·****** And as for playing a full 40-minute game, the Buffs can point to the impressive Auburn win (90-59) but it’s real difficult finding another.
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CSU game to be a Blackout game … Parking info for Wednesday night
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team will play host to Colorado State Wednesday at the Coors Events Center with a 7*p.m. tipoff.
Fans are encouraged to wear black for the in-state rivalry and thanks to Pepsi, there will be 10,000 free CU t-shirts handed out.
Due to the fact that campus classes are in session until 5:30 p.m., higher than normal volumes of traffic are expected and fans arriving to campus should plan for delays, particularly in the area of Regent Drive.
Chip’s Corral will open at 5 p.m. as will campus parking for the game.* The doors to the Coors Events Center will open at 6 p.m.* Please additionally allow time for security screenings.
CU will offer shuttle service from East Campus to the 28th Street Frontage Road starting at 5:30 p.m. and drop fans off at the 28th Street Frontage Road for easy access to the Coors Events Center via a pedestrian tunnel under 28th Street.* Shuttles will remain active until 10:30 p.m.
East Campus is located between 30th Street and Foothills Parkway on Colorado Ave.* Parking on East Campus is the McAllister Lot (546).* From Colorado Avenue, turn North on Discovery Drive, take your second right and first left to access Lot 546.
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December *7th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs road woes continue, 12-0 run by Bulldogs to end the first half a deciding factor
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team hoped that their second road trip of the non-conference schedule would be a little kinder to head coach Tad Boyle and his team. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, the road was as unforgiving as it was in Laramie, Wyoming, as Georgia handed CU a 64-57 loss.
In a game of runs, Colorado fell behind on a seven-minute scoring drought and never recovered, entering the locker room trailing 34-22 at half after the game was tied 22-22 at the final media timeout of the first half.
The 22 point first half was the lowest scoring first half CU has had this year, and Georgia’s 12 point lead was the largest any team has put up on Colorado in 2014. The Bulldogs’ three-point shooting was instrumental in building that lead, hitting 43 percent of their shots from behind the arc.
CU on the other hand, struggled mightily from three, going 2-of-17 from three-point range. Interestingly enough, the second made shot, a trey from junior forward Xavier Johnson brought the Buffaloes to within six points with 1:10 left to play. But it was too little too late for CU, who could only sit and watch Georgia hit free throws that sealed their fate.
Johnson was one of the lone bright spots for CU, along with senior guard Askia Booker and junior forward Josh Scott. The three combined for 48 of Colorado’s 57 points, although their shot percentages left room for improvement. Johnson went 4-of-12 shooting while Booker shot 7-of-19 on the day. Scott managed his third double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Booker also had a historic day, passing Alec Burks (’11) to move up to 15th place on the CU all-time scorers list. It was the seniors’ ninth career 20 point game, second this season, and second straight.
… “The scoring drought in the first half hurt, and when you couple that with the fact that we couldn’t get stops either,” said Tad Boyle after the game. “At halftime we were down 19-9 in rebounds and they shot 54%, but in the second half we outrebounded them by 15 and we held them to 40% shooting. We just can’t play only a half of basketball and expect to beat good teams. We have gotten away with that at home, but you can’t get away with that on the road. That early scoring drought hurt us and failing to get stops. In the second half we couldn’t get stops at critical times, we cut it to 8 or 9 and times, but then we just couldn’t get the stops to cut it to 4 or 6.”
- Game Notes -
- Buffs fall to 5-2, with both losses on the road … Next true road game January 7th (at Utah);
- The loss was only the sixth December loss for Colorado in five seasons under Tad Boyle (20-6);
- The Buffs’ next game will this Wednesday, December 10th, vs. Colorado State (7:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
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CU women fall to No. 22 Iowa, 78-63
Jasmine Sborov had a double-double, with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough, as the Buffs fell on the road to No. 22 Iowa, 78-63. Jen Reese, who like most of the Buffs, was in foul trouble for most of the game, wound up with 14 points, while Jamee Swan contributed eight points and 12 rebounds.
The Buffs fell behind, 35-28, at the break, and were never able to mount a serious charge in the second half. The Buffs struggled offensively, hitting only 3-of-15 three point attempts, and didn’t help themselves at the line, going 8-for-15 (compared to 18-for-27 for the Hawkeyes, who lived at the line as CU committed 27 personal fouls).
