Collier sparks Bu≠s’ 25-0 run

COLORADO 68, AIR FORCE 53

boulder » After a dismal performance Saturday at Wyoming, the Colorado men’s basketball team was in desperate need of bouncing back.

The Buffaloes did that in a big way Tuesday night.

Colorado scored 25 consecutive points in the first half and routed Air Force 68-53 at the Coors Events Center.

Junior forward Xavier Johnson had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the way, and junior center Josh Scott had 13 points for CU.

Senior guardAskia Bookerwas benched for the first half for undisclosed reasons, but the Buffs (3-1) didn’t need him to pull away from the Falcons (3-2).

The Buffs actually had a rough start, with turnovers on their first six possessions. Two 3-pointers by Marek Olesinski helped Air Force to a 10-6 lead.

Freshman Dominique Collier then buried a 3pointer on his first shot of the game, sparking CU’s 25-0 run. Xavier Talton capped that run with a 3pointer to give the Buffs a 31-10 lead.

“Coming off a loss like that (at Wyoming), I mean they are a good team, but you never want to lose like that,” said Talton, whose team lost 56-33 at Laramie on Saturday. “It felt good to get on the court and win the game.”

The Buffs went 10-for-15 from the floor during that runwhile holding Air Force scoreless for 10 minutes, 6 seconds. The Falcons went 0-for-12 during that stretch.

The Buffs led 37-15 at halftime, already topping their point total from Saturday’s loss atWyoming.

Collier was impressive in his home debut for the Buffs. He had just three points but racked up six assists and four rebounds, with no turnovers in his 23 minutes.

CU won its 21st consecutive nonconference home game, the 15th-longest streak in the country.