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Colorado Basketball – February, 2023
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February 26th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs push No. 4 UCLA to the final minute before falling, 60-56
… Related … No. 4 UCLA clinches Pac-12 crown by holding off CU Buffs men’s basketball … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado took No. 4 UCLA down to the wire Sunday but the Buffaloes came up just short in the end, dropping a 60-56 decision at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 15-15 overall and 7-12 in Pac-12 play while the Bruins won their eighth in a row to improve to 25-4, 16-2.
The Buffs led for almost the entire first half and took a two-point edge into the break, 30-28. But UCLA opened the second half with a 7-0 run and kept the lead until the midway point of the period.
But the Buffs didn’t quit. CU finally regained the lead with eight minutes to play, setting the stage for a see-saw affair over the final minutes that featured six more lead changes.
The Bruins finally took the lead for good with two minutes to play and held the Buffs off down the stretch.
KJ Simpson led Colorado with 14 points, Luke O’Brien recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Tristan da Silva also scored 13. Da Silva, though, left the game with an injury with five minutes left to play, leaving the Buffs short handed over the final crucial minutes.
Jaime Jaquez led UCLA with 17 points and Tyger Campbell added 14.
The Buffs struggled on the offensive end throughout the game, hitting just 33 percent of their shots (18-for-54). Colorado held UCLA to 40 percent shooting (22-for-54), including 1-for-14 from beyond the arc, and CU held a 40-35 edge on the boards.
But the Buffs also left too many points on the free throw line, hitting only 13 of their 23 attempts from the stripe.
Still, Colorado’s effort from beginning to end was much different than that in their 84-65 loss to USC on Thursday.
“I told the guys, ‘You are silent today because you are disappointed. You fought your tails off, gave it everything you had and came up short,'” Boyle said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to feel because you invested something in the game. I don’t want anybody to take this the wrong way. There’s no moral victories in the Colorado basketball program, but I can live with the fight that our guys showed tonight. I can live with that.”
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Buffs taking on No. 4 UCLA (2:00 p.m., MT, CBS)
… Related … Head coach Tad Boyle says practice habits have kept Quincy Allen from CU Buffs rotation … from the Daily Camera
From the Daily Camera …
TIPOFF: Sunday, 2 p.m., CU Events Center.
TV/RADIO: TV — CBS. Radio — KHOW 630 AM.
RECORDS: UCLA 24-4, 15-2 Pac-12 Conference; Colorado 15-14, 7-11.
COACHES: UCLA — Mick Cronin, 4th season (92-34, 457-205 overall). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 13th season (269-169, 325-235 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: UCLA — G/F Jaime Jaquez Jr. 6-7, Sr. (17.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, .488 FG%); G Jaylen Clark, 6-5, Jr. (13.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg); G Tyger Campbell, 5-11, R-Sr. (12.4 ppg, 4.8 apg); G David Singleton, 6-4, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, .435 3%). Colorado — F Tristan da Silva, 6-9, Jr. (16.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .509 FG%); G KJ Simpson, 6-2, So. (15.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg); F Luke O’Brien, 6-8, Jr. (5.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg); G Nique Clifford, 6-6, Jr. (6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
NOTES: CU has lost six of its past seven games against UCLA, including a 68-54 loss in Los Angeles on Jan. 14. The Buffs held a nine-point lead in that game with 10:21 remaining, but the Bruins outscored CU 33-10 the rest of the way. … Barring a matchup against either the Bruins or Arizona at the Pac-12 tournament, this will be CU’s final shot at a ranked opponent this year. The Buffs are 2-2 against ranked teams, winning neutral-floor games against Tennessee and Texas A&M in November before losing at UCLA and Arizona in conference play. This will be the only home game of the year against a ranked team, and CU hasn’t gone an entire season without defeating a ranked opponent at home since 2014-15 (excluding 2018-19, when the Buffs didn’t play a single ranked opponent). … The Bruins have won seven consecutive games. … In conference games, UCLA leads the Pac-12 in average rebound margin (plus-4.7). The Bruins also rank third in league games in overall defensive field goal percentage (.406) and defensive 3-point percentage (.304). … CU completes the regular season at home on Saturday against Utah (3:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
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ABOUT THE BRUINS: No. 4/3 (AP/Coaches) UCLA is 24-4 overall and leads the Pac-12 at 15-2. The Bruins have won seven straight including a 78-71 decision at Utah on Feb. 23. UCLA averages 74.2 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field. Defensively, UCLA allows a league-low 59.8 points per game. The Bruins also top the Pac-12 in steals (8.6 spg), offensive rebounds (11.8 orpg) and turnover margin (+6.1).
Senior Jaime Jaquez, Jr., leads UCLA at 17.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. Jaylen Clark averages 13.1 points and leads the Pac-12 in steals at 2.6 per game. Tyger Campbell averages 12.4 points and is fourth in the Pac-12 in assists at 4.8 per game. Amari Bailey averages 10.1 points while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 25th meeting between Colorado and UCLA with the Bruins holding a 17-7 advantage. UCLA won this season’s first meeting, 68-54 in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, and has won six of the last seven overall. The series is tied at 5-5 in Boulder.
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February 25th – Game Day!
CU women have no trouble dispatching Cal, winning regular season finale, 95-69
From CUBuffs.com … No. 21 Colorado went coast-to-coast on Saturday, taking down the California Golden Bears 95-69 to lock up the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament.
A dominant 25-point third quarter by the Buffs helped CU (22-7, 13-5 Pac-12) match its win total from last year and match its best conference record since the 2012-13 season. The win also marked the seventh straight over the Bears.
“It is a great way to end the regular season,” head coach JR Payne exclaimed. “I am really proud of how we played particularly in the second half. The first half wasn’t too pretty. I just said in the locker room that great teams figure out a way to fix it and it wasn’t our best effort in the first half. We thought we dug in and played really good basketball in the second half. So just a great team effort tonight.”
Colorado put together a strong defensive performance against Cal, turning the Bears over 17 times for 18 points on the offensive end. The Buffs also were dominant inside the point, scoring a season-high 52 points from close-range.
Aaronette Vonleh turned in her best performance of her career, helping CU hit 90 points in a game for the first time since 2019. She recorded career-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Vonleh also added three rebounds, two steals and one assist.
“I was just kind of like pissed off after our last loss [in double overtime to Stanford],” Vonleh said of her performance. “[I was] just trying to channel that into my energy today to be successful.”
Two other key contributors on offense were Frida Formann and Jaylyn Sherrod. They combined for 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field and 3-for-7 from 3-point range. Sherrod recorded six assists while Formann totaled three. Formann, who missed the last game against Stanford due to illness, was plus-32 points in just 24 minutes on the floor.
“I don’t know too many people that can wake up after a couple of days off and go out there and play like Frida did today,” Sherrod said of her teammate. “Frida is such a big part of our team and she brings so much positivity and confidence. I think her confidence gives everybody else confidence as well. It was just good to get her back out there after missing her on Thursday.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Senior Day for No. 21 CU women – or is it? (CU v. Cal, noon, MT, Pac-12 Networks)
… The Buffs are hovering between a No. 4 seed and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA bracketology. In the women’s tournament, the top four seeds in each region host the first two games of March Madness …
From the Daily Camera … Despite a tear-producing loss that was so painfully close to being a win on Thursday afternoon, the Colorado women’s basketball team actually moved up in at least one NCAA Tournament projection.
ESPN’s latest bracketology, posted on Friday morning, has the Buffaloes (21-7, 12-5 Pac-12) as a No. 4 seed and hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Boulder. CU was a No. 5 seed in the previous projection.
While the ESPN projection, produced by bracket guru Charlie Creme, isn’t a guarantee of where the Buffs currently stand in the eyes of the selection committee, it’s certainly a reminder that the 73-62 double-overtime loss to No. 3 Stanford, while painful, wasn’t a bad loss in the big picture.
There’s no time to brood over Thursday because there’s a lot on the line for the Buffaloes moving forward, starting with Saturday’s regular season finale against California at the CU Events Center.
“We are super resilient,” CU head coach JR Payne said. “We don’t spend very long being either too happy or too sad about the outcome of a game because we understand the importance of the next game. It’s OK to be sad and be disappointed. But by (Friday), this game is done, and we have to really focus for Cal. Every game is an opportunity to get better and this game provided a lot of windows that we could say we could be tighter here, we could be a little bit better there.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 23rd – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs not competitive in 84-65 loss to USC, drop to 15-14, 7-11
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado struggled on the offensive end and had no answer for USC on the defensive end Thursday as the short-handed Buffaloes dropped an 84-65 decision to the Trojans at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 15-14 overall and 7-11 in Pac-12 play while the Trojans improved to 20-8, 12-5.
KJ Simpson led CU with 18 points and Luke O’Brien added 12.
Boogie Ellis led five Trojans in double figures with 21 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs trailed by 13 at the half and saw USC build its cushion to 17 early in the second period, 53-36.
But Colorado finally manufactured a comeback, outscoring the Trojans 11-2 over the next two minutes. Quincy Allen started the surge with a 3-pointer, Ethan Wright drained back-to-back treys and Lawson Lovering slammed home a dunk to cut the Trojans’ cushion to 55-47 with 12:58 still left to play.
But that was as close as the Buffs could come. USC slowly built its lead back to double digits as Colorado endured a 1-for-8 stretch on the offensive end and couldn’t come up with consecutive stops defensively.
USC extended its cushion to 19 with seven minutes to play with a 10-0 run and the Buffs never really threatened again as USC built its lead to 20 in the final minute.
Colorado opened the game by jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead on buckets from Nique Clifford and KJ Simpson in the first two minutes, and still held a 14-12 lead at the 14:02 mark after a Lawson Lovering basket.
But the Trojans began to catch fire — especially from beyond the arc — and the Buffs’ offense went stale at the same time. Southern California put together a 13-2 run that saw the Trojans hit five straight field goal tries while the Buffs went 1-for-7 over the same stretch.
Midway through the half, USC had a 25-16 lead.
Colorado finally ended its offensive woes but never found an answer for USC’s 3-point shooting. The Trojans hit six of their first nine attempts from long range, and with 4:41 left in the half the Buffs were down by 15.
CU did manage to briefly shave the deficit to 10 on a KJ Simpson basket and Quincy Allen 3-pointer. But the Trojans responded and sent Colorado into intermission trailing 43-30.
USC finished the half shooting 17-for-27, including 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. The Buffs shot just 13-for-31 and just 2-for-10 from 3-point range.
NEXT UP: The Buffs play host to UCLA on Sunday in a 2 p.m. game at the CU Events Center, then wrap up the regular season March 4 with a 3:30 p.m. game at home against Utah.
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Sooo close – No. 21 Buffs fall in double overtime to No. 3 Stanford
From CUBuffs.com … Jaylyn Sherrod hit the game-tying shot in regulation and two critical free throws near the end of the first overtime, but No. 3 Stanford then outscored No. 21 Colorado 13-2 in the second overtime period to leave Boulder with a 73-62 win and come one step closer to winning the Pac-12 regular season championship here Thursday afternoon at the CU Events Center.
In a rare weekday afternoon game, the Buffaloes pushed the nation’s third-ranked team to the brink, as has been the case against the two teams in recent memory in Boulder. The Cardinal improve to 27-3 overall and 15-2 in league standings and the Buffs fall to 21-7 and 12-5, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffs started the game on a tear, opening up a 13-0 lead out of the gate with Tianna Jones and Quay Miller doing most of the scoring in that early run, which was capped off by a 3-pointer from Jada Wynn at the two-minute mark of the quarter. Stanford in fact didn’t score until 8:46 into the game with a pair of free throws and after a 3-pointer from Broke Demetre, the Buffs held an eight-point lead after the first quarter.
Jones remained hot for the Buffaloes, who quickly pushed the lead to 14 points at 19-5 after she hit a 3-poitner of her own. The Buffs maintained about a 10-point advantage through the remainder of the half and led 22-12 with just under two minutes remaining. Stanford put together a 6-2 run to cut the Buffs lead to six at 24-18 at halftime.
The Cardinal shot just 6.3% in the first quarter and 20.7% at the half, hitting 6-of-29 from the field.
Neither team scored for the first two-and-a-half minutes of the third quarter, but the Cardinal then scored on three straight possessions to take its first lead at 25-24 and scored the first eight points of the quarter to go up 27-24 half way through the quarter. After four lead changes, the Cardinal used a 7-0 lead to end the quarter up 38-32.
After Cameron Brink put Stanford up 40-32, its biggest lead of regulation, the Buffs began to chip away at the lead. Sherrod hit a 3-pointer, then got a steal and lay-up to bring the Buffs within three at 40-37 and the lead stayed between three and four points the next five minutes until Miller hit four straight free throws to tie the game at 46-46 with 2:40 remaining.
Stanford hit two free throws with 1:42 left to take a two-point lead. With 33 seconds left, Kindyll Wetta got a steal and Sherrod made her layup to tie the game 48-48 with 28 seconds left and that’s where the score remained through regulation.
Aaronette Vonleh gave the Buffs a 50-48 lead a minute into overtime and after a quick 4-0 run by Stanford, Quay Miller tied it again at 52-52 with 2:27 left. Miller hit two free throws with 1:46 left and Vonleh hit two with 1:19 left to give the Buffs two point advantages each time. Miller was called for a foul with 58 seconds and Haley Jones tied the game at 56-56. Sherrod hit a driving layup with 45 seconds to give the Buffs a 58-56 advantage. Jones then hit a layup and was fouled to give the Cardinal a 59-58 lead when Sherrod hit two free throws with 29 seconds left to put the Buffs up one at 60-59. Miller was again called for a foul, this time with three seconds left, but Lauren Betts hit just one of her two free throws to tie the game at 60-60 and force double overtime.
