Buffs start fast, turn back rally

This time, Colorado decided not to wait before taking control.

Four days after topping Washington State behind a frantic comeback, the Buffaloes and Cougars met again Wednesday night at the CU Events Center. Although a shorthanded Washington State team attempted to replicate the Buffs’ rally from 18 points down a few days earlier, CU held off the Cougars for a 70-58 Pac-12 Conference victory in the first game of a key five-game homestand.

CU never trailed after reeling off 20 consecutive points in the first half before posting its sixth win in the past seven games. Washington State played without leading scorer Isaac Bonton, who was sidelined with a nonCOVID illness.

“Awinisawin.Youcan’t ever complain about that,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “But I think anybody who watched that game and saw how we played, especially towards the end of the first half offensively, and then the second half offensively, understands that Colorado has to play better than that in order to be successful as this year plays out. I thought we got really lackadaisical with the basketball. We made really poor decisions offensively in the second half with the basketball.”

Four different players scored during CU’s 20-0

Colorado 70, Washington St. 58 run in the first half, and the Buffs held a 39-24 lead at halftime.

Even without their leading scorer, Washington State did not go away quietly, stringing together a 10-1 run early in the second half and adding a 9-0 run minutes later to trim CU’s lead to 49-43. But a 3-pointer from D’Shawn Schwartz gave CU much-needed breathing room and the Buffs, the top free throw shooting team in the nation, kept the Cougars at bay from the free throw line, finishing 20-for-23 overall.

CU did not commit a turnover until 6 minutes, 5 seconds remained in the first half. But the Buffs recorded three more before halftime and had nine in the second half. “We talk about 40 minutes, playing how we play for 40 minutes,” CU forward Evan Battey said. “In the first half, we did that. The second half, not so much. It was such a letdown, honestly, the second half.”