Colorado Basketball – December, 2023

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Colorado Basketball – December, 2023

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January 1st – Happy New Year!

… CU in the Arena … 

CU women up to No. 5 in Associated Press poll; CU men “down” to No. 28

From ESPN … South Carolina started the new year where it finished off 2023 — atop The Associated Press women’s basketball poll.

The Gamecocks received 34 of the 35 first-place votes from a national media panel Monday. They had been unanimous the previous six weeks.

UCLA got the other No. 1 vote after beating then-No. 6 USC in a Los Angeles showdown Saturday. The No. 2 Bruins have now defeated four top-25 teams, with two wins coming at neutral sites and one on the road.

Syracuse entered the poll at No. 25, marking its first appearance since Jan. 18, 2021. The Orange beat then-No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday. The Irish fell to 16th. The Orange (11-1) have lost only to Maryland and will next play at North Carolina on Thursday. Syracuse is off to its best start since 2017-18, and the Orange hope to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.

The Tar Heels fell out of the Top 25, ending a 34-week streak in the poll. That was the seventh-longest active run.

No. 3 North Carolina State and Iowa followed UCLA. Colorado moved up three spots to No. 5 after a win over then-No. 12 Utah.

… Continue reading story here …

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Men’s Associate Press poll …

Others receiving votes: San Diego State 113, Creighton 106, Colorado 86, Utah 82, Miami 41, Iowa State 22, Michigan State 15, Nevada 13, Texas A&M 13, Ohio State 8, New Mexico 6, Grand Canyon 5, Dayton 5, South Carolina 4, Mississippi State 4, Alabama 3, Villanova 3, Northwestern 3

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KJ Simpson and Jaylyn Sherrod give CU a pair of elite point guards

From the Daily Camera … Hoops fans need to book time at the CU Events Center this winter.

Not only does Colorado boast a pair of teams capable of making noise in March, but the Buffaloes also feature a pair of electric floor generals who are among the top point guards in the nation.

On Saturday, CU’s Jaylyn Sherrod stole the show in a top-12 battle, leading the eighth-ranked CU women’s team past No. 12 Utah with a career-high 34 points.

On Sunday, KJ Simpson followed suit.

The junior guard once again put the shorthanded Buffs on his shoulders, pouring in his own career-high total of 34 points to lead CU to a 74-67 victory against Washington State at the CU Events Center.

CU once again played without Tristan da Silva, who missed his second consecutive game due to a sprained ankle, and freshman standout Cody Williams, who missed his fifth straight game due to a left wrist injury. Yet much like Friday’s win against Washington, the Buffs were able to hold off WSU down the stretch, with Simpson scoring six points during a late 9-0 burst that put the game away.

With the victory, the Buffs have put together their first 2-0 start within league play since the 2014-15 season. For Simpson, it was his second 30-point game of the season and the fourth of his career.

“I went to the girls’ game (Saturday), so I was just taking some notes from her. That’s how I was able to score the ball today,” Simpson said. “We’re definitely close. Ever since I came here as a freshman she’s been a great friend. She’s a GOAT for sure. She’s a dawg. Her mentality, her passion, her drive is something that I really value and I appreciate. Not just on the basketball court, but as a person. She’s a great person as well.”

… Continue reading story here …

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December 31st – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Behind KJ Simpson’s career-high 34 points, Buffs holds off Washington State, 74-67

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s KJ Simpson scored a career-high 34 points Sunday and the Buffaloes fought off a second-half Washington State rally to collect a 74-67 win over the Cougars at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in Pac-12 play with their sixth straight win while WSU dropped to 9-4, 0-2.

J’Vonne Hadley joined Simpson in double figures for the Buffs with 12 points and Eddie Lampkin Jr. chipped in 10.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs led by 10 at intermission, 39-29, and briefly pushed the cushion to 12 with a bucket to open the second half.

But the Cougars fought back with a 9-2 run to shave CU’s lead to five, then cut the lead to two with six buckets in seven possessions. With 12:22 still to play, Colorado’s lead had been cut to 48-46.

CU briefly pushed its lead back to six on a pair of KJ Simpson free throws before the Cougars again pulled to within two, 58-56, on another offensive rebound and basket from Isaac Jones with 8:25 to play.

The Buffs temporarily regained control following a timeout. CU’s defense forced four straight empty WSU possessions while the Buffs scored six in a row on the offensive end. Luke O’Brien hit a free throw, Simpson delivered a second-chance bucket after a J’Vonne Hadley offensive rebound and Eddie Lampkin Jr. converted a three-point play to give Colorado an eight-point lead, 64-56, with 5:33 left on the clock.

But the Cougars answered again with a free throw and a 3-pointer from Andrej Jakimovski, his fourth trey of the game. With 4:05 left, Colorado’s lead was back down to two, 64-62.

CU pushed its lead back to three on a Simpson free throw with 3:39 but the Cougars answered with a pair from the charity stripe to cut Colorado’s edge to just one, 65-64.