The Cardinal came out of the gate quickly in double OT and the Buffs couldn’t respond. CU’s only points came at the midpoint of the period when Sherrod hit two free throws to pull CU within 65-62. A combination of breaking pressure and hitting free throws allowed Stanford to go on an 8-0 run to end the game.
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No. 21 CU women taking on No. 3 Stanford (3:00 p.m.): “We are going to do whatever it takes to win”
Related … CU Buffs ready for marquee matchup with Stanford … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado women’s basketball enters the final week of the regular season in somewhat unfamiliar territory. The Buffaloes have positioned themselves for a first-round bye in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since 2014.
At 12-4 in Pac-12 play, Colorado is currently No. 3 in the standings. The Buffs, who host No. 3 Stanford (Thursday, 3 p.m. MT) and California (Saturday, Noon), can finish no worse than fourth in the standings and with some help across the league could get as high as the No. 2 seed and a split of a regular season title is not out of the realm of possibilities.
But the mindset for the Buffs has not changed all season. The team that was picked to finish eighth in the conference preseason voting, continues to play with that underdog mindset.
“We never want to get too big-headed,” senior Quay Miller commented. “We learned our lesson after we beat UCLA and then lost to USC. We took a step back and tried to relax a little, but we need to be able to be a mature group and not take a step back and play to our full potential. Anytime we do take a step back, we come out with a loss. I think that each loss we have had, we have ground from and that always reminds us that no matter the number that is in front of our name, we are still the underdog. It took us a lot to get here and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Another key factor in the success of the Buffs this season is the unselfish narrative that surrounds the team. Miller, Jaylyn Sherrod, Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh have all shared the title of “leading scorer’ in 24 games of CU’s 27 games. The Buffs have also won 25 consecutive games when collecting at least 17 assists.
“We are going to do whatever it takes to win,” Miller added. “Last year we depended on a few players and when they did not show up, we did not know what to do. This year we are all trying to take over and whoever has the hot hand we will just keep feeding this person.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 20th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women remain No. 21 in AP Poll despite loss; take on No. 3 Stanford Thursday
From the Daily Camera … A loss in the desert didn’t hurt the Colorado women’s basketball team in the national rankings.
Despite a 61-42 loss to Arizona on Sunday, the Buffaloes remained at No. 21 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings that were released on Monday.
CU (21-6, 12-4 Pac-12) had a five-game winning streak snapped in Tucson, Ariz., but this is the first time the Buffs have been ranked in three consecutive weeks since a five-week run in November and December of 2016.
The Buffs will look to rebound on Thursday against third-ranked Stanford (25-3, 13-2) at the CU Events Center (3 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
“We’ve got to brush it off right now,” CU guard Tameiya Sadler said after Sunday’s loss. “We can’t really be sad about it. You just have to go in tomorrow and really lock in on Stanford and the next couple of scouts that we have because that’s the next biggest game that we have.”
CU defeated last-place Arizona State, 70-62, on Friday before falling to Arizona on Sunday. The Buffs sputtered a bit throughout both games. After not having 20 turnovers in a game since November, the Buffs had 20 in each of the games this past weekend.
Still, the split in Arizona has CU in a good spot going into the final week of the regular season.
The Buffs are in third place, one game behind Utah and a game ahead of Arizona. The top four teams will get a first-round bye for next week’s Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
“Oh, yeah, absolutely,” head coach JR Payne said of the Buffs being in a good position. “I mean, you have to have a pretty short memory either way. When you play great or you don’t play great, the next game is going to come very quickly. It’s important that we learn from it and move on.”
… Continue reading story here …
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CU men facing USC (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2): “We have three home games that are all winnable”
… Related … Colorado men’s basketball hopes a final push begins in rematch against USC … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Time is running short for Tad Boyle‘s Colorado Buffaloes.
But with three regular season games remaining — all at home — Boyle’s Buffs still have a chance to collect some quality wins, gain some confidence and build momentum heading into their annual trip to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 tournament (March 8-11).
CU has endured an up-and-down season this year and has struggled on the road (2-8). But the Buffs are 11-2 at home and they do have some quality wins — in particular over Tennessee and Texas A&M, two teams currently in the top 30 in the NCAA NET rankings. They have also looked good in wins over Oregon and Stanford, and just last weekend won at Arizona State.
Overall, however, they sit at 15-13 and their 7-10 mark in the Pac-12 has them in a tie for eighth in the conference standings. Their only hope for an NCAA tourney bid is to run the table in Las Vegas.
But they are also one of “those” teams — a team with the ability to beat anyone in the league, especially on a neutral floor. That means they are the kind of team opposing coaches don’t want to see in a conference tournament, especially if they arrive with a little confidence and momentum.
It’s a message Boyle has been delivering to his team.
“We have three home games that are all winnable,” Boyle said after last weekend’s loss at Arizona. “Now they’re not going to be easy … (But) we need to finish strong and understand that we can beat any team in this league on any given night when we go to Las Vegas … We have to play to the level of our ability. If we do that I like where this team is headed.”
Indeed, the final three regular season games are all against teams currently sitting in the top four in the league standings. They should no doubt provide a crucial barometer as to how the Buffs will stand when they head into the conference tourney.
… Continue reading story here …
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February 19th
… CU in the Arena …
No. 18 Arizona exacts revenge on No. 21 Colorado women with 61-42 rout
From CUBuffs.com … The No. 21 Colorado women’s basketball team fell 61-42 to the No. 18 Arizona Wildcats at the McKale Center on Sunday, snapping a five-game winning streak for the Buffaloes.
Colorado (21-6, 12-4 Pac-12) had its struggles in Tucson continue, having not won at UofA since the 2014-15 season. The Buffaloes struggled with turnovers and couldn’t get shots to fall throughout the afternoon.
The Buffs suffered long scoring runs made by the Wildcats (21-6, 11-5 Pac-12) in the first and third quarters which proved to be more than Colorado could come back from. Offensively, CU scored just 42 points, matching its lowest points in a game since December 6th, 2015, when it played at Long Beach State.
“They’re a really good defensive team,” Head coach JR Payne expressed. “Typically Colorado and Arizona are two of the best defensive teams in the league. So they do defend. We just have to go back and watch the film and figure it out. I thought in the first half we got a lot of great looks right at the rim. We missed a lot of layups early and free throws, things that we normally make.”
The Buffs committed 20 total turnovers which resulted in 10 points off those turnovers for Arizona. Colorado also had a rough day shooting from the field, making just 15-of-53 shots (28.3%). From three-point range, CU shot just 8.3%, making 1 of 12 threes.
“Both teams had 10 points off turnovers, so the turnovers weren’t necessarily contributing to their scoring, it was just keeping us from scoring,” Payne said. “So debilitating in that way just felt very jumbled from beginning to end. Our effort was fine. Our effort was there but just no rhythm, no sync.”
Tameiya Sadler led the Buffs in points with 12 off the bench. She was the only Buff to make a 3-pointer in the game and also had three rebounds and three steals. Another bright spot for Colorado was Quay Miller who recorded a double-double made up of 10 points and 10 boards. Miller had two steals on the defensive end.
“I feel like it’s very big for me, but JR always had that confidence throughout the beginning of the year regardless,” said Sadler. “She kept pushing me to be the player that she knew I can be. I think this weekend it was just me feeding into the confidence that she was giving me.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Buffs fail to maintain early lead, fall at No. 8 Arizona, 78-68
… Related … No. 8 Arizona makes quick work of CU Buffs men’s basketball … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s offense couldn’t match Arizona’s firepower Saturday and the Buffaloes dropped a 78-68 decision to the eighth-ranked Wildcats at the McKale Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 15-13 overall and 7-10 in Pac-12 play while also losing their 13th in a row to the Wildcats on their home court. Arizona improved to 24-4, 13-4.
Colorado took an early 18-6 lead after forcing five Arizona turnovers. But the Buffs couldn’t maintain their hot hand and the Wildcats found their offensive rhythm. The Buffs’ offense also took a hit when leading scorer Tristan da Silva went out with his second foul with 11:33 still remaining in the half, and Arizona outscored the Buffs 40-16 in the final 15 minutes to take a 46-34 lead at intermission.
The Buffs momentarily cut the deficit back to seven early in the second half, and they outscored UA 34-32 in the final 20 minutes. But after Colorado’s initial surge, the Wildcats pushed their cushion back to double digits and managed to hold the Buffs at bay down the stretch.
Da Silva still led the Buffs with 18 points, Javon Ruffin scored 13 and KJ Simpson added 12. Luke O’Brien finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
Oumar Ballo led four Wildcats in double figures with 18 points, and he also had 16 rebounds.
Colorado shot just 39 percent from the floor (24-for-62) while the Wildcats were 27-for-55. After hitting three of their first five 3-pointers, the Buffs finished 7-for-24 from long range while UA was 5-for-13.
The biggest damage came in the paint, where the 7-foot Ballo helped the Wildcats to a 40-24 scoring advantage. Arizona also held a 37-36 rebound edge.
“I was really pleased with our guys’ fight,” Boyle said. “But we got to thinking scoring was going to be easy because we played so well offensively out of the chute. Then we came down and we took four or five quick jump shots and those jump shots turned into transition points for them. The one thing you have to be careful of in this building is if you shoot the ball in five seconds, and you don’t make it, it’s the first pass of their fast break. Their offense got going off of our bad offense. And that’s what killed us in the first half.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 18th – Game Day!
... CU in the Arena …
Buffs seek their first win over Arizona in Tucson since 1965 (6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2)
… Related … Return to form by Javon Ruffin a good sign for CU Buffs MBB going into battle at No. 8 Arizona … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 15-12 overall and tied for seventh place in the Pac-12 Conference at 7-9 after picking up a road win at Arizona State, 67-59, on Feb. 16.
The Buffaloes snapped a six-game road losing streak, it’s longest since the 2018 calendar year (five games in 2017-18, one in 2018-19), and improved to 2-8 in true road games this year.
Colorado had entered the Arizona State game giving up 72.2 points on the road, but held the Sun Devils to 59 points, the lowest by a Buffaloes opponent on the road this season. It’s the fewest allowed by Colorado in a Pac-12 road game since Stanford had 53 on Feb. 19, 2022. The Buffaloes are 20-3 in the Pac-12 era when holding their conference opponent under 60 points on their home court and have won the last 12.
Colorado has made 39 of its last 42 free throws over the last three games. While still shooting a Pac-12 low 69.2 percent from the line overall, Colorado has improved its mark to 71.5 percent in conference games.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (7.9) and offensive rebounds (11.5 orpg), third in rebounding margin (+4.4) and turnover margin (+0.7), fourth in scoring (70.7 ppg), rebounding (37.7 rpg), defensive boards (26.2 drpg) and scoring defense (65.7 ppg) and fifth in scoring margin (+5.1) and 3-point defense (.323).
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: No. 8 (AP & Coaches) ranked Arizona is 23-4 overall and second in the Pac-12 at 12-4. The Wildcats are 14-1 at home this season after defeating Utah 88-62 on Feb. 16. Arizona is the top scoring and field goal shooting team in the Pac-12 at 83.4 points per game while hitting 49 percent from the field. The Wildcats also lead the Pac-12 in rebounding (40.5 rpg) and rebound margin (+7.3). Arizona ranks last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 70.7 points per game.
National Player of the Year candidate Azuolas Tubelis leads the Pac-12 in scoring (19.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg) while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. Center Oumar Ballo averages 14.5 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 65.6 percent. Kerr Krissa leads the Wildcats in assists (152) and 3-pointers made (69) while averaging 10.8 points per game. Courtney Ramey averages 10.8 points and is second in 3-point field goals made (66).
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 40th meeting between Colorado and Arizona with the Wildcats holding a 23-16 series lead. Arizona won two of three meetings last year. The teams split the regular season series, both winning at home. The Wildcats got the rubber match, 82-72, in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. The teams split the regular season series, both winning at home. Arizona holds a 13-3 all-time lead in Tucson. The Buffaloes last win at Arizona came on Dec. 20, 1965.
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February 17th
… CU in the Arena …
No. 21 CU women pick up first win at Arizona State in ten years
… Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of CU’s last win against Arizona State, a come-from-behind 71-63 victory in Tempe on Feb. 17, 2013 … Other than a forfeit win earlier this season, the Buffs had lost 14 straight to ASU …
From CUBuffs.com … It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy but the No. 21 Colorado women’s basketball team picked up its 21st win of the season on Friday afternoon. The Buffaloes led by as many as 15 and held on late for the 70-62 win over Arizona State.
The Buffs (21-5, 12-3 Pac-12) held a 42-31 lead at the half but got outscored 31-28 by the Sun Devils in the second half. Colorado struggled with turnovers throughout the day, coughing the ball up 20 times. ASU took advantage, scoring 18 points directly off the turnovers.
“We felt like we were doing what we needed to do,” head coach JR Payne explained after the win. “We had several people in foul trouble so that’s tough. They [ASU] are a good, scrappy, defensive-minded team and I thought they did a good job of being disruptive. Some shots that typically fall [for us] didn’t. It was sort of a combination of all those things that made for kind of a jumbled game.”
Senior Quay Miller led the Buffs with her fifth double-double in the last seven games, closing with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior Tameiya Sadler had her best outing in a Colorado uniform, going 6-for-6 from the field and a CU-high of 16 points.
“I thought Tameiya was great,” Payne added. “6-for-6 from the floor and not just the scoring but like the aggressive offensive presence that she brought to the table. When we needed a buck, she went and got one. It’s not that we had to run something for her she just made a really aggressive effort to produce and we certainly needed every point.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 16th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs hold Sun Devils scoreless in final 3:50 to pull out 67-59 road win
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado closed the game with a decisive 17-3 run Thursday and the Buffaloes ended a six-game road losing streak with a 67-59 win over Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 15-12 overall and 7-9 in Pac-12 play while ASU fell to 18-9, 9-7.