Up next for the 6-2 Buffs … Another road game, this time against former Big Eight and Big 12 foe Missouri. The Buffs will take on the Tigers on Friday, December 12th, at 6:00 p.m., MT (no television).
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December 6th
CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: Georgia Bulldogs
Colorado*at Georgia*… Sunday, 10:00 a.m., MT (SEC Network)
Bulldogs’ 2014*Record: 4-3
Coach: Mark Fox, 89-80, sixth season
Last NCAA appearance: 2011
Series: The Bulldogs lead the series 6-3 and hold a 4-0 lead in Athens. CU last played at Stegeman Coliseum, Nov. 16, 2010 and fell 83-74 in Coach Boyle’s second game at CU. UGA scored 50 second half points after halftime was tied at 33. Current Utah Jazz and former Buff, Alec Burks scored 21 points.
Bulldogs’ record*last season: 20-14 overall; 12-6 SEC (T-2nd) … Played in NIT, ousted in second round by Louisiana Tech
Players to watch … Marcus Thornton powers the Bulldogs leading in scoring (14.7 ppg.), rebounding (7.3 rpg.) and shooting an impressive 56.9 percentage from the field (41-of-72). Three other UGA players average in double figures with Charles Mann (12.3), Kenny Gaines (12.3) and Nemanja Djurisic (11.9).
Getting to Know*Georgia*… Georgia is 4-3 this season with three of its victories at home (Stony Brook, Troy, Florida Atlantic). The Bulldogs’ three losses have come against rival Georgia Tech, No. 10 Gonzaga, and Minnesota (with the latter two in the preseason NIT).
The CU-UGA matchup is the second game of a home-and-home between the two schools with the Buffs taking an 84-70 win back on Dec. 28 in Boulder. CU was ranked No. 21/24 at the time, shot 51 percent from the field as five players netted double figures (led by Askia Booker 19 pts.).
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CU women taking on a ranked Iowa team Sunday afternoon
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado travels to its first out-of-state opponent as the Buffaloes face the University of Iowa on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m. MST, at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
BROADCAST: Sunday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* The game will be televised locally in Iowa City and available online through the BTN Plus subscription service.
OPENING TIP: Colorado has featured the same starting lineup for the first seven games matching the number of the most used lineup for all of last season. The Buffaloes had 10 different starting lineups for various reasons throughout the 2013-14 season.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado improved to 6-1 after defeating San Jose State, 97-89, in overtime on Dec. 6. The Buffaloes have won five straight. Colorado began the season by participating in the 2014 Preseason WNIT, making a quarterfinal appearance and finishing 2-1.
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES: Iowa, 6-2 overall, entered the week ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Sports/WBCA Poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll. The Hawkeyes are coming off an 82-56 setback at No. 7/7 Louisville. Iowa has dropped two of its last three after winning its first five, but is a perfect 5-0 at home. The Hawkeyes average 81.2 points per game, hitting 45 percent from the floor and 69 percent from the foul line. Iowa makes eight 3-pointers per game, hitting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents average 68.6 points against the Hawkeyes on 40 percent shooting. Iowa enjoys a plus-5.8 turnover margin, but allows opponents an edge on the boards by three per game.
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Upcoming schedules:
CU men’s basketball … All times MT …*Sunday, Dec. 7th, at Georgia (10:00 a.m., SEC Networks) … Wednesday, Dec. 10th, Colorado State (7:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) … Saturday, Dec. 13th, Northern Colorado (4:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
CU women’s basketball … All times MT …*Sunday, Dec. 7th, at Iowa (1:00 p.m., no television) … Friday, Dec. 12th, at Missouri (6:00 p.m., no television) … Sunday, Dec. 21st, Wyoming (2:00 p.m., no television)
December 5th
… CU in the Arena …
Utah loses star player for at least a month
… CU plays at Utah on January 7th …
From ESPN … Utah is expected to be without starting forward Jordan Loveridge for at least the next month.
Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak confirmed that the 6-foot-6 junior underwent knee surgery and would be out an extended period. Sources told ESPN.com that Loveridge will likely miss the next month and could be out even longer.
“Cleaned up some loose bodies floating around in that knee,” Krystkowiak told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s going to get that thing strong. It wasn’t really invasive.”
