Simpson spurs rout of CSU
Buffs renew rivalry with huge second half
The Colorado men’s basketball team opened Pac-12 Conference play with a pair of losses that had several shortcomings in common. Yet they also showcased a Buffaloes team that struggled at the start of each second half.
That certainly wasn’t the case on Thursday night.
Facing off against state rival Colorado State for the first time in three years, the Buffs finished the first half strong before burying the Rams immediately after halftime, paving the way for a 9365 victory at the CU Events Center.
The 130th meeting between the rivals featured an infusion of electricity when new CU football coach Deion Sanders entered the arena early in the second half.
CU (5-5) used a 10-2 run to end the first half to take a 38-30 lead at the break. Unlike the previous two games, the Buffs kept their momentum rolling after halftime, starting the second half with a 15-6 run to take a 17-point lead. CU kept adding on from there.
CSU (6-4) stayed close during the first half by going 6-for-8 on 3-pointers. An active Buffs defense that forced 10 turnovers in the first half started taking away the good looks for the Rams in the second half, holding CSU to a .379 mark from the field over the final 20 minutes.
CU point guard KJ Simpson knocked down five 3-pointers and paced the Buffs with 27 points. Tristan da Silva added 15 points and Nique Clifford broke out of an early slump in a big way, going 6-for-9 with 13 points and four rebounds. CU went 21-for-33 in the second half and finished with an overall field goal percentage of .567, just a few fractions off the season-high mark of .576 set during a win against Texas A&M last month.
The Buffs dominated the glass, recording 42-23 rebounding advantage, and matched a seasonlow with eight turnovers. CU went 7-for-12 on 3-pointers in the second half.