The victory also helped the Buffs avenge a home loss to the Sun Devils in early December, a game in which ASU came back from a 15-point deficit to get the win.
Tristan da Silva led CU with 23 points, including a huge 3-pointer with 1:11 left to play that gave the Buffs a 64-59 lead. KJ Simpson added 12 points, Javon Ruffin came off the bench to score 10 and grab seven rebounds and Luke O’Brien had nine points and 10 rebounds in his second career start.
DJ Horne led ASU with 15 points.
The Buffs trailed for most of the first half before closing the period with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 32-32, getting a Simpson 3-pointer at the buzzer. CU then momentarily took the lead midway through the second half before the Sun Devils rallied with a 12-3 surge to take a 56-50 lead with just under six minutes to play.
But the Buffs had one more rally in their pocket as they closed with their 17-3 run. CU switched to a zone defense and limited the Sun Devils to just one basket in the final six minutes while da Silva and Ruffin both added a pair of 3-pointers in the game-clinching run.
Colorado shot just 42 percent from the floor (24-for-57) but held ASU to 37 percent shooting (24-for-65), including an 8-for-29 effort from long range. The Sun Devils hit four of their first six 3-point tries, but made only four of their next 23 the rest of the night.
CU also held a 42-34 edge on the boards and hit 10 of 11 free throws.
“The reason you get into coaching is for the young men,” Boyle said. “It’s not for you and your record, it’s about the kids you coach and the experience they’re having. One thing about this team, they’ve kept their heads up, they’ve kept their spirits up. Nobody likes to lose but this team hung together and tonight they showed some real toughness down the stretch.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Buffs (1-8 in road games) open final regular season road trip at Arizona State (6:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Network)
Related … ASU’s early, stunning win at CU typified Buffs’ season-long shortcomings … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 14-12 overall and tied for seventh place in the Pac-12 Conference at 6-9 after falling 73-62 at Utah on Feb. 11, in its lone game last week.
Colorado dropped its sixth-straight on the road and is 1-8 in true road contests this season. The six-straight road losses are the Buffaloes most since 2018, spanning the final five games of the 2017-18 season and the first road game at San Diego in 2018-19. It’s the first six-game road losing streak during the course of the same season since 2014-15.
Colorado is averaging 64.9 points per game on the road compared to 73.8 at home. The Buffaloes are shooting 40.0 percent on the road compared to 47.1 percent at home. Colorado has allowed 72.2 points on the road while the hosts are shooting 46.1 percent. At home, the Buffaloes have held opponents to 60.7 points on 40.7 percent shooting.
Colorado committed a season-low six turnovers at Utah and its fewest since having six against Stanford on Nov. 28, 2021. It’s CU’s fewest on the road since committing just five at Washington on Jan. 20, 2021.
Colorado has made 29 of its last 31 free throws over the last two games. The Buffaloes made their first 11 at Utah before finishing 12 of 13. While still shooting a Pac-12 low 68.7 percent from the line overall, Colorado has improved its mark to 70.6 percent in conference games.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.0) and offensive rebounds (11.6 orpg), third in turnover margin (+1.0), fourth in scoring defense (65.9 ppg), scoring margin (+5.0), rebounding (37.5 rpg) and rebound margin (+4.3) and fifth in scoring (70.9 ppg) and defensive rebounds (25.9 drpg).
ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 18-8 overall and tied with Oregon for fifth place in the Pac-12 standings at 9-6. The Sun Devils have won three of their last four including a road sweep in the Bay Area last week. Arizona State averages 71.2 points while shooting 41.9 percent from the field. Defensively, the Sun Devils are holding opponents to 66.7 points per game and has the second-best field goal percentage defense in the Pac-12 at 38.8 percent.
Senior guard Desmond Cambridge, Jr., leads ASU at 13.7 points and 1.5 steals per game. Sophomore guard Frankie Collins averages 11.2 points and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 at 4.6 assists per game. Senior forward Warren Washington averages 8.6 points and leads the Sun Devils in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and blocked shots (1.9 bpg) while shooting 57.4 percent from the field.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 26th meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding a 14-11 series lead. Arizona State won the season’s first meeting, a 60-59 decision on Dec. 1 in Boulder. ASU has won the last two meetings, but the Buffaloes have still had the advantage in seven of the last 11. The Sun Devils hold an 8-3 advantage in Tempe, but Colorado has its last two appearances at Desert Financial Arena.
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February 14th
… CU in the Arena …
Boyle’s 2022-23 team the most disappointing of his tenure at CU?
From the Daily Camera … The Colorado men’s basketball team is limping to the finish line.
That isn’t breaking news to anyone who has followed the Buffaloes this season. Yet for a program that has improved between November and February more often than not in 13 seasons under head coach Tad Boyle, the idea that Buffs fans are playing out the string in order to turn their attention to spring football seemed inconceivable when the season tipped off on Nov. 7.
Certainly, there is time, and opportunity, to rewrite the script on 2022-23. CU faces two Quad 1 road games this week, first at Arizona State on Thursday (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network) and again on Saturday at No. 11 Arizona. CU generally has played much better at home, and a team that usually rises up to knock off at least one ranked foe in Boulder nearly every year still gets a shot at No. 4 UCLA on Feb. 26 at the Events Center.
Still, the writing on the wall is starting to set. A Buffs team that is just 1-8 in true road games and that has won more than two games in a row just once all season will have to completely break the trends formed through the first 27 games in order to make a run.
Falling short of the NCAA Tournament is one thing. Being so far beyond NIT consideration at this point is quite another. This year’s bunch isn’t the most disappointing team in the Boyle era. But, being on track to be just the third Boyle team to fall short of both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT, it’s in the conversation.
… Continue reading story here …
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February 13th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women up to No. 21 in AP poll; Jaylyn Sherrod earns Pac-12 Player of the Week honors
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado senior Jaylyn Sherrod earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, following the Buffaloes’ weekend sweep over the Washington schools.
Sherrod, a Birmingham, Ala., native, led the Buffs with 17.5 points per game last week. She averaged 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals and finished with a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio. Sherrod is the only player in the Pac-12 averaging at least 10 points and five rebounds per game this season (11.0 ppg, 5.2 apg).
The weekend started with Sherrod matching her career-high with 27 points in CU’s 71-68 come-from-behind win over Washington State. The Buffs trailed by 11 in the third quarter and Sherrod was instrumental in the comeback effort, going a perfect 5-for-5 with 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Sherrod capped off the weekend with a six-assist day in CU’s 65-43 win over Washington. She was 3-for-6 from the field with eight points in the decisive victory.
Sherrod currently ranks 29th in the NCAA in both total assists (124) and assists per game (5.2). She starts this week leading the conference with 2.4 steals per game, second in total steals (58) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.94).
The weekly honor is the first for the Buffaloes this season and the second for Sherrod’s career. It is just the seventh Player of the Week honor in program history for the Buffs.
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… From the Daily Camera … The 2021-22 Colorado women’s basketball team was a good story.
It was a program that had been down for years rising up to snag the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament, making a run to the semifinals and then a long-awaited return to March Madness.
Then, after their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years, the Buffs lost three multi-year starters to graduation. That included Mya Hollingshed, a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 performer and a first-round pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
In the fall, Pac-12 coaches and media picked the Buffs to finish eighth.
With four games remaining in the regular season, however, the Buffs (20-5, 11-3 Pac-12) are on the verge of clinching a top-three finish. And, on Monday, they vaulted to No. 21 in the Associated Press Top 25 – the program’s highest ranking since December of 2016.
“I think we’re playing great basketball,” CU head coach JR Payne said after Sunday’s 65-43 rout of Washington. “What I love most about it is we knew that we had all the pieces we need to be successful. We knew that.
“You could argue that on paper we lost as much as anybody in the conference (after last year). For us to be able to do what we’re doing speaks volumes to who we have on our current roster, the type of development that they’ve poured into themselves.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 12th
… CU in the Arena …
No. 25 CU women pick up win No. 20 with 65-43 rout of Washington – Payne: “Today was a great team win”
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado picked up its 20th win of the season in front of the home crowd at the CU Events Center on Sunday. The Buffaloes started hot and ran away with a 65-43 win over Washington to finish off the weekend sweep.
Colorado (20-5, 11-3 Pac-12) secured its first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2011-12 and 2012-13 and did so in front of a large number of alumni that included CU’s first Elite Eight team from 1992-93.
“I think it was cool [to meet the ’93 team], especially for us because we’ve kind of got everything that we need to be at the level that they were,” Kindyll Wetta explained. “Talking to them and kind of hearing things that they would have done differently or focus more on — Looking back on it 20 years now, they were able to give a lot of good advice and I think that was really good for us.”
Colorado led by double-digits at the half and never had the lead slip below 11 in the second half.
CU’s offensive game wasn’t at its peak the entire game, going 28-for-68 from the field. Instead, the Buffs’ defensive presence caused problems for the Huskies. UW’s starting five accounted for just 17 of the team’s 43 points and the Huskies hit just 33.3% (16-48) as a team.
“[That’s] nothing new [for us],” Wetta added about the team’s defensive play. “We just do what we do and do it well. We know that we can always control that.”
Quay Miller led the way for Colorado with her sixth double-double of the season. She topped all players with 15 points and 11 rebounds in just under 24 minutes of action. Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh each had nine points apiece and Wetta and Jaylyn Sherrod each dished out six assists.
“[Today] was a great team win,” head coach JR Payne “It really is hard as much as we focus on flushing Friday night’s game when it’s a really emotional game and it takes a lot of energy to win a game – it’s still really hard to do. I continue to be proud of just our mental focus and our leadership that made sure we were ready for today’s game. Washington’s a really good team that’s playing very well, and we knew that we’d have to be ready. I’m proud of our team for that. Lots of great stats, Kindyll Wetta had six assists and no turnovers, making that 11 assists and no turnovers this weekend. Quay Miller had a double-double and a lot of great things. I was so proud that we could get the win this weekend.”
… Continue reading story here …
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CU’s Road Woes Continue, Buffs fall 73-62 to Utah – Boyle: “Their defense was better than ours”
Related … Colorado men’s basketball beaten down at Utah … from the Daily Camera
… Note … If you are interested in some quality CU basketball, No. 25 CU women take on Washington at the Events Center this afternoon (Noon, Pac-12 Networks – Alumni weekend) …
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s road woes continued Saturday night as the Buffaloes dropped a 73-62 decision to Utah at the Huntsman Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 14-12 overall and 6-9 in Pac-12 play with their eighth loss in nine road games this season. CU also saw a two-game win streak come to an end.
Utah improved to 17-9, 10-5.
Colorado’s offense, which has struggled all year on the road, suffered through another difficult night. The Buffs never led in the game, as Utah used an early 14-3 run to break a 7-7 tie and Colorado never came closer than four again.
CU trailed by just six at the break but the Utes took control for good with a 9-0 run early in the second half, building their lead to as much as 18 down the stretch.
KJ Simpson led the Buffs with 14 points, Julian Hammond III added 11 and Luke O’Brien chipped in 10 points and had a team-high six rebounds. CU’s Tristan da Silva, who had scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games, was limited to just six points on 3-for-12 shooting.
Marco Anthony and Branden Carlson each scored 17 for the Utes.
The Utes shot almost 50 percent from the floor and dominated the boards as well, holding a 41-29 rebound edge.
Colorado shot just 37 percent from the floor, including a 4-for-18 night from 3-point range.
“Their defense was better than ours and their rebounding was better than ours,” Boyle said. “They were the better team, they were the tougher team and that’s that’s a little bit disheartening as you come into a game like this with a little bit of momentum. We just can’t get over the hump on the road because our defense isn’t good enough.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 11th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs open three-game road swing with a must-win game at Utah (8:00 p.m., FS1)
… Related … Defensive collision awaiting Colorado men’s basketball at Utah … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 14-11 overall and in seventh place in the Pac-12 Conference at 6-8 after gaining a sweep of the Bay Area schools at home last week. The Buffaloes cruised to a pair of double-digit wins, taking down California 59-46 on Feb. 2 and then Stanford, 84-62, on Feb. 5.
Colorado’s 84 points against the Cardinal marked its most in a conference game this season and the most since scoring 86 against Southern Utah on Dec. 21. The Buffaloes opened the second half of that game on a 16-0 run, its longest run of the season. The Buffaloes improved to 82-5 in the Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11) when scoring at least 84 points. Colorado shot 52.7 percent against the Cardinal and a season-best 94.4 percent from the line (17-18).
The Buffaloes will look to flip the script on the road, having dropped their last five and are just 1-7 in true road games this season. Colorado is averaging 65.3 points per game on the road compared to 73.8 at home. The Buffaloes are shooting 40.4 percent on the road compared to 47.1 percent at home. Colorado has allowed 72.1 points on the road while the hosts are shooting 45.7 percent. At home, the Buffaloes have held opponents to 60.7 points on 40.7 percent shooting.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.2), rebounding margin (+4.9) and offensive rebounds (11.7 orpg), third in scoring defense (65.6 ppg), turnover margin (+0.8) and rebounding (37.8 rpg), fourth in scoring (71.2 ppg), scoring margin (+5.6) and defensive rebounds (26.1 drpg) and fifth in field goal percentage (.442) and rebounding defense (32.9 rpg).
ABOUT THE UTES: Utah is 16-9 overall and fourth in the Pac-12 at 9-5. The Utes have dropped two of their last three after splitting with the Bay Area schools last week. Utah averages 70.4 points per game, hitting 44.2 percent from the field. The Utes are the best field goal defense team in the Pac-12 allowing teams just 38 percent and boast the second-best scoring defense at just 61.8 points per game. Utah has the second-best rebounding offense in the league at 39.3 per game.
