Colorado
12-9 (4-5 P-12)
Arizona
17-4 (7-1 P-12)
Buffs Fall Short At No. 11 Arizona
January 25, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
TUCSON, Ariz — Free throws made the difference Thursday night, as the Colorado Buffaloes outrebounded and outshot No. 11 Arizona but still came up on the short end of the scoreboard, falling 80-71 to the Wildcats at the McKale Center.
The Buffs shot 55.8 percent from the field, hitting 29 of their 52 field goal tries while Arizona shot 53 percent (26-for-49). Colorado also outrebounded the Wildcats, 25-23.
But Arizona shot 23 free throws and made 22 while Colorado attempted just eight free throws all night, making five. After the game was tied 30-30 at halftime, the Buffs did not shoot a free throw in the second half until just 19 seconds remained in the game while Arizona attempted 15 free throws after intermission.
"It came down to free throws," CU head coach Tad Boyle said. "They shot 22 out of 23 and we shot 5 out of 8. That was the ballgame, obviously. We have to learn to keep them off the line and we have to figure out how to get to the line. A very physical game on both ends. A little frustrating there, but you're on the road and you have to overcome those things. That's just the way it is."
The loss dropped Colorado to 12-9 overall and 4-5 in Pac-12 play while the Wildcats improved to 17-4, 7-1.
Still, despite the outcome, Boyle was by no means disappointed with his team's play. The Buffs rallied from an 12-point deficit in the second half to cut the gap to one, 60-59, with seven minutes to go and were still within three points with just under three minutes to play.
"I told our guys in the locker room I can live with this kind of effort," Boyle said. "If we would have played like this Saturday in the Coors Events Center (in a loss to Washington) it would have been a different story. Our guys battled. They really fought. … There's no such things as moral victories, we know that. But I can live with certain kinds of results based on our effort and based on our energy and our toughness. We had that tonight in a very hostile environment."
Senior George King led CU with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting, freshman McKinley Wright IV added 15 points and seven assists and freshman Tyler Bey recorded 11 points and seven rebounds.
Allonzo Trier scored 23 for Arizona and Deandre Ayton added 20.
HOW IT HAPPENED: After the two teams battled to a 30-30 first-half tie, Arizona scored the first seven points of the second half to take control, but the Buffs never let the game get out of hand.
Colorado cut the deficit to five before the Wildcats then pushed the lead to 11 with a 6-0 run, 45-34, aided by a pair of free throws after Boyle was whistled for a technical foul. With 12:32 to go in the game, the Wildcats had hit seven of their eight field goal tries of the second half and had pushed their lead to 12 points, 53-41.
"I thought our zone got a little soft there like it did against Washington in the second half," Boyle said. "But a lot of it was good offense. I thought both teams offensively played very, very well."
But even when the McKale Center crowd came alive, the Buffs refused to bow under the pressure. After the 'Cats took their 12-point lead, Colorado answered with an 18-7 surge to cut the Wildcats' lead to one, 60-59, with 7:09 to play.
King had six points in the run and when a McKinley Wright 3-pointer pulled the Buffs to within one, UA's Sean Miller called a timeout.
The Wildcats then emerged from the timeout to end their three-minute scoring drought with the next five points to take a 65-59 lead with 5:30 to play.
But the Buffs still refused to quit. Colorado pulled to within three several times in the last five minutes, the last time coming with just under three minutes to play on a Bey basket inside.
The Wildcats, however, answered with a Trier 3-pointer, then another big trey from Parker Jackson-Cartwright in the final minute to put the game away.
"That was anybody's game down the stretch," Boyle sid. "Allonzo Trier hits an unbelievable three with McKinley Wright all over him. Parker Jackson-Cartwright was three steps behind the line with the clock going down …. they had to make two big threes to beat us."
The Buffs actually shot better from 3-point range, hitting eight of their 16 tries while Arizona was just 6-for-15 from beyond the arc.
"You're never happy with the result of losing," Boyle said. "Our program is beyond that. But it's a little bit easier to swallow when you know you battled and they had to make tough shots to beat you. They get 22 free throws, we get five. You just have to move on and that's what we have to do."
Much like their first meeting, the Buffs jumped out to a big lead early, taking a 14-4 edge with 11:44 still to go in the half. McKinley Wright, King and Dominique Collier all hit early 3-pointers to spark the surge.
But the Wildcats, who hit just one of their first 11 field goal tries, didn't let this one get out of hand. Arizona hit 9 of its next 15 field goal tries and climbed back into the game, finally taking a 28-26 lead on a pair of Ayton free throws with 1:18 to go.
The Buffs, though, answered field goals from Lazar Nikolic and McKinley Wright in the final minute before UA's Dusan Ristic hit a jumper at the first-half buzzer to send the teams into the locker room at intermission all tied up at 30-30.
TURNING POINT: After the game was tied at the half, the Wildcats scored the first seven points of the second half. CU managed to come back and cut the deficit to one, but could never regain the lead.
WHAT IT MEANS: Now back to under .500 in conference play, the Buffs need a win Saturday at Arizona State to end a two-game losing streak.
CU STANDOUTS: George King had 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting (4-for-5 from 3-point range) and six rebounds. … McKinley Wright scored 15 points to go with seven assists and two rebounds. … Tyler Bey had 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs had more field goals, more rebounds and shot a better percentage from the field, but the Wildcats were 22-for-23 from the free throw line while the Buffs were 5-for-8.
QUOTEWORTHY: "We really battled them. We played well enough offensively to win this game but we couldn't get stops in the second half when we needed to. … I love the fight, I love the resolve of this group." — CU head coach Tad Boyle
"Let's be honest — a loss is a loss. You're never happy with a loss. But one thing we can live with is that we fought. One thing coaches hate and players hate is when you come out and roll over. We didn't roll over tonight. But we're not happy with it, make no mistake. A loss is a loss." — CU senior George King
"We have to play with the same kind of focus, energy and effort on Saturday against Arizona State that we did tonight. That's the challenge." — Boyle
NEXT UP: The finish their desert swing with a 6 p.m. game Saturday at Arizona State (ESPNU). The Sun Devils lost to Utah in overtime Thursday, 80-77.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