Loveridge was second on the team in scoring (14.7 PPG) last season and led the Utes in rebounding (7.0 RPG). He was averaging 11.5 points per game this season and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range after moving from power forward to small forward.
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CU women outlast San Jose State in overtime, 97-89
Colorado came into the Friday contest with San Jose State ranked third in the nation in three-point defense (.186), but the Spartans didn’t read the scouting report. San Jose State hit on 11-of-27 three-pointers in regulation, helping to force the Buffs into overtime tied at 85-85. The Spartans was unable to connect on a three-pointer in overtime, though, with the Buffs hanging on for a 97-89 win in overtime.
A pair of Buffs posted double-doubles, with Jamee Swan going for 26 points and 11 rebounds for her third career double-double. Haley Smith posted her first career double-double, with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The Buffs were only 8-of-22 from three-point range (with star Lexi Kresl goint 0-for-6), and only 17-of-25 from the free throw line, but were able to hold the Spartans at bay for most of the game. Colorado had a lead of as many as 13 points in the first half, but San Jose State’s frenetic pace (think Loyola-Marymount in year’s past) kept the Buffs from pulling away.
Colorado improved its record to 6-1, with three of those games going into overtime (2-1 … over San Jose State and Colorado State; a loss to Western Kentucky), with the Buffs evening their all-time record in overtime to 23-23.
The Buffs’ next two games will be on the road, starting with Iowa this Sunday (1:00 p.m., no television).
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December 4th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women take on San Jose State Friday in a game free to the public
From cubuffs.com …
THE GAME: The University of Colorado will host San Jose State University on Friday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. at the Coors Events Center. Colorado celebrates Community Day on Friday, admission will be free to all those in attendance. Parking* on Friday will like a normal game; which is free in the Regent Auto Park structure and usual designated public game day areas. Donor permits will also be honored.
BROADCAST: Friday’s game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.* A free live video stream will be available through Colorado’s Pac-12.com video player. All CU women’s basketball home games that are not televised will be available through Pac-12.com at this link
http://pac-12.com/videos/university-colorado
OPENING TIP: Colorado entered the week ranking third nationally in 3-point field goal defense (.186) and eighth in blocked shots (6.5 bpg). The Buffaloes top the Pac-12 Conference in both those categories.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado improved to 5-1 after claiming the 2014 Omni Hotels Classic with wins over Missouri State, 87-59, in the first round and a thrilling 87-81 double overtime win over instate rival Colorado State in the championship game. The Buffaloes have won four straight. Colorado began the season by participating in the 2014 Preseason WNIT, making a quarterfinal appearance and finishing 2-1.
*ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE: San Jose State is 4-3 overall, having won its last two, a 110-91 win over Southern Oregon on Dec. 2 and a recent third place finish at the California Classic in Berkeley. The Spartans entered the week as the third-best scoring team in the nation now averaging 93.3 points per game. Only once have they been held below 80, that coming in their 79-54 win over Cincinnati in the Cal Classic consolation. San Jose State averages 80 field goal attempts per game, hitting on 39 percent of those chances. Defensively the Spartans have forced 27 turnovers per game, and their plus-13.3 turnover margin ranks along with the best in the country. But when opponents don’t turn it over, they have a good chance to score. The Spartans allow 85.1 points per game and opponents are shooting nearly 44 percent from the field.
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December 3rd*- Boulder********Colorado*72, San Francisco 55
Askia Booker hit 8-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, leading Colorado to a 72-55 win over San Francisco. The Buffs shot 67% from the field in the second half, pulling away late. Colorado opened with a 7-0 lead, but fell behind by ten midway through the first half as the Dons drained six first half three-pointers. Josh Scott had 12 points (and six rebounds), the only other Buff in double figures.
“That’s the guy we see in practice,” Boyle said of Booker. “His teammates know how good he is, his coaches know how good he is, he knows how good he is . . . (but) it’s so much mental with ‘Ski.’ When he’s in a good frame of mind, positive and dialed in, things are good; when he’s not, things are not good.”
Colorado had a good 15-to-8 assists to turnovers ratio, but were out-rebounded by the Dons, 33-24. Better defense allowed the Buffs to pull away, as the Dons hit 6-of-13 three pointers in the first half (including six of their first ten), but made only one-for-seven from behind the arc in the second half.