Senior center Branden Carlson leads Utah at 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while hitting 53 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Lazar Stefanovic averages 10.6 points and leads the Utes in steals with 30. Junior guard Rollie Worster tops Utah in assists (130) while averaging 9.0 points per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 58th meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 32-25 edge. The Buffaloes have won two-straight and five of the last seven. Utah holds a 17-10 lead in Salt Lake City, but the Buffaloes have won the last two.
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No. 25 CU women rally in the fourth quarter to take down Washington State, 71-68 – Payne: “I freaking love my team”
… Related … “Jaylyn Sherrod, CU Buffs rally past Washington State” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … A 27-point effort from Jaylyn Sherrod helped erase an 11-point second-half deficit and Colorado held on in the final seconds for a thrilling 71-68 win over Washington State at the CU Event Center on Friday.
The win in front of a crowd of 2,055 gave the Buffaloes their first season sweep of the Cougars in program history.
“I’m so proud of our team,” head coach JR Payne exclaimed after the win. “I freaking love my team. We play hard, we have fun, we don’t wilt. We’re tough. When things get crazy we dig in and stay together. This is just such a fun team to coach. I’m incredibly proud of how we played and how we executed when we needed to. That was all guts, we just were tough enough to win the game so super proud.”
Sherrod scored 15 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter to match her career-best effort. Colorado (19-5, 10-3 Pac-12) trailed 52-41 late in the third quarter and entered the final quarter down by nine. The Buffs exploded for 28 points in the final 10 minutes to complete their largest comeback of the season.
“I think coming out of halftime, I felt like we started to get a little flat and I took that personally because I know my role on this team is to bring a lot of energy and tenacity,” Sherrod noted. “I think my mentality was [that the game was] 0-0 coming out of halftime. I just wanted to push my team in whatever way and normally it’s with defense but tonight we were scoring.”
Frida Formann and Quay Miller also contributed double figures on the night. Formann finished the evening with 14 points, going 4-for-7 from the 3-point line. Miller put in 10 points and led the team with seven rebounds in 34 minutes of playing time.
Colorado, who lost its last game at home against USC in disappointing fashion, was inclined not to have a repeat performance on Friday.
“I think in one timeout coach T [Toriano Towns] said ‘This feels like the USC game,'” Formann explained. “We all felt like we can’t let that happen again. I think it’s just learning from last time. Jaylyn did a great job of just leading by example, having high energy and going and getting the job done. I think we all did a good job of following [Sherrod’s example]. Even though we were close and then they scored again and then we were up and they scored again – we never really let that get us down in any way. I think it was just a huge difference in how we responded.”
Washington State (16-8, 6-7 Pac-12) was led by Charlisse Leger-Walker and her 17 points. Leger-Walker, who missed the first game of the series in Pullman, played all 40 minutes and picked up 10 rebounds.
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February 6th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women back in the polls; in at No. 25
From the Daily Camera … A weekend sweep has carried the Colorado women’s basketball team back into the national rankings.
On Monday, the Buffaloes jumped into the Associated Press Top 25, at No. 25.
CU (18-5, 9-3 Pac-12) defeated Oregon and Oregon State on the road over the weekend. It was the Buffs’ first weekend sweep in Oregon since the 2012-13 season.
The Buffs are in the Top 25 for the third time in the past four weeks and receiving votes for the fifth consecutive week. They dropped out of the rankings last week after a home loss to USC, but rebounded with an impressive set of games in Oregon.
“This was a big one for us,” senior guard Jaylyn Sherrod said after the Buffs’ 67-48 win at Oregon State on Sunday. “You know me, I take everything personal: a loss, wins – (looking at) what I can do better.
“So I think last week (losing to USC) just really allowed me, as one of the leaders on this team, to say you can never take nothing for granted. … And I think we learned the hard way, in a sense; not in the sense that we took USC for granted, but we just didn’t come out and play this game. So we just knew no matter what, no matter what the opponent record is, you just come out and fight because it can literally be anybody’s night.”
It has been CU’s night a lot this season, as the Buffs are off their best 12-game start to conference play since the 2000-01 team started 9-3 in the Big 12.
CU, which moved up to No. 20 in the NET rankings on Monday, will host Washington State on Friday at 7 p.m. at the CU Events Center.
CU is one of five Pac-12 teams in the rankings. Stanford (22-3, 10-2) dropped four spots to No. 6 after its loss at Washington on Sunday, while Utah (20-2, 10-2) remained at No. 7.
Arizona (18-5, 8-4) moved up five spots to No. 17 after overtime wins at UCLA and USC. UCLA (18-6, 7-5) slipped four spots to No. 18 after its loss to Arizona.
USC (17-6, 7-5) was among the others receiving votes.
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February 5th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs open up a tie game with 16-0 run to open second half; cruise to an 84-62 win over Stanford
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Tristan da Silva scored 25 points, KJ Simpson added 21 and the Buffaloes used a strong second half Sunday to collect an 84-62 win over Stanford at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 14-11 overall and 6-8 in Pac-12 play with their second straight win. The Cardinal saw its five-game win streak come to an end while falling to 10-13, 4-8.
After the two teams entered halftime tied at 39-39, the Buffs took control with a 16-0 run to open the second half. CU built its cushion to as much as 26 and Stanford never threatened after the Buffs’ dealt their opening haymaker to start the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs led by as much as 11 in the first half before Stanford finished the period with a 10-4 run to tie the game at 39-39 at halftime.
But Colorado took control for good with a 16-0 run to start the second half. Tristan da Silva had six points in the burst, Julian Hammond III and Luke O’Brien each added 3-pointers and Jalen Gabbidon and Nique Clifford each had a basket to give CU a 55-39 lead less than seven minutes into the period.
Defensively, the Buffs stepped up the pace as well. Colorado held Stanford scoreless over the first seven minutes, forcing 10 straight missed Cardinal shots in the process.
Stanford finally broke the ice with a Spencer Jones bucket but the Buffs continued to build their cushion. With five minutes to play, the Buffs’ lead hit 26 when a KJ Simpson floater in the lane gave CU a 76-51 edge.
The Buffs then maintained a healthy lead down the stretch for the win.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU women earn weekend road sweep with a 67-48 rout of Oregon State: “This was a big win for us”
From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado women’s basketball team took down Oregon State 67-48 in an all-around dominant performance, marking CU’s second win ever against the Beavers in Corvallis.
The last time the Buffaloes won in Corvallis was in the 2012-13 season. Before Sunday, Colorado had a tough history matching up with OSU, losing 11 straight games from 2015-16 to 2021-22, however, CU has now won two straight against the Beavers.
The Buffaloes were able to jump out to a huge lead early on and prevented any effort at a comeback throughout the entire game.
“Oregon State has been down in games,” Payne said. “Even on Friday night, they were down 18 in the third quarter and came back and went to overtime. We talked about the fact that this team is never down and out and so you have to keep your foot on the gas pedal as far as playing fast, playing hard and not letting them get going.”
With the road sweep this weekend, Colorado still sits in the No. 3 spot in the conference (18-5, 9-3 Pac-12) as it travels back to Boulder for a pair of home games against Washington State Friday at 7 p.m. and Washington Sunday at Noon.
Jaylyn Sherrod led Colorado on both ends of the court Sunday, totaling 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. She also recorded a game-high seven assists and made her defensive presence felt with seven steals.
“This was a big win for us,” Sherrod said. “I take everything personally, losses, wins, what I can do better. I think last week just really allowed me, as one of the leaders on this team, to just say you can never take a break. I just wanted to come in and fire the team up because I know my best attribute to this team is my energy.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Buffs look for season sweep against Stanford (5:00 p.m., MT, FS1)
… Related … Loss of J’Vonne Hadley could lead to better offensive spacing for CU Buffs … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 13-11 overall and 5-8 in the Pac-12 Conference after its 59-46 home win over California on Feb. 2. The win snapped a two-game skid and gave the Buffaloes 10 home wins (10-2 in 2022-23) for the 14th consecutive season.
Colorado will finish the regular season with four of its last seven at the CU Events Center. Colorado is averaging 73.0 points at home, nearly eight points per game more than on the road (65.3 ppg). The Buffaloes have enjoyed a plus-12.4 scoring margin at home. Colorado is shooting 46.7 percent at home, compared to 40.4 percent in road games. The Buffaloes are holding opponents to 60.6 points on 40.6 percent from the field at home compared to 72.1 points and 45.7 percent in road contests.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.3) and offensive rebounds (11.8 orpg), third in rebound margin (+4.5) and turnover margin (+0.9), fourth in overall rebounds (37.8 rpg) and defensive boards (26.1 drpg) and fifth in scoring defense (65.8 ppg), rebound defense (33.3 rpg) and scoring margin (+4.9).
ABOUT THE CARDINAL: Stanford is 10-12 overall and 4-7 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal have won five straight, including a 78-72 decision at Utah on Feb. 2. Stanford averages 68.9 points while shooting 44.1 percent from the field. Defensively, the Cardinal allow 65.5 points on 43.5 shooting. Stanford sports the top rebounding defense in the Pac-12 (30.9 rpg) and is second in rebound margin (+4.5).
Senior forward Spencer Jones leads the Cardinal at 13.3 points and 1.1 blocks per game. Graduate senior Michael Jones averages 9.8 points and 2.0 assists per game. Sophomore forward Harrison Ingram tops Stanford in assists (73) while averaging 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. Sophomore forward Maxime Raynaud leads the Cardinal in rebounding (5.9 rpg) while averaging 8.0 points and shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 30th meeting between Colorado and Stanford with the Buffaloes holding an 18-11 series edge. The Buffaloes have won five straight and 15 of the last 17 over the Cardinal. Colorado is 11-3 all-time against the Cardinal in Boulder and has won the last eight.
STEALING THE SHOW: Colorado tied a season-high with 13 steals in the home win over California, hitting that mark for the third time this year. It’s the sixth time this season the Buffaloes have had 10 or more steals in a game. Colorado had only one game of double-digit steals in each of the previous two seasons (2021-22 & ’20-21).
The Buffaloes rank second in the Pac-12 and 45th in the nation at 8.3 steals per game. Colorado has 200 steals on the season, its most since 2015-16 (254). The Buffaloes had 181 steals in 33 games last season (5.5 spg).
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February 3rd
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs rally from ten-point deficit to take down Cal, 59-46 – “It’s nice to get in the win column again”
… Related … Tristan da Silva powers second-half surge that lifts Colorado men’s basketball past Cal … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Tristan da Silva scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half Thursday to rally the Buffaloes to a 59-46 win over Cal at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 13-11 overall and 5-8 in Pac-12 play while ending a two-game losing streak. Cal fell to 3-19, 2-9.
The Buffs trailed by as much as 10 in the first half before cutting the deficit to three by intermission. Da Silva then scored CU’s first 12 points of the half, including the first eight of a decisive 13-0 Colorado run to give the Buffs their first lead of the game and the Buffs never trailed again.
Da Silva recorded his fourth straight game with at least 20 points and ninth of the season. KJ Simpson added 10 points, four assists and three steals while Luke O’Brien had nine points and seven rebounds and Jalen Gabbidon added nine points and four boards.
Kuany Kuany led Cal with 10 points.
While CU shot just 25 percent from the floor in the first half (6-for-24), the Buffs were 13-for-26 in the second half. But it was Colorado’s defense that made the difference. The Buffs held Cal to 37 percent shooting for the game (16-for-43) and CU forced 22 Bears turnovers — 12 in the second half — that Colorado converted into 23 points.
CU’s bench also outscored their Cal counterparts 25-10.
“It’s nice to get in the win column again,” Boyle said. “It’s a testament to their grit and their toughness and not letting that frustration on offense bleed over into defense. I’ve gotten on our guys about that at times this year when that’s happened, and tonight it didn’t happen. That credit goes to them.”
… Continue reading story here …
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February 2nd – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs look to right the ship against struggling Cal (8:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
… Related … Schedule quirks highlight second half of Pac-12 slate for CU Buffs … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 12-11 overall and 4-8 in the Pac-12 Conference after being swept on the road at the Oregon schools last week. The Buffaloes fell at Oregon, 75-69, on Jan. 26 and then at Oregon State, 60-52, on Jan. 28. Colorado has lost five of its last six games overall and is 1-7 on the road this season.
Colorado will finish the regular season with five of its last eight at the CU Events Center where the Buffaloes are 9-2 this season. Colorado is averaging 74.3 points at home, 9.0 points per game more than on the road (65.3 ppg). The Buffaloes have enjoyed a plus-12.4 scoring margin at home. Colorado is shooting 47.4 percent at home, compared to 40.4 percent in road games. The Buffaloes are holding opponents to 61.9 points on 40.8 percent from the field at home compared to 72.1 points and 45.7 percent in road contests.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.1) and offensive rebounds (11.8 orpg), third in rebound margin (+4.7) and turnover margin (+0.5), fourth in overall rebounds (38.0 rpg) and defensive boards (26.3 drpg) and fifth in scoring (71.2 ppg), scoring margin (+4.6) and rebounding defense (33.4 rpg)
Sophomore KJ Simpson leads Colorado at 16.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. He also tops the Buffaloes in free throws made (76) and is tied for the top spot in 3-pointers made (33) and steals (31).
On the Pac-12 charts Simpson is fourth in scoring, sixth in free throw percentage, seventh in assists, eighth in steals and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio. He is the only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the Top 10 in all five of those categories.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS: California is 3-18 overall and 2-8 in the Pac-12 after dropping a 75-46 decision at Stanford on Jan. 28. The Bears have lost five straight overall and are 0-6 on the road this season. California is averaging 60.2 points per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field, both figures ranking last in the Pac-12. Cal is fourth in the Pac-12 in free throw accuracy at 73.4 percent. The Bears allow opponents 68.7 points on 45.6 percent from the field.