But following empty possessions from both teams, Simpson delivered a bucket off the glass — his 30th points of the game — to give CU a 67-64 lead with 2:01 to play.

Hadley then delivered a block on the defensive end and Simpson hit two free throws to push CU’s lead to 69-64. Julian Hammond III then collected a steal on the defensive end and Hadley nailed a 3-pointer to give CU a 72-64 lead with less than a minute to play.

The Buffs then held on over the final seconds to collect the win.

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December 30th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Jaylyn Sherrod’s career-high 34 points sparks No. 8 CU’s 76-65 comeback win over No. 12 Utah

From CUBuffs.com … No. 8 Colorado women’s basketball took down No. 12 Utah 76-65 in a highly anticipated Pac-12 matchup here Saturday afternoon to start conference play with a win. 7,383 fans witnessed the victory to set a new CU Events Center attendance record for a Colorado women’s basketball game.

The Buffaloes (11-1, 1-0 Pac-12) were faced with an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter but managed to outscore the Utes (10-3 ,0-1 Pac-12) 25-6 to end the game and stay undefeated at home.

Jaylyn Sherrod showed up big throughout the game, scoring a career-high 34 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. She added four rebounds and four assists while racking up six steals on the defensive end.

Sara-Rose Smith had a great performance as well, recording her first career double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. Her 12 rebounds were a career-high while she also tied her season-high in points and steals.

From start to finish, Aaronette Vonleh battled it out with Utah’s star player Alissa Pili in the paint. Although Pili totaled 27 points, Vonleh and the Colorado defense held her to 10 points in the second half. On the offensive end, Vonleh put up 18 points on 7-12 shooting from the field.

In the third quarter the Colorado defense gave up 21 points, but in the fourth the Buffs bounced back by surrendering just 11 points which translated into Colorado’s highest scoring quarter of the game.

The Buffs will travel to Tucson, Ariz. to play the Wildcats on Friday.

… Continue reading story here …

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Crowd of over 5,000 expected for No. 8 CU v. No. 12 Utah (1:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado and Utah will hit the court for the 43rd time in series history when the two teams open up Pac-12 at the CU Events Center. Saturday’s showdown between the conference’s mountain squads will have a new twist, though, as it will be the first time both teams have been ranked.

No. 8 Colorado (10-1) and No. 12 Utah (10-2) have an even 21-21 split in the series and a 5-5 record in the last 10 meetings. The Buffs hold a slight edge in head-to-head play in the Pac-12, owning a 14-11 record over the Utes.

“We know that it’s a battle every time we’ve played them [Utah],” head coach JR Payne expressed. “I don’t think either team has swept each other so it’s always competitive. Both teams are very well coached on both sides of the floor and it’s just good competitive teams. Both teams are full of really good kids who just play hard and want to compete. I appreciate that in both programs.”

The matchup also marks the first top 15 showdown at the CU Events Center since the No. 12 Buffs hosted No. 1 Texas on Feb. 14, 2004.

The Buffs come into the game ranked ahead of Utah, who was selected Preseason No. 1 in the Pac-12. The Utes are ahead of Colorado in the latest NET rankings, entering the game fourth overall to CU’s 24th.

Saturday will be one of the toughest tests to date for the Buffs. CU is 1-1 in ranked games this season, handing then No. 1 LSU a 92-78 loss to open the season but falling to then No. 10 NC State, 78-60, at the Paradise Jam Classic.

The Buffs have averaged 84.0 points per game this season and have had every game decided by 10 or more points. CU’s defense will need to be true to form on Saturday as the Utes rank third in the nation with 93.3 points per game behind Alissa Pili’s 23.8 scoring average (4th NCAA).

“We’ve been really focused on what are we doing well and what do we need to improve,” Payne continued. “It just feels like there’s a lot of areas still to improve – focusing on the basics, learning the scout. Utah’s personnel is really important because they have a lot of good players that do a lot of different things. We’ve been prioritizing our effort, communication, tenacity, just basic things that no matter who you’re playing, because every single team we play from here on out is so good. Those things will work against anyone we play.”

… Continue reading story here …

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December 29th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Short-handed Buffs rally late to take down Washington, 73-69

… Related … Game story from CUBuffs.com …

… Up next … Washington State (9-3, 0-1) … Sunday, noon MT, Pac-12 Networks …

From the Daily Camera … When Colorado suddenly found itself without freshman standout Cody Williams ahead of one of the biggest nonconference games of the season earlier this month, the Buffaloes responded by toppling nationally-ranked Miami away from home.

When the Buffs suddenly were without senior leader Tristan da Silva for a key matchup in the Pac-12 Conference opener, they did the same. CU was able to answer a huge second-half charge by Washington with one of its own down the stretch, pulling away late for a 73-69 win at the CU Events Center on Friday night.

Da Silva suffered an injured ankle at practice on Thursday, and the Buffs also played without freshman reserve Bangot Dak, who has been battling an illness. CU also once again played without Williams, who missed his fourth consecutive game due to an injured left wrist, and reserve guard RJ Smith, who missed his fifth straight game due to a lower leg issue.