“Well we’re still looking for the 40-minute game, I guess”, said Boyle. “We didn’t play as well in the first half, but certainly better in the second half. I do think that the first half had a lot to do with what San Francisco did. We beat a good team tonight. They’re a well-coached team, a tough team and a talented team. They’re going to win some games this year and they’re a lot better than their 4-3 record. They’ve gotten better with every game this year and I think at the end of the year we’ll look back and say that San Francisco was a good win for us. The opportunity now is to go to Georgia and take our show on the road. Hopefully, we fare better in this road game than our last road game. It’s a great opportunity for our guys and our program, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Game Notes …
- The victory was the 23rd consecutive home non-conference win – third on CU all-time list; streak 14th nationally;
- Askia Booker had a season-high 21 points, the 8th game in his career with over 20 points;
- In the second half, Booker was 6-for-6 from the field, 4-for-4 on three-pointers (yet missed two free throws);
- With Xaverior Johnson out with a hamstring injury, Tre’Shaun Fletcher earned his second career start;
- Attendance: 9,025.
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Game Recap …
… Xavier Johnson in street clothes,*did not play due to a hamstring*injury … Tre’Shaun Fletcher got the start in Johnson’s place … Other starters: Josh Scott; Askia Booker; Xavier Talton and Wesley Gordon …
Colorado opened the scoring with a layup by*Josh Scott and a jumper by Wesley Gordon, while forcing turnovers by the Dons on the defensive end. Askia Booker missed his first two three-point attempts, but assisted on a three by Talton, giving CU a 7-0 lead before San Francisco finally got on the board with a layup five minutes into the game.
San Francisco went on a 7-2 run of its own over the next three minutes to tie the game at 9-9, with Dustin Thomas collecting the Buffs’ only basket (but Thomas also missed a layup and air-balled a three-pointer during the Dons’ spurt). The Dons made it five straight baskets to take its first lead of the game at 11-9. A transition basket and an open three gave USF a 16-11 lead, forcing a CU timeout at the 11 minute mark. Another open three-pointer made it a 19-4 run for the Dons, with an open layup making it a 21-11 game.
Dominique Collier made a three-pointer to cut the lead USF lead to seven, with a putback by Eli Stalzer offset by a runout layup for the Dons*after Stalzer missed a free throw. A Xavier Talton jumper made it a four point game, at 23-19, at the under*eight*break.
Another open three by USF pushed the lead back to seven, with a layup by Tre’Shaun Fletcher and a pair of free throws by Josh Scott making it 26-23 … until the Dons hit yet three pointer. A Wesley Gordon layup was then offset … but another three-pointer by the Dons. Askia Booker made a three for the Buffs, but a layup on the other end made it 34-28 at the under four break.
The Buffs then got a four-point play, with Askia Booker being fouled on a made basket. Booker missed the free throw, but Dustin Thomas got the rebound and a putback to pull the Buffs back within two, at 34-32. The teams traded misses in the waning moments of the first half, with the Buffs holding for the last shot … but failing to score.
Halftime score: San Francisco 34, Colorado 32
In the first half, USF shot*54% from the field, while the Buffs struggled with 41%. The Dons out-rebounded the Buffs, 19-13, with 13 assists on their 14 baskets. The Buffs’ leading scorer coming into the game, Josh Scott, had four points at the break, having taken only two shots in the first half.
After the teams traded layups to open the second half, an Askia Booker three-pointer gave the Buffs their first lead since 9-7, at 37-36. Another trey by Booker gave CU an 8-2 run to open the half, and a 40-36 lead at the under 16 break. A putback by Dustin Thomas made it a six point game before a runner by the Dons stopped the bleeding. A jumper by Tre’Shaun Fletcher and a layup by Dustin Thomas then*upped the lead to eight, at 46-38, with 14 minutes to play.
A tip-in by the Dons was offset by a jumper by Askia Booker, with Jaron Hopkins hitting a pair of free throws to give CU its first double digit lead, at 50-40, at the under 12 minute*break.
A dunk on a lob for USF cut the lead to eight, with a putback after a offensive foul*by the Buffs cutting the lead to six, at 50-44. Josh Scott hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back out to eight at the*ten minute mark, with Askia Booker missing a pair of free throws*which*would have given the Buffs their double-digit lead back.*The Dons then missed a pair of free throws on their end, with*an Askia Booker trey giving him 16 points, and the Buffs a 55-44 lead. Josh Scott temporarily made it a 13-point game with a layup, but the Dons responded with a layup of their own, making it a 57-46 game at the under eight break.