Devin Askew leads California at 15.5 points an outing but missed eight of the last 12 games and has played only once (Jan. 22 vs. Oregon State) since the beginning of the New Year. Lars Thiemann averages 10.5 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent. Joel Brown has dished out a team-best 61 assists while averaging 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 40th meeting between Colorado and California with the Buffaloes holding a 21-18 lead. California won the first meeting of the season, 80-76 in Berkeley on Dec. 31. Overall the Buffaloes have won eight of the last 11 meetings. Colorado is 13-2 all-time against California in Boulder and has won the last five at the CU Events Center.
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January 29th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to 4-8 in Pac-12 play with 60-52 loss to Oregon State – Boyle: “I wish I had the answers right now. It’s nobody’s fault but mine”
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s offense went cold after a hot start Saturday and the Buffaloes’ road woes continued as CU dropped a 60-52 decision to Oregon State at Gill Coliseum.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 12-11 overall and 4-8 in Pac-12 play while losing for the seventh time in eight road games this season. The Beavers improved to 9-13, 3-8.
Colorado led by seven early and still had a two-point edge seven minutes into the second half. But the Beavers used an 11-0 run to take control and CU never came closer than three again.
Colorado’s Tristan da Silva recorded his second career double-double, finishing with a career-high 15 rebounds and 22 points, including CU’s last 13 points of the game. But J’Vonne Hadley was the only other Buff in double figures, finishing with 11 points. KJ Simpson, the Pac-12’s third leading scorer, had his second straight off night, finishing with just four points on 1-for-13 shooting.
Jordan Pope led the Beavers with 19 points, including five 3-pointers in the second half.
The Buffs once again hurt themselves with turnovers, committing 13 miscues that led to 15 OSU points. Colorado shot just 35 percent from the floor (21-for-60), including an 11-for-36 effort in the second half. The Beavers shot just 38 percent (18-for-47), but hit 17 of their 22 free throws while the Buffs were 3-for-7 from the stripe.
“I wish I had the answers right now,” Boyle said. “I don’t, but it’s my job. It’s nobody’s fault but mine and I have to do a better job with this basketball team.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 28th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs look to regroup against 8-13 Oregon State (8:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
From the Daily Camera … Repeating what they did the first time against Oregon State might be a little much to ask. The Colorado men’s basketball team learned as much on Thursday night at Oregon.
Still, the Saturday night Pac-12 Conference battle in Corvallis (8:30 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network) represents an opportunity to stop the bleeding in regard to the Buffaloes’ road woes. The Buffs held Oregon State to a season-low 42 points in a home win on Jan. 7, harassing the Beavers to a .340 mark from the field while forcing 19 turnovers.
Two days prior to that win, the Buffs held Oregon to 42 points, the lowest scoring total for the Ducks in 13 seasons under head coach Dana Altman. The Ducks got their revenge on Thursday, shooting .491 while defeating CU 75-69. It was a stark reminder for the Buffs it won’t be as easy to pick up a win against OSU in the rematch.
“We’ve got to make sure our defense is still on-point,” CU wing Nique Clifford said. “That’s the biggest thing for us. Defense and rebounding, like always. I think we have to finish better as a team at the rim. Easy shots weren’t falling for us (at Oregon), but we got to find a way to win when that’s not happening. Which is where the defense comes in. We have to be ready to go when the time comes on Sunday.”
… Notes … CU was at No. 63 in Saturday’s NET rankings and began the day at No. 55 at KenPom.com. OSU was No. 224 in the NET and No. 211 at KenPom…The Buffs have won six of the past seven matchups with OSU and lead the all-time series 21-10…OSU guard Jordan Pope is the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after he averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists during a road split in the Bay Area last week. He went 5-for-11 but just 1-for-5 on 3-pointers with 11 points during a home loss on Thursday against Utah…The Buffs are forcing 14.7 turnovers per game, good for second in the Pac-12.
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No. 25 CU women knock off No. 8 UCLA in OT, 73-70, with last-second three-pointer
From CUBuffs.com … For the second time this season, the No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes knocked off the No. 8 team in the country. The UCLA Bruins were the victims this time, with the Buffs prevailing on a last-second shot in overtime, 73-70.
“First of all, thanks to the huge crowd that came out tonight,” head coach JR Payne expressed. “Hopefully, we’ll continue to grow [in size]. Also, unbelievably proud of our ballclub tonight. So many different people stepped up in the first half. We had some foul trouble in the first half. Other people came in, gave great minutes, executed down the stretch and executed new plays and new positions. Huge shots, Kindyll that shot was just one of the biggest shots that we’ve seen all year, and I’m just so proud of Kin. She’s been working on her game and putting in that time and has gotten so much confidence. I’m unbelievably proud of our team tonight. And I just think it was a great night.”
Sophomore Kindyll Wetta hit her first-ever game-winning shot with 1.9 seconds left in overtime sending the crowd of 2,227 into a frenzy. The win was the Buffs’ 12th straight at the CUEC and the team’s third against a top-15 team this season.
“I’ve never made a game-winning shot,” Wetta said after the win. “Not even in middle school or high school, but tonight I mean, it felt good. I knew that I was probably in the open. I saw them sag early, so I was ready to shoot.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 27th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to Oregon on the road, 75-69 – “Our guys battled their tails off, but they didn’t finish”
… Related … Comeback bid falls short as Oregon holds off Colorado men’s basketball … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado kept it close down the stretch but could never quite get over the hump Thursday and the Buffaloes dropped a 75-69 decision to Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 12-10 overall and 4-7 in Pac-12 play with their sixth loss in seven road games while the Ducks improved to 12-9, 6-4.
Tristan da Silva led CU with 23 points and Nique Clifford added a career-high 17. KJ Simpson had eight points — only the second time this year he has not scored in double digits — and Luke O’Brien had a team-high seven rebounds.
Quincy Guerrier led the Ducks with 16.
Colorado trailed by six at intermission and by as much as 11 midway through the second half. But the Buffs’ full-court press forced a string of Oregon turnovers and CU managed to cut the gap to one, 63-62, with five minutes to play.
That, however, was as close as the Buffs could come. Oregon stretched its lead back to six, then hit six free throws in the final 1:08 to keep Colorado at bay.
The Buffs managed to stay in the game despite shooting just 37 percent from the floor (24-for-65) while Oregon shot 26-for-53. CU forced 18 Oregon turnovers and converted them into 13 points — but the Buffs still fell to 1-6 this year when forcing at least 18 miscues by the opponent.
“Our guys battled their tails off,” Boyle said. “When you shoot 36 percent and they shoot 49 percent and you’re still in the game, it shows our fight, our competitiveness and our grit. All you can ask us is that they give you everything they’ve got and I felt like they did tonight — but we didn’t finish.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 26th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs in need of a road breakthrough in order to get back in the Pac-12 race (at Oregon, 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
… Related … Different Oregon squad awaiting CU Buffs men’s basketball in Pac-12 rematch … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 12-9 overall and 4-6 in the Pac-12 Conference after splitting a home series with the Washington schools last week. The Buffaloes dropped a 75-72 decision to Washington on Jan. 19 and bounced back with a last-second, 58-55, win over Washington State on Jan. 22. The win snapped a three-game skid as the Buffaloes improved to 9-2 at home on the season. Overall Colorado has won eight of its last 12.
Colorado was held under 60 points for the fourth time this season, but first in a win. The Buffaloes shot an even 50 percent from the field hitting 21 of 42. The last time Colorado shot at least 50 percent in a game, but was held under 60 points was Feb. 23, 2008, in a 60-53 loss at Missouri (shot 51.1 percent, 24-47).
The 42 field goal attempts were a season-low and fewest since shooting 41 against Stanford on Feb. 8, 2020; an 81-74 win at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes were 30 of 40 from the line in that game.
The Buffaloes held Washington State, the top 3-point shooting team in the Pac-12 entering the game (8.8 made per game, .364), to a 25.0 shooting percent from that range (4-16).
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.1) and rebounding margin (+5.3), third in offensive rebounds (11.6 orpg), defensive rebounds (+26.7 drpg) and turnover margin (+0.2), fourth in scoring (72.2 ppg) and rebounding (38.3 rpg) and fifth in shooting (.449) scoring margin (+5.7).
ABOUT THE DUCKS: Oregon is 11-9 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-12 after splitting on the road at the Bay Area schools last week. The Ducks average 70.2 points while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Defensively, the Ducks allow 66.3 points while opponents shoot 41.6 percent.
Will Richardson leads Oregon at 14.0 points, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is second in the Pac-12 in assists and third in steals. N’Fale Dante averages 13.2 points and leads the Ducks in field goal shooting (.620) and rebounding (7.6 rpg). Jermaine Cousinard averages 13.7 points and is hitting 46.3 percent from the field. Former Buffalo Keeshawn Barthelemy has returned to action after missing the game in Boulder with an injury. He is averaging 8.4 points and 2.0 assists over eight contests.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 28th meeting between Colorado and Oregon with the Buffaloes holding a 16-11 series lead. Colorado won the first matchup of the season, a 68-41 decision at the CU Events Center. Last year, the Buffaloes snapped a six-game losing skid in Eugene, with an 82-78 triumph on Jan. 25. Oregon holds a 9-3 edge over the Buffaloes in Eugene.
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… Read full story here …
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January 24th
… CU in the Arena …
CU signee Cody Williams named to McDonald’s All American team
From ESPN … Headlined by Bronny James and four Kentucky signees, 22 of the top 23 prospects in the ESPN 100 have been named to the 46th annual McDonald’s All American Game.
The rosters were unveiled Tuesday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
Kentucky, which has the No. 1 recruiting class in 2023, leads the way with its four signees. Top prospect Justin Edwards, No. 3 D.J. Wagner and No. 4 Aaron Bradshaw headline the Wildcats’ group, while No. 21-ranked Reed Sheppard rounds out the quartet. Robert Dillingham, the fifth member of John Calipari’s top-ranked class, was ineligible since he joined Overtime Elite after leaving Donda Academy (California).
Overall, 15 colleges and the G League Ignite program are represented on the rosters.
Only one uncommitted player was selected to this year’s roster: Bronny James, son of LeBron James. James, a 6-foot-3 guard from Sierra Canyon High School (California), has consistently improved his game during his high school career and is now considered one of the better two-way guards in the class. He’s being recruited by Oregon, Ohio State, USC and others.
The McDonald’s All American Games, both boys’ and girls’, will take place in Houston on March 28 at the Toyota Center.
East
Xavier Booker, 6-10, 210 lbs., C, Michigan State (No. 7)
Aaron Bradshaw, 7-0, 215 lbs., C, Kentucky (No. 4)
Matas Buzelis, 6-9, 195 lbs., SF, G League Ignite (No. 9)
Stephon Castle, 6-6, 190 lbs., PG, UConn (No. 15)
Justin Edwards, 6-7, 190 lbs., SF, Kentucky (No. 1)
Kwame Evans, 6-9, 200 lbs., PF, Oregon (No. 13)
Aden Holloway, 6-1, 165 lbs., PG, Auburn (No. 17)
Elmarko Jackson, 6-3, 185 lbs., SG, Kansas (No. 22)
Mackenzie Mgbako, 6-8, 195 lbs., Duke (No. 8)
Sean Stewart, 6-8, 230 lbs., PF, Duke (No. 16)
D.J. Wagner, 6-2, 175 lbs., PG, Kentucky (No. 2)
Cody Williams, 6-7, 185 lbs., SF, Colorado (No. 6)
West
Omaha Biliew, 6-9, 210 lbs., PF, Iowa State (No. 10)
Isaiah Collier, 6-4, 205 lbs., PG, USC (No. 3)
Mookie Cook, 6-7, 210 lbs., SF, Oregon (No. 18)
Baye Fall, 6-11, 217 lbs, C, Arkansas (No. 19)
Jeremy Fears, 6-2, 180 lbs., PG, Michigan State (No. 20)
Brandon Garrison, 6-9, 205 lbs., C, Oklahoma State (No. 30)
Ron Holland, 6-8, 200 lbs., PF, Texas (No. 5)
Bronny James, 6-3, 180 lbs., PG, Undecided (No. 28)
Jared McCain, 6-3, 195 lbs., SF, Duke (No. 12)
Reed Sheppard, 6-2, 175 lbs., SG, Kentucky (No. 21)
Andrej Stojakovic, 6-7, 185 lbs., SF, Stanford (No. 23)
Ja’Kobe Walter, 6-5, 185 lbs., SG, Baylor (No. 14)
…. Read full story here …
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January 22nd – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
KJ Simpson three-pointer with four seconds remaining gives CU a 58-55 win over Washington State
… Related … Slow start dooms Buffs as No. 4 Stanford takes down No. 24 CU, 62-49 … from CUBuffs.com
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s KJ Simpson hit the deciding 3-pointer in the final seconds and Tristan da Silva scored 27 points to lead the Buffaloes to a 58-55 win over Washington State on Sunday at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 12-9 overall and 4-6 in Pac-12 play while breaking a three-game losing streak. WSU fell to 9-12, 4-6.
Simpson’s 3-pointer came with 4.8 seconds on the clock after the Cougars had tied the game at 55-55. WSU then missed a shot at the buzzer to help the Buffs end their skid.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado took a 26-25 lead at the half, thanks to a closing 13-2 run. But the Buffs gave up the lead early in the second half, opening the door for five lead changes and two ties over the first 12 minutes of the period.
Colorado finally broke a 43-43 tie when J’Vonne Hadley hit a free throw with 7:48 to play, the beginning of a 4-0 CU run. The Buffs kept their lead at four over the next four minutes, getting a KJ Simpson dunk and a Tristan da Silva bucket inside off a Simpson assist for a 51-47 CU edge with 3:23 to play.