Boyle said afterward that Smith is done for the season.

“We for sure missed those guys out there, but it’s just next-man up at that point,” said CU point guard KJ Simpson. “Our team, with our depth, everybody is capable of going out there, and we trust everybody on the floor. It just goes to show how much this team really wants to win.”

The personnel issues forced all five of CU’s starters to play at least 29 minutes, with Simpson falling just 49 seconds short of playing the entire game.

The Buffs shot .441, the low mark in eight home games this season, and finished with more turnovers (15) than assists (14) for just the third time this year (the first time at home). Yet the shorthanded Buffs were able to lean heavily on the Tad Boyle-era program pillars of defense and rebounding to prevail.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs open final Pac-12 conference season v. Washington (8-3)

From CUBuffs.com … Game 12 – Washington, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
TV: ESPNU (Eric Rothman, Mike O’Donnell)
Watch Online: WatchESPN
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado opens Pac-12 Conference play after finishing the nonconference portion of its schedule with a 9-2 record, its best after 11 games since hitting the same mark in 2019-20. The Buffaloes have won four straight and five of their last six.

Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes lead the nation in overall shooting at 52.6 percent, rank seventh in 3-point percentage (.407) and eighth from the line (.789). Colorado is the only program in the nation ranked in the top 10 of all three categories (through games of Dec. 27). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.

The offense has been rocking. Over the last six games the Buffaloes are averaging 89.5 points while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.

Colorado has hit the 90-point mark six times in 11 games including the last four. It’s the first time in team history the Buffaloes have scored at least 90 points in four-straight games. Colorado had just two games of 90-plus points last season and just three in 2021-22.

The Buffs have won 32 games in a row when reaching the 90-point plateau (6-0 this season), last losing on March 7, 2015 at Washington State, 96-91 in overtime.  CU is 53-2 under Tad Boyle when scoring 90-plus (5-0 with 100 or more), and has at least one 90-point game in 15 straight seasons.

This year’s Buffaloes a flirting with the most 90-point games in program history in a season; CU had eight in 1989-90, going 6-2, and seven three times, in 1990-91 (6-1), 2000-01 (7-0) and 2001-02 (6-1).

Against Utah Tech, Colorado shot 57.4 percent, hitting the .500 mark for the fifth time in sixth games and the eighth time overall. The Buffaloes shot 50 percent seven times in 35 games last season (6-1).

Colorado is 101-8 in the Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11) when shooting at least 50 percent.

ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Washington enters Pac-12 play at 8-3 overall and has won its last four including a 78-73 home win over Gonzaga on Dec. 9. This will be just the second true road contest for the Huskies, who defeated cross-town rival Seattle U., 100-99 in double-overtime on Dec. 17. Washington averages 83.0 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-12 right behind Colorado. Defensively, the Huskies give up 74.5 points per game, but have been stingy around the perimeter, holding opponents to just 29.2 percent from 3-point range.

Graduate senior Keion Brooks Jr. leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game. He also tops the Huskies in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and free throws made and attempted (52-64, .813). Graduate senior guard Sahvir Wheeler leads the Pac-12 and ranks fifth in the nation in assists at 7.1 per game. Wheeler is also tied for the team lead in steals (12) and is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 per game.  Forward Moses Wood averages 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while leading the Huskies in 3-pointers made with 23.

THE SERIES: This will be the 37th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Huskies holding a 21-15 advantage. The Buffaloes snapped a three-game Washington winning streak in the series with a 74-68 win over the Huskies in the first round of the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado has a 10-5 series lead in Boulder.

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December 25th – Merry Christmas!

… CU in the Arena …

CU men edge up to No. 27 in AP poll; CU women hold steady at No. 8

… CU men in at No.27; were at No. 28 last week … 

From ESPN … Florida Atlantic’s run to the Final Four last season was viewed as a nice story, a small program making a surprise run before sliding back into anonymity.

The Owls are showing this season that that was no fluke.

Coming off a double-overtime win over No. 4 Arizona, FAU moved up seven places to No. 7 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday. It’s the Owls’ highest ranking as a program after being No. 10 in the preseason poll.

Purdue maintained its top ranking for the second straight week, receiving 46 first-place votes from a 60-person media panel after blowing out Jacksonville. No. 2 Kansas had five first-place votes and No. 3 Houston received nine. Arizona and UConn rounded out the top five.

Associated Press Top 25 … 

Others receiving votes: Auburn 121, Colorado 64, Miami 51, Utah 45, Virginia 40, Iowa State 21, Nevada 13, Ohio State 10, Texas A&M 9, Michigan State 8, San Diego State 8, Villanova 6, New Mexico 6, Northwestern 5, Dayton 4, Grand Canyon 3, South Carolina 2, Mississippi State 2, Alabama 2, Princeton 1

Dropped from rankings: Virginia 22

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Associated Press women’s Top 25 … 

Others receiving votes: Washington 43, Miami 38, UNLV 14, Texas A&M 12, Oregon State 11, Minnesota 8, Michigan State 7, Mississippi State 6, Davidson 5, Penn State 5, Washington State 4, Green Bay 3, Ole Miss 2, Syracuse 1

Dropped from rankings: Washington 23

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December 21st – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs make short work of Utah Tech, 98-71, to finish non-conference play 9-2

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado wrapped up its non-conference schedule Thursday with a workmanlike 98-71 win over Utah Tech at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffaloes won their fourth straight to improve to 9-2 while the Trailblazers fell to 5-7.