USF posted a layup*on their end, but the Buffs got an unusual three point play on their end – a Fletcher free throw, followed by a missed Fletcher free throw and a putback on an offensive rebound by*Josh Scott. The Dons first three-pointer of the second half made it a nine point game, at 60-51, with a Booker*step back jumper pushing the lead back to 11 with six minutes to play. With Askia Booker out of the game, the Buffs struggled in their offensive sets, but the Dons could pull no closer, as the teams traded baskets over the next two minutes – 64-53 at the under four break.
Askia made his fifth three-pointer in six attempts to end any realistic hope for the Dons, making it a 67-53 game with three minutes to play. A Dominique Collier three-pointer made it 70-53 as the Buffs pulled away. Josh Scott hit a pair of free throws to give him a dozen points, giving CU a 19-point lead with 90 seconds to play. A USF basket ended the CU run, but it was too little, too late.
Final score: Colorado 72, San Francisco 55
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December 2nd
CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: San Francisco Dons
Colorado*vs.*San Francisco*… Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.,*MT (Pac-12 Networks)
Dons’ 2014*Record: 4-2
Coach: Rex Walters, seventh season, 102-96 at USF
Last NCAA appearance: 1998
Series: USF leads the series, 3-1, with one of those games coming in the NCAA tournament, a 62-55 victory for the Dons. The game was the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. It was CU’s first-ever trip to the NCAA’s, and the Buffs finished third, winning the consolation game after falling to San Francisco in the semi-finals. The Dons won, 62-50, behind future Hall-of-Famer*Bill Russell, with future NBA players Jerry Mullen and K.C. Jones also on the team;
- The lone victory in the series for the Buffs came in 2009, when*CU won, 78-54, in Boulder;
-*The following season, USF won in overtime, 83-81. That*game was played in San Francisco, and was the third game of the Tad Boyle era at Colorado (incidentally, the Buffs played*San Francisco after playing Georgia on the road. CU lost to both teams, falling to 1-2).
Dons’ record*last season: 21-12 overall; 13-5 in West Coast Conference play (3rd) … Played in NIT
Players to watch … San Francisco has three players averaging in double figures in the first six games of the 2014-15 season. Kruize Pinkins, a*6’7″ senior forward (No. 15)*is averaging 17.0 point per game, Mark Tollefsen, a 6’9″ junior center (No. 23) is averaging 14.8,*while Tim Derksen, a 6’3″ junior guard (No. 32)*is averaging*13.0 pointer per game.*Rebounds are spread out evenly amongst the starters, with four players averaging between 5.8 and 6.7 rebounds per game (Josh Scott is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs; Wesley 6.6) … Tollefsen has scored in double figures in all six games … The Dons feature four juniors and a senior in its starting lineup.
Getting to Know*San Francisco*… The Dons are 4-2 on the new season, with three games at home, and three at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.*Colorado is the first – and only – Power Five conference team on the San Francisco calendar. The four wins have come over South Carolina State, Notre Dame (California), Hawai’i, and Montana, while the two losses have come against Florida Gulf Coast (the host of their own tournament), and Evansville.
The Dons are 5th in the nation in rebounding (the Buffs are 54th), and will try and stay with Colorado on the boards. In their most recent outing, against Montana, Kruize Pinkins had 26 points (on 9-of-11 shooting), while Tim Derksen had 17 points and Mark Tollefsen 15.
About the Dons, from*WSBT.com … The Dons are led by 6-7 senior Kruize Pinkins, an all-West Coast Conference preseason team selection who averages team bests of 17 points and 6.7 rebounds. San Francisco boasts four players averaging at least 5.8 rebounds, including 6-9 junior center Mark Tollefsen (14.8 points, six boards), junior Tim Derksen (13 points, 5.8 rebounds) and senior Matt Glover (7.7 points, 6.7 boards). The Dons, who were picked to finish fourth in the WCC behind No. 8 Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary’s, do not play another team from a major conference … PREDICTION: Colorado 74, San Francisco 69.
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Note … “Buff Basketball – November, 2014” has been moved, and can be found in*the CU at the Game Archives …
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Originally posted by CU At the Game
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