But the Cougars cut Colorado’s lead to one, 53-52, with 1:43 to play on a TJ Bamba basket, then got another Bamba bucket after a timeout to take a 54-53 lead with 42 seconds to play.
Simpson hit two free throws to give the Buffs the lead again with 35 seconds remaining. But Bamba hit one of two from the stripe to tie the game at 55-55 with 26 seconds on the clock and Colorado called a timeout to set up its final possession.
Simpson then dribbled to the top of the circle and calmly drilled a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds on the clock to give Colorado a 58-55 lead. The Cougars missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Buffs walked off with a much-needed win.
Turnovers plagued the Buffs early as 11 miscues in the opening 14 minutes led to 11 points for the Cougars and a 23-13 WSU lead.
But Colorado finally found its rhythm late in the half while the defense stepped up its pressure. The Buffs put together a 13-0 run over a four-minute span to take a 26-23 lead with 2:17 to play in the half. Tristan da Silva had eight of his 14 first-half points in the surge, KJ Simpson had three and J’Vonne Hadley had a steal and dunk.
Defensively, Colorado forced seven straight empty WSU possessions in the run.
WSU finally ended a four-minute scoring drought with a basket in the final two minutes, sending Colorado into the locker room at intermission with a 26-25 lead.
… Continue reading story here …
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On a three-game losing streak, Buffs in desperate need of a win over Washington State
… Related … Colorado men’s basketball looks to small goals in hopes of ending slide against WSU … from the Daily Camera
… Related … Women’s basketball: No. 24 CU Buffs, No. 4 Stanford battle for first place … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 11-9 overall and 3-6 in the Pac-12 Conference after dropping a 75-72 decision to Washington on Jan. 19 at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes have lost three in a row for the first time this season and four of six games overall. Colorado fell at home for just the second time this season (8-2), seeing a six-game home winning streak end at the hand of the Huskies.
Colorado dropped back-to-back games on the L.A. road swing last week. It was a rare road sweep against the Buffaloes. Colorado had gone eight-straight multi-game Pac-12 road trips with at least one win. The Buffaloes left L.A. without a win on the standard two-game road trip for just the second time in the Pac-12 era and first since 2015-16.
Colorado leads the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds (11.9 orpg) while ranking second in steals (8.3 spg) and rebounding margin (+5.4), third in scoring (73.0 ppg) and rebounding (38.7 rpg), fourth in turnover margin (+0.2) and defensive boards (26.9 drpg) and fifth in scoring margin (+5.8).
Colorado had 13 steals against Washington, tying a season high (at Grambling State) and reaching double-digits for the fifth time this season, but is only 2-3 in those contests. The Buffaloes had just one instance of double-figure steals in each of the previous two seasons (2020-21 and ’21-22).
Colorado forced Washington into 22 turnovers, the most by a Buffaloes’ opponent since UC Irvine had 22 on Nov. 18, 2019. It’s the most turnovers forced in a loss since Dec. 9, 2006, when Colorado State had 24, but defeated the Buffaloes 72-69 at the CU Events Center.
On an odd note, Colorado dropped to 1-5 this season when forcing 18-plus turnovers and 0-2 forcing 21 or more (21 by Cal). Prior to this season, the Buffaloes had won 21 of 24 games when forcing at least 18 turnovers dating back to March of 2012. Washington moved to 2-0 when committing at least 20 turnovers this season (23 vs. St. Mary’s).
Sophomore KJ Simpson leads Colorado at 17.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. He also tops the Buffaloes in field goals (117), 3-pointers (32) and free throws made (65). Simpson’s numbers have stayed steady during league games, averaging 16.6 points with a team-best 29 assists.
ABOUT THE COUGARS: Washington State is 9-11 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-12 after dropping a 77-63 decision at Utah on Jan. 19, snapping a three-game winning streak. The Cougars are 2-5 in road games but sport a huge win at Arizona, 74-61, on Jan. 7. Washington State averages 68.7 points on 43.3 percent shooting. The Cougars are the top 3-point shooting team in the Pac-12, making 8.8 per game and 36.4 percent from downtown. Washington State allows 65.5 points per game, ranking third-best in the Pac-12.
Junior guard TJ Bamba leads Washington State in scoring at 15.1 points per game, but has missed the last three contests. Sophomore forward Mouhamed Gueye is averaging 14.0 points while leading the Cougars in rebounding (8.0 rpg), blocks (18) and field goal percentage (.493). Junior guard Jabe Mullins averages 11.2 points, primarily off the bench, and is the Pac-12’s leader in 3-point shooting at 48.2 percent. Junior guard Justin Powell averages 10.1 points and paces Washington State in assists (3.0 apg) and 3-pointers made (43).
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 25th meeting between Colorado and Washington State, and the only regular season meeting in 2022-23, with the Buffaloes holding a 17-7 series edge. The teams split last season, each winning at home. Colorado has won eight of the last 12 in the series and is a perfect 11-0 against Washington State in Boulder.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 21st
… CU in the Arena …
No. 24 CU women take down Cal for seventh straight win; to face No. 4 Stanford in showdown for Pac-12 supremacy
… Note … No. 24 Colorado (15-3, 6-1) will take on No. 4 Stanford (16-2, 6-1) for the Pac-12 lead on Sunday at 3:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12 Networks) …
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Quay Miller put in a career-high 26 points to help the Buffaloes pick up their seventh consecutive win on Friday. The Buffs overcame a 3-point fourth-quarter deficit on their way to the 73-66 win at Haas Pavilion.
“I think that my scoring came from my energy—everyone’s energy to be honest,” Miller said of her career day. “We tend to find the person with the hot and a lot. It comes naturally. It’s not like we’re trying to force it to me, Netty [Vonleh], Frida [Formann] or anyone who is going off. That’s just the flow of our offense. If someone’s in a rhythm, we just keep that rhythm going.”
Colorado (15-3, 6-1 Pac-12) trailed to start the fourth quarter for just the third time this season. The Buffs weren’t phased, using a 30-point effort in the final quarter to put away the Golden Bears. CU went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and went 80% (16-20) from the line on the day.
“I 100% expected the game to look like this—an athletic matchup with a lot of back and forth,” head coach JR Payne expressed after the win. “They have players that have the confidence and ability to hit really big shots when they need to and they rebound. I expected it to be exactly how it was. I was really proud of our team down the stretch. We executed and hit some big shots. Kindyll [Wetta] had a baseline runner. Quay some in a row that were huge and we got stops and hit free throws when we needed to.”
… CU has now won seven in a row…The Buffs are now 6-3 on the road this season…CU’s 30 fourth-quarter points were the most in a quarter this season and the most since posting 32 in the 1st quarter at Denver (Dec. 12, 2019)…Friday was Miller’s 8th career 20-point game (four this season)…Sadler tied a season-high with eight rebounds…Vonleh has scored 10+ points in 13 straight games…Formann passed Brittany Wilson for 13th on CU’s career 3-point list with 141.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 20th
… CU in the Arena …
Buff rally falls short as CU falls at home to Washington, 75-72
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado struggled against Washington’s zone all night Thursday and a furious CU rally came up just short at the end as the Buffaloes dropped a 75-72 decision at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 11-9 overall and 3-6 in Pac-12 play while Washington improved to 12-8, 4-5.
The Buffs trailed for nearly the entire game and Washington led by as much as 13 early in the second half. But CU managed to shave the deficit down to 73-72 in the final minute and had a chance to take the lead after collecting a steal with 18 seconds remaining.
But the Buffs turned the ball over with six seconds left and Washington hit two free throws with 4.7 on the clock to complete the scoring.
Sophomore guard Julian Hammond III led CU with 18 points while Tristan da Silva scored 17 and KJ Simpson added 11.
Keion Brooks scored 25 for Washington.
Colorado shot just 44 percent from the floor (28-for-64), including a season-low 3-for-19 (16 percent) from 3-point range.
But the big difference for the Buffs came on the defensive end. The Huskies shot 54 percent from the floor for the game (27-for-50), including a 64 percent effort in the second half (14-for-22). UW also hit nine of its 20 3-point tries.
The Buffs connected on just 13 of their 20 free throw tries while the Huskies were 12-for-14 from the line.
Colorado’s defense did force 22 turnovers and collect 25 points off those UW miscues, but it wasn’t enough.
“This was a really, really disappointing loss,” Boyle said. “You score 72 points at home, it’s good enough to win. There’s a lot of ways you can look at this game and see how we lost it. You can look at the free throw line, you can look at our defense in the second half when they shoot almost 64 percent in our building. We did a great job creating turnovers but we just couldn’t get over the hump. We had some really good looks that didn’t go in and at some point you have to make shots to help yourself.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 19th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
CU facing a must-win situation with Washington in town (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPNU)
From CUBuffs.com … While Tad Boyle‘s Colorado Buffaloes might not have their backs completely against the wall, there’s no doubt they have precious little wiggle room as they attempt to keep their postseason hopes alive.
But at the moment, Boyle isn’t as concerned about March possibilities as he is about January realities — and the reality is his Buffs (11-8 overall, 3-5 Pac-12) need a couple of wins to regain their confidence.
The good news is the Buffs are back at home this week after a disappointing Los Angeles road trip. CU had second-half leads against both USC and UCLA, but couldn’t close the deal in either game and came home empty-handed.
Now, they need to conjure up some home cooking and shift momentum back in the right direction. CU’s homestand starts Thursday with a 7 p.m. game against Washington (11-8, 3-5), followed by a 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon matchup with Washington State (9-10, 4-4).
The Buffaloes’ top concern this week will be correcting a turnover issue that served as the biggest reason for their last two losses. In the two games in California, the Buffs committed 45 turnovers and also had 20 of their shots blocked.
That adds up to 65 empty possessions over two games, the vast majority of which never even resulted in the Buffs getting the ball to the rim.
But there’s also no doubt Colorado has simply been a much better team at home. CU sports an 8-1 record at the Events Center this year, where they have averaged 15 more points per game than their opponents. On the road, they are 1-5 and have been outscored by an average of seven points per game.
There may be no better example of the home-road discrepancy than junior forward Tristan da Silva, who has been unstoppable at home — averaging 19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds — but has averaged just 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in road games.
Da Silva, though, isn’t the only key to Colorado’s success. Point guard KJ Simpson has been a steady force, averaging 17.8 points per game (second in the Pac-12), freshman Javon Ruffin had 23 points last week for his first back-to-back double-digit scoring games as a Buff, and sophomore big man Lawson Lovering had his first career double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds against USC.
QUICK LOOK WASHINGTON (11-8, 3-5): The Buffs and Huskies are currently tied in the Pac-12 standings, with Washington owning a 73-63 win over Colorado in early December. The Buffs committed 18 turnovers in the loss that led to 25 UW points.
The Huskies are led by junior forward Keion Brooks, who is averaging 16.9 points per game as well as a team-leading 7.3 rebounds.
UW brings a two-game win streak to Boulder with home wins last week against Stanford and Cal. But the Huskies are also 0-4 away from home this season.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 16th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women jump into Top 25: “It feels great”
From the Daily Camera … The Colorado women’s basketball team is on a roll and the nation is starting to notice.
On Monday, the Buffaloes (14-3, 5-1 Pac-12) jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 rankings for the first time this season, at No. 24.
CU knocked off then-No. 14 Arizona, 72-65, on Friday – a week after upsetting No. 8 Utah, 77-67, in Boulder.
“It feels great,” CU head coach JR Payne said after the Arizona game of having back-to-back upsets. “I think our coaching staff does a great job of just focusing on every single day.”
South Carolina remains at No. 1, while CU is one of six Pac-12 schools in the rankings, along with No. 4 Stanford, No. 8 Utah, No. 9 UCLA, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Oregon.
The Buffs quickly turned their focus to this week. They visit California (10-7, 1-5) on Friday before a road test at Stanford (17-2, 5-1) on Sunday.
“It’s great; we beat Arizona, but Sunday’s practice nobody cares about that anymore,” Payne said. “We’re very focused on: what do we need to do to be great today? … We try to play the same brand of basketball every single day.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 14th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs give up a 17-0 second half run (33-10 in final ten minutes) in 68-54 road loss to No. 7 UCLA
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado gave up a decisive 17-0 run to UCLA in the second half Saturday, part of a 33-10 finishing surge by the Bruins, and the Buffaloes dropped a 68-54 decision at Pauley Pavilion.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 11-8 overall and 3-5 in Pac-12 play with their second straight loss. UCLA won its 13th straight game to improve to 16-2, 7-0.
The Buffs led by three at the half and by nine midway through the second half, 44-35, despite a raft of turnovers. But the Bruins stormed back with a 17-0 run over a five-minute span and ended up outscoring the Buffaloes 33-10 over the final 10 minutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado weathered an early storm that saw the Buffs commit six turnovers in the first nine minutes to take a 31-28 lead at the half.
CU trailed 16-13 at the 9:21 mark but put together an 8-0 run to take the lead. KJ Simpson had a pair of buckets in the surge, Tristan da Silva added a pair of free throws and a Luke O’Brien basket gave the Buffs a 21-16 lead.
Colorado then pushed its lead to 29-0 on the heels of a 6-0 run. Simpson hit a pair of free throws, Javon Ruffin drove for a bucket and Javon Hadley scored inside to give Colorado its biggest cushion of the half.
But the Bruins put together an 8-2 run over the final two minutes of the half, leaving CU with a three-point edge at intermission.
The Buffs committed 10 turnovers in the first half that led to 14 UCLA points, and they also allowed the Bruins to turn eight offensive rebounds into seven second-chance points.