Colorado took care of business early, making sure there would be no pre-holiday slip-up. The Buffs scored the first 10 points of the game to take control and built their cushion into the 20s midway through the half when a quick 7-0 run gave CU a 32-9 lead.

Colorado scored on 13 consecutive possessions in that stretch and led by as many as 26 in the first half before taking a 46-25 lead into halftime.

The Trailblazers never came closer than 18 in the second half as the Buffs hit the 90-point mark for the sixth time this year and fourth game in a row. CU also finished with 20 assists, the seventh time this season the Buffs have dished out at least 20 assists.

KJ Simpson led five Buffs in double figures with 23 points, and he added six rebounds and six assists. Eddie Lampkin Jr. just missed his third double-double as a Buff, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Luke O’Brien tallied a career-high 18 points. Tristan da Silva added 15 points and seven rebounds and J’Vonne Hadley chipped in 11 points.

Aric Demings led Utah Tech with 15.

… Continue reading story here …

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CU taking on Utah Tech (5:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

Game 11 – Utah Tech, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 5:02 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Matt Muehlebach)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 388 & SXM App (978)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/483970

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-2 overall having won three-straight and four of its last five after a 90-68 win over Northern Colorado on Dec. 15. The Buffaloes will close out the nonconference portion of their schedule Thursday vs. Utah Tech.

Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 13 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are third in the nation in overall shooting at 52.1 percent, seventh from the line (.792) and 13th in 3-point accuracy (.398). Colorado is the only program in the nation ranked in the top 10 of field goal and free throw percentage and the only one in the top 13 of all three categories (through games of Dec. 19). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.

The Buffaloes dipped below 50 percent shooting for the first time in five games against Northern Colorado, although still a healthy 49.3 percent. Colorado has shot at least 50 percent in seven of 10 games this season. The Buffaloes shot 50 percent seven times in 35 games last season (6-1).

It was the first time Colorado had shot 50-percent or better in four-straight games since Jan. 5-16, 2010. Over the last five games the Buffaloes are averaging 87.8 points while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor.

Colorado is 100-8 in the Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11) when shooting at least 50 percent.

ABOUT THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech is 5-6 overall and off to a 2-0 start in the Western Athletic Conference. The Trailblazers have lost their last three. This will be the ninth road contest in 12 outings for Utah Tech, with an even 4-4 mark through the first eight.  The Trailblazers average 69.2 points while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. Defensively, Utah Tech allows 73.0 points, holding opponents to 42 percent from the field.

Junior forward Tanner Christensen leads Utah Tech at 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field.  Junior guard David Elliott is averaging 11.6 points and shooting 50 percent in five games off the bench. Junior guard Noa Gonsalves is averaging 10.5 points and has a team-best 18 3-point field goals.

… Continue reading story here …

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Rusty CU women’s team opens with a 14-0 deficit; recover to roll Northern Colorado, 78-56

From CUBuffs.com … No. 8 Colorado, playing its first game in over two weeks, showed resiliency in a 78-56 win over Northern Colorado after coming out of the gates slowly at the CU Events Center on Thursday.

The Buffaloes (10-1) found themselves in a deep hole early in the opening quarter after the Bears (4-5) came out hot and scored the first 14 points. CU used a 13-0 run late in the second quarter and went into halftime with the lead. Colorado held UNC to just 21 points in the second half, completing its biggest come-from-behind win since a 17-point comeback against Samford in 2017. 

“A two-week break, as wonderful as it was, is a really difficult thing to navigate for a team,” head coach JR Payne said after the game. “In 23 years of coaching, I’ve never had to navigate that before so I think we saw that in the first few minutes of the game. It was a little rusty, but I’m definitely proud of how we got rid of that the rust and played really well for the most part.”

After Colorado had been trailing for some time, Quay Miller brought the energy back for the Buffs. She finished with eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Jaylyn Sherrod also had an impressive performance as she showed up when the Buffs needed her most, scoring 16 points, all of which came in the first half. Aaronette Vonleh was Colorado’s second-leading scorer with 14 points, but she was a force on the defensive end as well, recording a career-high five blocks. Vonleh’s five swats marked the most in a game by a Buff since 2017.

Tameiya Sadler and Kindyll Wetta each finished in double-figures with 10 and 11 points, respectively. Sadler led the team with five steals and Wetta led the team with six assists.