But Colorado was stellar on the defensive end, holding UCLA to 11-for-28 shooting in the first half, including an 0-for-7 goose egg from long range.
The Buffs appeared ready to take control in the opening minutes of the second half. Colorado built its lead to nine when a KJ Simpson three-point play gave the Buffs a 44-35 edge with 10:21 to play.
But the wheels fell off in a hurry. The Bruins proceeded to fashion a 17-0 run that included their first 3-pointer of the game and with 6:09 on the clock, UCLA held a 52-44 lead.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU faces tough road test v. No. 7 UCLA (Fox, 6:00 p.m., MT)
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 11-7 overall and 3-4 in the Pac-12 Conference after falling to USC 68-61 on Jan. 12th. The Buffaloes saw a two-game winning streak come to an end, but overall have won seven of their last nine overall.
Colorado has won at least one game on each of its last eight multi-game Pac-12 road trips and will need a win against a Top 10 UCLA team to keep that streak alive. The Buffaloes have dropped three of four Pac-12 road contests this season.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (8.1 spg), offensive rebounds (11.5 orpg) and rebounding margin (+5.9), third in scoring (74.1 ppg) and turnover margin (+0.4), fourth in defensive rebounds (27.5 drpg) and overall rebounds (39.0 rpg) and fifth in field goal shooting (.454), 3-point percentage (.324), 3-pointers made (6.7 3mpg), assists (14.1 apg) and scoring margin (+7.4).
Sophomore KJ Simpson leads Colorado at 17.8 points and 3.9 assists per game. He also tops the Buffaloes in field goals (107), 3-pointers (31) and free throws made (58).
Simpson had 17 points on 7 of 14 shooting at USC, leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the 10th time this season. He has scored in double figures in 16 of his 17 games in 2022-23. The lone scoring effort was six against Oregon State, but in that game he tied a career and team-season high with six assists and grabbed seven rebounds.
ABOUT THE BRUINS: No. 7 (AP) UCLA is 15-2 overall and leads the Pac-12 at 6-0. The Bruins are on a 12-game winning streak overall and are a perfect 10-0 at home this season. UCLA averages 77.2 points per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. The Bruins are the top 3-point shooting team in the Pac-12 at 37.1 percent. Defensively, UCLA allows a league-low 60.1 points per game. The Bruins also top the Pac-12 in steals (8.5 spg) and turnover margin (+6.9).
Senior Jaime Jaquez, Jr., leads UCLA at 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the field. Jaylen Clark averages 14.0 points and leads the Pac-12 in steals at 2.6 per game. Tyger Campbell averages 13.5 points and is sixth in the Pac-12 in assists at 4.8 per game. David Singleton averages 10.4 points and shoots 47.4 percent from 3-point range.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 24th meeting between Colorado and UCLA with the Bruins holding a 16-7 advantage. UCLA swept the home and home last season and has won five of the last six overall. UCLA holds an 11-2 advantage in Los Angeles and has won the last three at Pauley Pavilion. Colorado’s two wins in Los Angeles came in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU women take out No. 14 Arizona, 72-65
... Related … Frida Formann leads CU Buffs to upset of No. 14 Arizona … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … The CU Event Center continues to haunt visiting opponents as the Colorado women’s basketball team won its 11th consecutive game on the home court on Friday. The Buffaloes defeated its second top-15 team in as many games, handing No. 14/10 Arizona a 72-65 loss on its way out of Boulder.
Prior to this season, CU had only beaten top-15 teams in consecutive games once, notching wins over No. 13 Oregon and No. 10 Tennessee. The Buffs defeated No. 14 Iowa State and No. 13 Texas Tech in the 2001-02 season but had two wins against unranked opponents sandwiched in between.
“I’m so happy, so proud and so many different people stepped up in huge key moments,” head coach JR Payne said after the win. “It wasn’t just Frida’s [Formann] 3 it was Tayanna’s [Jones] rebound it was Quay’s [Miller] box out and it was Jaylyn’s [Sherrod] attack to draw the foul. So many different people came up big, and our composure was great. Or free throws were not so great down the stretch, but so much composure execution, defensive switching and a great team win. I’m very proud of our ballclub.”
Colorado (14-3, 5-1 Pac-12) fresh off a 10-point win over then-No. 8 Utah, needed every bit of Friday’s contest to win its second ranked game of the season. Frida Formann went 5-for-8 from the 3-point line and finished with a season-high 23 points.
Quay Miller and Arizona transfer Aaronette Vonleh also had big nights for the Buffs. Miller totaled all nine of her rebounds on the defensive glass and finished with 13 points. Vonleh set a career-high with her nine rebounds and went 6-for-8 from the field against her former team.
“Honestly, going into it, I didn’t know what it would be like or what my emotions would be,” Vonleh said about playing her old teammates. “Once we got started, it was just a regular game for me.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 13th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs squander opportunities in 68-61 loss to USC
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado couldn’t overcome a season-high 22 turnovers Thursday and the Buffaloes dropped a 68-61 decision to Southern California at the Galen Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Pac-12 play while the Trojans improved to 12-5, 4-2.
Colorado trailed by 12 early but cut the deficit to two at intermission, then took a four-point lead early in the second half. But CU’s turnovers continued to inflict a toll as the Trojans reeled off a 10-0 run to regain the lead and Colorado could never completely overcome the deficit again.
CU sophomore center Lawson Lovering recorded the first double-double of his career with 13 points and 14 rebounds, both career highs. KJ Simpson finished with 17 points, Tristan da Silva added 13 and Javon Ruffin chipped in 12.
Drew Peterson led USC with 15 points.
Along with committing 22 turnovers, the Buffs also had nine of their shots blocked. CU did have a commanding 44-29 edge on the boards and the Buffs held USC to 43 percent shooting (26-for-61).
But Colorado shot just 41 percent from the floor, including 5-for-17 from beyond the arc. Combined with the 22 turnovers that led to 20 USC points, the Buffs didn’t have enough down the stretch to steal a win and their three-game win streak on the Trojans’ home floor came to an end.
“When you get nine shots blocked and you turn it over 22 times you’re not going to beat anybody, I don’t care who you’re playing,” Boyle said. “Tip our hat to our guys. They competed their tails off. They really did, to have a four-point lead the second half and play that badly on offense. It says something about our grit and toughness, but we’re just not playing very smart.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 12th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
CU Class of 2023 Signee Cody Williams becomes the highest-ranked hoops signee in school history
From BuffStampede.com … Cody Williams was already the highest ranked signee in the modern recruiting era of Colorado men’s basketball. And now, with Williams’ move up to No. 8 on the updated 247Sports rankings for the class of 2023, he is the highest ranked Buffaloes hoops signee ever.
Colorado previously had two other five-star prospects sign in its history. David Harrison ranked No. 10 nationally by Rivals100.com in 2001 and Chauncey Billups ranked No. 18 nationally coming out of George Washington High School in Denver in 1996.
“The ascension of Cody Williams has been both steady and consistent,” 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi wrote. “After seeing more of the 6-foot-8 wing from Arizona this winter, there was no way to deny him a fifth star. He’s moved all the way up to No. 8 overall and it is quite possible that he could keep rising.
“In addition to his ideal size and length for the wing, Williams is proving to be a deft ball handler, clever passer and skilled scorer. He’s improved his first step and overall explosiveness and still appears to be scratching at the surface of his long-term potential.”
Williams is also now part of 247Sports’ must-see “Big 8” list.
… Continue reading story here …
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Buffs try to sustain momentum on LA road trip (CU at USC, 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
… Related … Rivalry renewed as Colorado men’s basketball looks to extend streak at USC’s Galen Center … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … After taking care of business last week on a crucial two-game homestand, Colorado heads west this week for a two-game road trip that could give the Buffaloes a big boost in several critical areas.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs open the trip Thursday with a 7 p.m. (MT) game at Southern California (Pac-12 Networks) followed by a 6 p.m. game Saturday at seventh-ranked UCLA (Fox).
While the Buffs (11-6 overall, 3-3 Pac-12) aren’t even at the halfway point of the conference season, this is one of those road trips that offers all kinds of opportunity.
One win would adhere to Boyle’s minimum standards for conference success — earn at least a split on the road and protect your home court.
But two victories would be huge in terms of the Buffs NET rating, their NCAA Tournament resumé and their place in the conference standings.
The Buffs are currently sitting in the low 60s in the NET, one of the key measuring sticks of the NCAA Tournament selection committee. They are also currently sitting in seventh place in the Pac-12 standings, well out of the top four spots that give a team a first-round conference tournament bye.
But two wins would improve those numbers significantly — especially one at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion against the league-leading Bruins (14-2, 5-0).
The Bruins, though, aren’t the Buffs’ major concern at the moment. Rather, all their attention is focused on the front end of the West Coast trip, Thursday’s meeting with the Trojans (11-5, 3-2). Andy Enfield’s team has had an up-and-down season thus far, but they are coming off a narrow 60-58 loss last week to UCLA, and they do own victories over Washington and Cal, two teams that have beaten Colorado this year.
Aside from the shocking loss at Cal, the Buffs have been playing some of their best basketball of the season over the last month. They have won two in a row, including last weekend’s sweep of Oregon and Oregon State, and seven of their last eight.
But now the schedule gets tougher.
QUICK LOOK USC (11-5, 3-2): The Trojans own wins over Brigham Young and Colorado State, but also lost to Tennessee (who CU beat) and Washington State.
Still, they are a talented bunch that is capable of playing at a high level. Guards Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson combined are averaging nearly 30 points per game while big man Joshua Morgan leads the league in blocked shots, averaging nearly three per game.
But perhaps most importantly, the Trojans are 7-1 at home this year, with their only Galen Center loss coming at the hands of Florida Gulf Coast in the season opener.
“We’ve got to make good decisions,” Boyle said. “They kind of funnel everything to Morgan because they want the ball coming at him and then he contests shots, blocks shots, changes shots and discourages shots.”
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January 11th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women’s Sunday game v. Arizona State canceled due to Sun Devil forfeit
Press release from CUBuffs.com … Sunday’s basketball game against Arizona State, initially set for a noon tip-off has been canceled and ruled a forfeit in favor of Colorado.
Arizona State was forced to forfeit both of its games this weekend due to injuries within the Sun Devil program.
Per Pac-12 policy, the game will count as a win for the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 standings. Per NCAA policy, the game will not affect the team’s overall records.
The Buffs will still host No. 14/10 Arizona on Friday as scheduled. The game is set for a 7 p.m. MT tip and will be on the Pac-12 Networks.
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January 9th
… CU in the Arena …
For the second week in a row, a Buff has been named Pac-12 POTW – This time it’s Tristan da Silva
From CUBuffs.com …University of Colorado junior forward Tristan da Silva has been named the Pac-12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts during week of Jan. 2-8, the conference office announced on Monday.
Da Silva, a native of Munich, Germany, averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists during a Pac-12 home sweep of the Oregon schools last week. He shot 66.7 percent from the field (18-27), including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and 70 percent from the free throw line (7-10).
Da Silva scored a career-high 30 points on 11 of 17 from the field to lead the Buffaloes to a 68-41 win over Oregon on Jan. 5. He matched personal bests in steals with three as well as in field goals made and free throws attempted (seven).
A second-team Preseason All-Pac-12 team selection, da Silva had 17 points, on 7 of 10 shooting, five rebounds and a pair of steals in the 62-42 in over Oregon State on Jan. 7.
Defensively, da Silva helped the Buffaloes hold Oregon to its lowest point total since 2009 and the 83 points allowed during the week were the fewest in back-to-back conference games since the 1948-49 season.
The Player of the Week honor is the first for da Silva and the third for the Buffaloes this season as KJ Simpson has been honored twice, on Nov. 14 and last week (Jan. 2). It’s the second time two different Buffaloes have been named Pac-12 Player of the Week during the same season. The other came in 2012-13 when Askia Booker and Andre Roberson were both honored once.
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January 8th
... CU in the Arena …
Buffs use stifling defense to take down Oregon State, 62-42
From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes made sure complacency didn’t set in Saturday night.
Instead, Tad Boyle‘s Buffs ratcheted up the defensive pressure for the second game in a row and smothered Oregon State, 62-42, at the CU Events Center.
Colorado’s second straight win and seventh in its last eight games improved CU to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Pac-12 play. The Beavers lost their 17th straight road game and fell to 7-9, 1-4.
Two nights after stifling Oregon in a 68-41 win, the Buffs did the same to the Beavers. The Buffs held OSU to 28 percent shooting in the first half en route to taking a 33-18 lead at intermission and never allowed the Beavers to mount a rally in the second half to wrap up the win. The 83 points combined by CU’s last two opponents were the fewest Colorado has yielded in back-to-back conference games since the 1948-49 season.
Tristan da Silva led CU in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with 17 points to go with five rebounds. J’Vonne Hadley added nine points, Nique Clifford chipped in eight and KJ Simpson returned to the lineup to tally six points, seven rebounds and six assists. Luke O’Brien led CU in rebounding for the second straight game, finishing with nine boards to go with four points.
Dexter Akanno finished with 10 points for OSU, the only Beaver in double figures. Oregon State’s top two scorers, Jordan Pope and Glenn Taylor, finished with a combined nine points on 4-for-20 shooting.
Colorado held OSU to just 34 percent shooting (18-for-53) and had a 38-34 edge on the boards. CU shot just 41 percent (21-for-51) but also collected 15 points off 19 Oregon State turnovers.
“That’s testament to our players and what they’re capable of,” Boyle said. “They really responded to the challenge that we gave them earlier this week and we put back-to-back efforts together. We weren’t at our best offensively, but when you can win going away and you’re shooting 41 percent, you know you’re doing something really good on the other end.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 7th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs looking for consecutive strong outings, taking on Oregon State (7:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
… Related … Buffs seek home sweep against Oregon State … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 10-6 overall and 2-3 in the Pac-12 Conference after defeating Oregon 68-41 on Jan. 5. The Buffaloes have won six of seven overall and five straight overall.