The Buffs will enjoy the holidays before taking on No. 11 Utah on December 30 in their first conference matchup of the season.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 18th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU men “fall” to No. 28 in AP poll; CU women remain at No. 8

… Only one Pac-12 team in AP men’s poll … but six Pac-12 teams in AP women’s poll … CU “fell” from No. 26 to No. 28 despite winning its only game of the week, and the No. 24 and No. 25 teams losing games … 

From ESPN … Purdue’s slide from No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll turned out to be brief.

The Boilermakers headlined Monday’s latest poll for the second time this season after beating former No. 1 Arizona over the weekend. The Wildcats had spent two weeks at No. 1 after Purdue’s loss to Northwestern ended the Boilermakers’ stint at the top after one week.

Purdue received 48 of 62 first-place votes in the latest poll to jump from third with the Arizona win, which marked the program’s first win against a No. 1 team in 23 years. It also marked the latest impressive nonconference win to a résumé that already includes ranked teams in Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette.

Preseason No. 1 Kansas stayed at No. 2 with six first-place votes, while Houston moved up one spot to No. 3 and had the other eight votes. Arizona fell to fourth.

The Big 12 led all conferences with six ranked teams, including No. 17 BYU. The Atlantic Coast Conference was next with four teams, followed by three each for the Big East, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.

The American Athletic Conference had two ranked teams, while the Pac-12, West Coast, Mountain West and Sun Belt conferences each had one.

The AP poll …

Others receiving votes: Miami 97, Auburn 87, Colorado 84, Utah 37, Iowa State 24, Ohio State 12, TCU 10, Michigan State 10, Texas A&M 9, San Diego 8, Providence 5, Northwestern 5, Nevada 3, Dayton 3, Alabama 3, Saint Joseph’s 2, Grand Canyon 2, Washington 2, New Mexico 2, South Carolina 1, Mississippi State 1

Dropped from rankings: Miami 24, Northwestern 25

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AP Women’s Top 25 … 

Others receiving votes: Miami 45, West Virginia 37, Washington St 29, UNLV 18, Texas A&M 13, Texas Tech 13, Mississippi St. 6, Oregon St. 5, Minnesota 4, Green Bay 4, Davidson 4, Syracuse 3, Nebraska 2, Mississippi 2, Michigan St. 1.

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December 15th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs make quick work of Northern Colorado, cruise to a 90-68 win

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado had six players in double-figure scoring and the Buffaloes rolled to a 90-68 win over Northern Colorado on Friday at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 8-2 with their third straight win while the Bears fell to 4-6.

Before the game, Boyle had expressed concern that the Buffs might experience a letdown in the wake of last Sunday’s big 90-63 win over No. 15 Miami.

The Buffs put those worries to rest in a hurry. Colorado used a 21-5 surge over the final nine minutes of the first half to take a 48-27 lead at the break, then opened the second half with a 22-7 run to put the game away.

KJ Simpson led CU in scoring with 21 points to go with five steals, five rebounds and four assists. Eddie Lampkin Jr. recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with six assists, J’Vonne Hadley tallied 15 points and six assists, Luke O’Brien scored 14, Tristan da Silva added 12 and Julian Hammond III chipped in 10.

Colorado finished with 23 assists, the Buffs’ sixth game this season with at least 20 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado fell behind in the opening minutes but  finally took the lead four minutes in when a Hadley bucket gave the Buffs an 8-7 edge.

CU never trailed again. After missing their first two shots of the game, the Buffs hit their next 11 in a row to take a 24-15 edge with 11:33 on a Simpson basket.

The Bears momentarily closed the gap, shaving Colorado’s lead to five, 27-22, on back-to-back baskets inside.

But the Buffs took control for good over the final nine minutes of the half, outscoring the Bears 21-5 to take a 48-27 lead into the break.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs taking on 4-5 Northern Colorado (6:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

From CUBuffs.com …

Tip: 6:06 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Jacob Tobey, Ben Braun)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12Radio)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 7-2 following its 90-63 win over then No. 15 (AP & Coaches) ranked Miami (Fla.) at the NABC Brooklyn Showcase on Dec. 10. The Buffaloes, who have won two straight and three of four, return home for their final two nonconference regular season games. Colorado is a perfect 5-0 at home this season.

Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are fourth in the nation in overall shooting at 52.5 percent, seventh in 3-point accuracy at 40.9 percent and 10th from the line (.789). Colorado is the only program in the nation ranked in the top 10 in all three categories (through games of Dec. 13). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado is 4-5 overall coming off a 101-99 double-overtime loss at Texas A&M-Commerce on December 11. The Bears have lost three of four overall and all three true road games this season. UNC averages 77.2 points while shooting 43 percent from the field, including a 32 percent mark from downtown. Defensively, the Bears allow 75.4 points while opponents shoot 43 percent. UNC averages 7.1 steals per game.

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December 11th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tristan Da Silva named Pac-12 Player-of-the-Week

From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado senior forward Tristan da Silva has been named the Pac-12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts during the week of Dec. 4-10, the conference office announced on Monday.

Da Silva, a native of Munich, Germany, had 22 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and a pair of steals to lead Colorado to a 90-63 win over No. 15 Miami on Dec. 10 at the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Brooklyn Showcase at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Pac-12 Player of the Week honor for da Silva is the second of his career and first this year. He won the award on Jan. 9, 2023, leading the Buffaloes to a home sweep of Oregon and Oregon State.

Da Silva scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half as the Buffaloes ran away from the Hurricanes for their third-straight neutral site win over a ranked nonconference opponent. He registered the third double-double of his career and narrowly missed the programs fourth-ever triple-double by dishing out a career-best nine assists.

Da Silva, on Watch Lists for the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year honors, matched a team season-high with nine field goals, hitting on 8 of 13 2-point attempts, while hitting all three free throws.

Colorado, 7-2 overall and receiving votes in both national polls, will continue nonconference action by hosting in-state rival Northern Colorado on Friday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. (Pac-12 Network/850 AM & 94.1 FM KOA) at the CU Events Center.

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CU men up to No. 26 in AP poll; CU women holding steady at No. 8

From ESPN … Arizona strengthened its place atop the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday, setting up a showdown this weekend against Purdue, the former No. 1 team in the nation.

The Wildcats earned all but one first-place vote from a panel of 63 voters, no doubt impressing them with their 98-73 win over the No. 23 Badgers. They picked up three more first-place votes as they topped the poll for the second straight week, while Kansas remained at No. 2 and Purdue — which Arizona had supplanted at No. 1 — moved up one spot to third after wins over Iowa and Alabama.

The Wildcats (8-0) play the Boilermakers (9-1) on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Houston received the only No. 1 vote that didn’t go to the Wildcats but still dropped one spot to fourth. UConn remained at No. 5 after beating ninth-ranked North Carolina and Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week.

Baylor again gave the Big 12 half of the top six teams in the country. The Bears at No. 6 were followed by Marquette, then Creighton, the Tar Heels and Gonzaga, which fell three spots to No. 10 after its 78-73 loss to Washington.

Associated Press …

• 1. Arizona (62)8-0
• 2. Kansas9-1
• 3. Purdue9-1
• 4. Houston (1)10-0
• 5. UConn9-1
• 6. Baylor9-0
• 7. Marquette8-2
• 8. Creighton8-1
• 9. North Carolina7-2
• 10. Gonzaga7-2
• 11. Oklahoma9-0
• 12. Tennessee6-3
• 13. Clemson9-0
• 14. Kentucky7-2
• 15. Florida Atlantic7-2
• 16. Illinois7-2
• 17. Colorado State9-1
• 18. BYU8-1
• 19. Texas7-2
• 20. James Madison9-0
• 21. Duke6-3
• 22. Virginia8-1
• 23. Wisconsin7-3
• 24. Miami (Fla.)7-2
• 25. Northwestern7-1

Others receiving votes: Colorado 116, Ole Miss 86, Texas A&M 58, Auburn 57, Memphis 56, Alabama 43, Utah 25, Iowa State 20, Ohio State 9, Providence 7, San Diego State 7, TCU 6, Nevada 5, South Carolina 3, Washington 2, New Mexico 2, Saint Joseph’s 1, Kansas State 1, Grand Canyon 1, Dayton 1

Dropped from rankings: Texas A&M 21, San Diego State 25

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Associated Press Women’s Poll … 

Others receiving votes: Washington 25, Washington St 23, TCU 22, West Virginia 21, Texas A&M 10, Texas Tech 8, Penn St. 3, Mississippi St. 3, Green Bay 3, Davidson 3, Minnesota 2, Oregon St. 1, Mississippi 1, Michigan St. 1, Colorado St. 1, Nebraska 1.

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December 10th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs make a statement with 90-63 win over No. 15 Miami

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Tristan da Silva stepped up with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double Sunday to lead the Buffaloes to a 90-63 win over No. 15 Miami at the Barclays Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 7-2 with the win while the Hurricanes fell to 7-2.

The Buffs led by just one at the break but used a 37-13 run over an 11-minute span in the second half to take firm control.

The Buffs were playing without the services of star freshman Cody Williams (injury) but da Silva more than made up for Williams’ absence. The CU senior had 18 of his 22 points in the second half and just missed a triple-double, finishing with a career-high nine assists to go with his 10 rebounds.

Colorado finished with six players in double figures. KJ Simpson finished with 20, Luke O’Brien added 13 and J’Vonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Julian Hammond III all tallied 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led for the entire first half but had just a one-point edge, 37-36, at the break.

The Hurricanes finally took their first lead of the game early in the second half on a Nigel Pack 3-pointer and they built their cushion to three minutes later.

But the Buffs responded with a 13-3 run to build an eight-point edge. KJ Simpson had four points and an assist in the surge, Tristan da Silva added a three-point play and assist and back-to-back buckets from Julian Hammond III gave Colorado a 56-48 lead with 12 minutes remaining.

Colorado then steadily built its margin. Da Silva and Luke O’Brien delivered 3-pointers to push CU’s lead into double digits, 62-50, at the midway mark of the half before the Buffs extended their lead to 16. A da Silva three-point play gave CU a 73-57 lead with just more than six minutes to play.