The Buffaloes picked up their first league win of the season with a 73-70 decision at Stanford on Dec. 29. Colorado then fell 80-76 at California on Dec. 31. Despite the setback, which snapped an overall five-game winning streak, the Buffaloes have won at least one game on their last eight multi-game Pac-12 road trips.
Colorado completed the nonconference portion of their schedule at 8-3. With the 86-78 win over Southern Utah on Dec. 21, head coach Tad Boyle earned his 262nd win at Colorado, breaking a tie with Sox Walseth for the program’s all-time mark.
Colorado held Oregon to 41 points and 26.9 percent from the field, the second fewest by a Buffaloes’ conference opponent in the Pac-12 era (33 vs. Utah, Dec. 31, 2011).
Colorado held Oregon to 19 points and six field goals made in the first half, the fewest by a Pac-12 opponent at the CU Events Center the since the Buffaloes held the Ducks to six field goals and 17 points on Feb. 2, 2019.
Oregon made just 1 of 14 from the 3-point line. The Ducks’ one 3-pointer made and 7.1 percent from the arc was the lowest by a CU opponent since Oregon State shot 5.9 percent (1-17) on Feb. 15, 2020 in Corvallis.
ABOUT THE BEAVERS: Oregon State is 7-8 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12. The Beavers have dropped two-straight, both on the road, against Oregon (77-68) on Dec. 31 and Utah (79-60) on Jan. 5. Oregon State averages 65.1 points per game, ranking next-to-last in the Pac-12. The Beavers lead the conference in free throw shooting at 75.8 percent. Defensively, OSU allows 66.5 points while opponents shoot 41.1 percent.
Jordan Pope leads Oregon State at 12.8 points and 2.7 points per game. He also tops the Beavers with 26 3-point field goals and has the fourth-best free throw percentage in the Pac-12 (.857). Glenn Taylor Jr. is second on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and assists (38). Dzmitry Ryuny averages 6.1 points and leads OSU in rebounding at 5.3 per outing.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 31st meeting between Colorado and Oregon State with the Buffaloes holding a 20-10 advantage. Colorado has won five of the last six meetings including the season sweep last year. Colorado has won 11 of 14 all-time meetings in Boulder.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU women hand No. 8 Utah its first loss of the season, 77-67
From CUBuffs.com … The day began with four remaining undefeated Division I basketball teams and ended with three.
Colorado (13-3, 3-1 Pac-12) shocked No. 8 Utah at the CU Events Center with a 77-67 win on Friday. The upset avenged CU’s 27-point loss at Utah and pushed the Buffaloes’ win streak to five in a row. The win also marks Colorado’s first over a top-10 opponent since defeating No. 1 Stanford back on Jan. 17, 2021.
“What a game I am incredibly proud of our team,” head coach JR Payne exclaimed after the win. “It was a total team effort. So many people had such a huge impact at different times of the game, whether early or late. We had some foul trouble and people came in and did their job and helped us maintain our place. Some big possessions were late. Our defensive effort was tremendous. We wanted to be disruptive and made them work for their points. I think for every possession. They had to work for it, which was what we wanted to do. So just super proud of our group tonight.”
Junior Frida Formann totaled a game-high 20 points, going 4-for-6 from the 3-point line. Senior Jaylyn Sherrod stepped up in the clutch for the Buffs, finishing with 16 points and seven assists. Sophomore Aaronette Vonleh and senior Quay Miller also played big roles in the win with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The Buffs keyed in on Utah’s Alissa Pili, who scored 25 points in the team’s first meeting. Pili had just five points at the end of the third quarter and finished with 14 on the night. The Buffs also flipped the script on the Utes, who scored 44 points in the paint at Utah. This time around it was Colorado with 46 points in the paint, holding Utah to just 24.
“We tried to be as disruptive as possible and play different angles on ball screens,” Payne said of the team’s defense. “They play so pretty. Their basketball offensively is so smooth and free-flowing, and we just wanted to limit their comfort on the offensive end of the floor. And we did that well.”
Colorado took the lead midway through the second quarter and never relinquished it. CU’s lead hit 14 in the fourth quarter and the Buffs held on as Utah cut the advantage to as few as four down the stretch.
Utah (14-1, 3-1 Pac-12) had four players finish in double figures, led by Jenna Johnson. She totaled all 17 of her points in the second half.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 6th
… CU in the Arena …
Playing without KJ Simpson, Buffs still dominate Oregon, 68-41
… Related … “Home cooking: Colorado men’s basketball bounces back with rout of Oregon” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … No KJ Simpson proved to be no problem Thursday for the Colorado Buffaloes.
With their leading scorer out with an illness, the rest of the Buffs stepped up and played one of their best games of the season, dominating Oregon in a 68-41 victory at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in Pac-12 play. The Ducks fell to 8-7, 2-2 while scoring the fewest points in Dana Altman’s 13 years at the Oregon helm.
The Buffs, coming off a disappointing loss at Cal, were a different team Thursday. CU jumped out to an early lead and never trailed. Colorado led by 18 at the half, 37-19, and extended the margin to as much as 27 in the second half as they never let the Ducks mount a comeback.
Tristan da Silva — who totaled just 15 points in CU’s two-game road trip last weekend — led three Buffs in double figures with a career-high 30 points, along with seven rebounds. Julian Hammond III stepped into the starting lineup in Simpson’s absence and tallied a career-high 16 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Nique Clifford added 13 points and Luke O’Brien had a career-high 11 rebounds.
The Buffs dominated nearly every statistical category. Colorado held a 46-28 edge on the boards and held Oregon to just 27 percent shooting (14-for-52), including a 1-for-14 night from long range. The Buffs shot a respectable 45.5 percent (25-for-55) and had a 14-3 edge in assists.
“You could tell from the get-go on the first couple of possessions that we were locked in defensively,” said Boyle, whose Buffs held the Ducks their lowest point total since 2009. “We got some deflections, we were active. It wasn’t Oregon’s best night, there’s no doubt about that. But I like to think we had something to do with that. I told the team today that whichever team rebounds the ball better is going to win the game and we were that team tonight.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 5th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs look (again) to right the ship, taking on 8-6 Oregon (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
… Related … “Another chance to get right on deck as Colorado men’s basketball hosts Oregon” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … With 16 Pac-12 games still remaining — 80 percent of the conference schedule — it might sound like a stretch to say the Colorado Buffaloes are facing a must-win weekend in Boulder.
But if Tad Boyle‘s Buffs have any designs on an NCAA Tournament berth, home wins against Oregon on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Oregon State on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) would go a long way in keeping those hopes alive.
Just a week ago, the Buffs (9-6 overall, 1-3 Pac-12) were in decent shape in the postseason hunt. Despite some disappointing losses early, CU was situated comfortably in the mid-40s in the NCAA’s NET rankings, and they bolstered their situation with a road win at Stanford.
But a shocking New Year’s Eve defeat at Cal — only the second win this year for the struggling Bears — handed CU its first Quad 4 loss of the year and pushed Colorado down into the 70s in the NET.
Now the Buffs need to right the ship in a hurry, especially with their annual road trip to the Los Angeles schools coming up after this week’s two-game homestand.
No doubt, with 16 conference games still to play, plus the conference tournament, there are myriad ways the Buffs can put themselves back into the NCAA Tournament picture. A sizable win streak down the stretch could do the trick, and there’s always the possibility of a conference tourney title to guarantee themselves of a bid.
But the best way to insert themselves back in the conversation is to protect their home floor the rest of the season and steal a few more road victories along the way — then tack on a couple of wins in the conference tournament.
That could be enough to bump their NET ranking back to an acceptable level and potentially give them a tournament-worthy resumé.
But to achieve those goals the Buffs will need to establish some consistency, something that has evaded them for much of the year.
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QUICK LOOK OREGON: Picked to finish third in the Pac-12 in the preseason media poll, the Ducks (8-6 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) have had their ups and downs this season as well. Their losses included defeats at the hands of UC Irvine and Utah Valley, as well as three straight defeats at the hands of ranked teams — Houston, Connecticut and Michigan State.
But they are still a very talented team and have put together a decent 2-1 start in conference play. Guard Will Richardson leads the Ducks in scoring at 15.6 ppg and is second in the conference in assists with 5.9 per game. The Ducks are also getting good production from big man N’Faly Dante, who is averaging 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
One interesting note: the Ducks have played just one true road game this year, a 65-56 loss at UCLA.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 2nd
… CU in the Arena …
Despite embarrassing loss to Cal, K.J. Simpson named Pac-12 Player-of-the-Week
From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado sophomore guard KJ Simpson has been named the Pac-12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts during week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1, the conference office announced on Monday.
Simpson, a native of West Hills, Calif., averaged 28.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals during a Pac-12 road split of the Bay Area schools last week. He shot 48.8 percent from the field (21-43) and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (10-12).
Simpson scored a career and team season-high 31 points along with seven rebounds and four assists to lead Colorado to a 73-70 win at Stanford on Dec. 29. Simpson tied a career-high with 11 field goals made and his 23 attempts were the most by a Buffalo in regulation since Richard Roby had 24 against Pepperdine on Dec. 4, 2006. He was 8 of 9 from the free throw line and scored Colorado’s last 11 points to notch the first Pac-12 win of the season.
An honorable mention to the Preseason All-Pac-12 team, Simpson had 25 points on 10 of 20 shooting along with five assists and a pair of steals in an 80-76 loss to California on Dec. 31. He scored 16 of his points in the final 2:06 of the game, as the Buffaloes nearly erased a 21-point second half deficit.
The Player of the Week honor is the second for Simpson, the first coming on Nov. 14, 2022, the opening week of the season. Simpson was a two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in 2021-22.
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December 31st
… CU in the Arena …
CU falls to hapless Cal, 80-76 – Boyle: “Let’s just talk about one of the most pathetic defensive performances in Colorado basketball history”
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado fell behind early and saw a late rally come up just short Saturday as the Buffaloes dropped an 80-76 decision to Cal at Haas Pavilion.
The loss ended the Buffs’ five-game win streak and CU fell to 9-6 overall and 1-3 in Pac-12 play. Cal won for just the second time this season to improve to 2-13, 1-3.
Colorado gave up a 12-0 run early and trailed by 12 at intermission, 39-27. The Buffs then fell behind by as much as 21 in the second half before a furious rally cut the Bears’ lead to just three, 79-76, in the final seconds.
Cal, though, clinched the win with a free throw with six seconds to play and a last-second 3-pointer by the Buffs missed its mark.
The Buffs were dominated on both ends for most of the night by a Cal team that scored just 43 points two nights previously in a loss to Utah. CU allowed the Bears to shoot 58 percent from the floor (29-for-50) and Cal also had a dominating 36-23 edge on the boards.
CU shot 45 percent from the floor (30-for-66), but that number was inflated by the Buffs’ late hot streak. Colorado went on a 20-6 run in the final 2:06, with KJ Simpson scoring 16 points in the surge, before the Bears finally put the game away.
Simpson led the Buffs with 25 points and J’Vonne Hadley added 17.
Joel Brown led five Bears in double figures with 21 points while freshman Grant Newell had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The loss to the Bears — who opened the season with 12 losses before finally beating UT Arlington — is a particularly damaging one. Not only did it end CU’s win streak, it also ruined Colorado’s chances to pull to .500 in Pac-12 play as the Buffs squandered an opportunity for a valuable road win.
“Let’s just talk about one of the most pathetic defensive performances in Colorado basketball history,” an obviously irate CU coach Tad Boyle said. “I’ve only been part of it now for 12 and a half years but I can’t think of a more disappointing defensive performance than what I saw tonight. It didn’t matter what we did or what we ran, we couldn’t couldn’t stop them.”
… Continue reading story here …
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December 30th
… CU in the Arena …
K.J. Simpson’s career-high 31 points fuels CU’ 73-70 comeback road win over Stanford
… Related … KJ Simpson rallies CU Buffs men’s basketball past Stanford … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … KJ Simpson scored Colorado’s last 11 points of the game Thursday night, including the go-ahead bucket and two free throws in the final 18 seconds, to lift CU to a 73-70 road win over Stanford at Maples Pavilion.
Simpson finished with a career-high 31 points as Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 9-5 overall and 1-2 in Pac-12 play with their fifth straight win. Stanford fell to 5-8, 0-3.
The Buffs trailed by four at the half and by as much as eight early in the second period. They closed the gap to one at multiple junctures after intermission but couldn’t get over the hump until Simpson hit two free throws with just more than two minutes remaining to give CU a 69-68 lead.
Stanford then momentarily regained the lead but the Buffs came up with a big defensive stop in the final minute. Simpson then delivered a drive along the baseline to give Colorado a 71-70 lead with 17 seconds left.
CU’s Luke O’Brien followed with another key defensive stop, Simpson rebounded and was fouled and he calmly hit two free throws with 3 seconds remaining to provide the game’s final points.
Joining Simpson in double figures for the Buffs were O’Brien with a career-high 12 and Lawson Lovering with a career-high 10. Simpson also led CU in rebounds with seven, O’Brien nabbed six and Lovering grabbed five.
Spencer Jones led Stanford with 25 points.
After a less-than-stellar first half effort, the Buffs kept themselves in the game after intermission with rebounding and defense. The Buffs outrebounded Stanford 23-15 in the final 20 minutes and held Stanford to just 30 percent shooting in the second half after the Cardinal had hit 52 percent of its shots in the opening half.
“We really got on them at halftime and challenged them,” Boyle said. “Boy did they respond. Our defense in the second half really cranked up.”
… Continue reading story here …
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