CU finally pushed its lead into the 20s with just more than four minutes to play. Another O’Brien 3-pointer — CU’s seventh made field goal in eight attempts — gave Colorado an 80-59 lead and firm control.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs taking on No. 15 Miami in Brooklyn (12:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2)

From CUBuffs.com … Tip: 12:00 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN2 (Kevin Brown, Cory Alexander)
Watch Online: WatchESPN
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 161 or 198 & SXM App (960)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 6-2 following a 91-66 decision over Pepperdine at the CU Events Center on Dec. 10. The win moved the Buffaloes to a perfect 5-0 record at home and will be looking to take that success out on the road. Colorado is 1-2 away from home this year will all three of those contests being decided by six points or less. One of those games – the last neutral site game against Florida State went to overtime.

Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 11 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are fourth in the nation in 3-point accuracy at 41.8 percent, eighth in overall shooting (.516) and 11th from the line (.787). Colorado is the only program in the nation ranked in the top 11 in all three categories (through games of Dec. 6). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES: Continuing the momentum from its Final Four run a year ago, Miami is 7-1 overall and ranked No. 15 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 polls. The Hurricanes have won their last two, including a 62-49 home win over Notre Dame in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

Like Colorado, Miami is off to a tremendous start offensively. The Hurricanes are averaging 84.6 points per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Miami ranks second in the country in 3-point shooting at 42.5 percent and is also 10th nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents just 25.7 percent from deep. Overall opponents are averaging 69.5 points against the ‘Canes while shooting 40.7 percent.

Junior guard Wooga Poplar leads the Hurricanes at 16.5 points per game and ranks fifth in the nation in 3-point shooting at 53.7 percent (22-41). Junior forward Norchad Omier tops Miami in rebounding at 9.8 per game while averaging 16.1 points on 57.7 percent shooting.  Junior guard Matthew Cleveland averages 14.8 points on a team-best 64.8 percent from the field.

THE SERIES: This will be the second meeting between Colorado and Miami. The Buffaloes claimed the only other meeting, a 73-66 decision in Coral Gables, Fla., on Jan. 3, 1957. Colorado is 5-13 all-time against current ACC teams. This will be Colorado’s second ACC opponent of the season, dropping a 77-71 decision to Florida State on Nov. 21, in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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December 5th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

No. 8 CU women toy with UT-Arlington, finish with a 95-74 win 

From CUBuffs.com … No. 8 Colorado took care of business in a 95-74 victory over UT Arlington at the CU Events Center on Tuesday.

2,673 fans were in attendance for the Tuesday afternoon affair with a majority of them being from local area schools participating in the team’s Field Trip Day.

Frida Formann led the offensive attack, scoring 20 of her 23 points and hitting six 3s in the first half. Her first-half 3s set a CU record for the most in a half and she added another 3-pointer in the third quarter, tying the school record of seven made 3s in a game for the second time this season. Quay Miller had a great performance as well, recording a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 63.6% from the field and had three steals on the defensive end.

Jaylyn Sherrod matched Miller with a double-double performance herself. Sherrod had 11 points while setting a new career-high in assists with 13. The 13 assists tie former Kennedy Leonard for fourth most in a game by a Buff. Leonard matched the feat three times throughout her career. The Buffs totaled 28 assists on 37 mad baskets on the afternoon.

“Throughout the season, you’re trying to get better, every day you’re trying to be better,” head coach JR Payne stated. “As coaches, we’re kind of wired to look at the weaknesses or look at the areas that we can improve, but I’m also smart enough to be able to celebrate the really great things that we did as well. I’m proud of lots of things on the stat sheet and excited for some opportunity to focus on ourselves in the next couple of weeks.”

It took one quarter for the Buffaloes (9-1) to get things going against the Mavericks (1-8, 0-2 WAC) as both teams found themselves in a six-point game after the first. Colorado responded by outscoring UT Arlington 22-13 in the second quarter and the Buffs didn’t look back from there.

The Buffs used their size and speed to their advantage on Tuesday. Colorado was plus-16 in rebounding and had 13 fastbreak points.

CU now has a short break before they play Northern Colorado on Thursday, Dec. 21 in the last non-conference game of the regular season.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 3rd – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs have no problem with Pepperdine, coast to a 91-66 win, with four players in double figures

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado built a big early lead Sunday and never let up  as the Buffaloes rolled to a 91-66 win over Pepperdine at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 6-2 overall while the Waves dropped to 4-6.

The Buffs put four players in double figures. Tristan da Silva led the Buffs with 22 points on 5-for-5 shooting while CU freshman Cody Williams had his second straight 20-point performance, finishing with 21 on 9-for-13 shooting. KJ Simpson tallied 15 points and four assists and Julian Hammond III added 10 points and four assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led from the outset, taking a 17-12 lead less than six minutes in, getting a pair of offensive rebounds and buckets from Williams.

CU then put the game away over the next seven minutes as Hammond sparked a 23-6 surge to give the Buffs a 22-point lead. Hammond had seven points and three assists in the run, including a beautiful alley-oop pass to Williams for a thunderous dunk. Williams added seven points in the run and with 7:19 to play in the half, Colorado held a 40-18 lead.

The Buffs didn’t let up down the stretch. CU pushed its cushion to 29 points over the ensuing five minutes as da Silva caught fire. The Colorado senior had nine points over a five-minute stretch and his 3-pointer 2:14 on the clock gave the Buffs a 29-point edge, 49-20.

The Waves did manage to cut the deficit down to 24 by halftime, but Colorado still held a comfortable 52-28 edge at the break.

… Continue reading story here …

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5-2 Buffs taking on 4-5 Pepperdine 

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 5-2 after falling in its first true road contest of the season, 88-83, to No. 20 (AP)/No. 21 (Coaches) ranked Colorado State on Nov. 29.

The Buffaloes return home where they are a perfect 4-0 this season and have put up some impressive numbers. Colorado is averaging 90.3 points while shooting 56.8 percent overall from the field an 48.1 percent from 3-point range. The Buffaloes are dishing out an average of 22.8 assists per game at home and hold a plus-10.3 rebounding margin on their home court.

Colorado owns a scoring margin of plus-23.5 points while holding opponents to 38.2 percent from the field.

In the last home game against Iona, Colorado shot 60.8 percent from the field (31-51), its best mark since shooting 63.3 percent (31-59) vs. Northern Colorado on Dec. 13, 2014. The Buffaloes have won nine straight when hitting 60 percent or better – which dates back to 2008 – and 17 of 18 since the 1996-97 season.

ABOUT THE WAVES: Pepperdine is 4-5 overall, snapping a four-game skid with a 77-62 home win over Idaho State on Nov. 28. The Waves will be playing in just their second true road game of the year, the other a 79-78 setback at UC Davis on Nov. 9.

Pepperdine averages 75.1 points per game while shooting 46.7 from the field. The Waves are the West Coast Conference’s top 3-point shooting team at 38.5 percent. Defensively, Pepperdine allows 72.1 points while opponents are shooting 48.8 percent from the floor.

Junior wing Michael Ajayi averages 18.7 points and 10.9 rebounds and enters the weekend as the nation’s top rebounder by number (98) and eighth by average. Ajayi also has six double-doubles, which leads NCAA Division I through Nov. 30. Houston Mallette averages 18.4 points and leads the Waves with 24 3-point field goals. Malik Moore averages 10.0 points and 2.6 assists per game.

THE SERIES: This will be the eighth meeting between Colorado and Pepperdine with the Waves holding a 4-3 series lead. Pepperdine has won the last two, including the last meeting in Boulder, 78-72, on Dec. 4, 2006. Colorado’s last win over Pepperdine was a 65-61 decision at the CU Events Center in the 1999 NIT.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 2nd – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

No. 7 CU women soar past Air Force, 74-58

From CUBuffs.com … The seventh-ranked Colorado women’s basketball team improved to 8-1 on the season with a 74-58 win over in-state rival Air Force at Clune Arena on Saturday.

The Buffaloes led by as much as 22 in the game, due in large to a 23-point effort from senior Frida Formann. The Denmark native went 8-for-17 from the field and hit five more 3’s on the season, moving past former Buff Jenny Roulier and into fifth all-time with 206 career 3s.

“Hitting the 3s is fantastic and that’s what most people see [from Formann],” head coach JR Payne explained after the win. “I see the fact that she opens up lanes for other people. I see that she’s an incredible screener and it’s very hard to leave her so she can get other people open. Besides hitting shots, she’s just one of those players that makes everybody’s life a little bit easier.”

CU was able to play 14 players on the day, getting key contributions from Sara-Rose Smith off the bench. The junior transfer added 11 points and eight rebounds in her 17 minutes. Kindyll Wetta was also effective off the bench, lending eight points, six rebounds three steals and two assists. Redshirt freshman Shelomi Sanders checked in for the Buffs for the first time this season hitting a late 3-pointer for her first career points as a Buff.

The Falcons pressed the Buffs early on Saturday, keeping the game within six points in the first quarter. AFA forced the Buffs into 21 turnovers and scored 15 points off the CU mishaps.

“We knew they were going to be a no-quit type of team,” Smith noted. “We just had a big emphasis on working out how we can get each other open and not let them speed us up. We just had to stick to what we do.”

Air Force (4-4) was led by Taylor Britt and her 13 points.

… Continue reading story here …

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Tags: Aaronette Vonleh, Cody Williams, Eddie Lampkin, Frida Formann, J'Vonne Hadley, Jaylyn Sherrod, JR Payne, Julian Hammond III, Kindyll Wetta, KJ Simpson, Luke O'Brien, Quay Miller, Sara-Rose Smith, Sheloni Sanders, Tad Boyle, Tameiya Sadler, Tristan da Silva
This post, about the Colorado Basketball game, from the 2023 Season, is filed under Article.
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