Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Morris Brown
Buffs Breeze By Morris Brown, 84-44
January 09, 2002 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER - Stephane Pelle scored 21 points and D.J. Harrison added 15 as Colorado defeated Morris Brown, 84-44 Wednesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center.
Colorado (9-3) jumped to a 12-0 margin through the first three minutes of the game and increased its lead to 27-4 at 11:26 of the first stanza. Morris Brown (1-16) trailed by double figures the rest of the game and fell by at least 40 points with a minute remaining to play.
Pelle scored 17 in the first half and was 8-for-8 from the field. Nick Mohr added 11 and recorded a career-high eight assists for the Buffaloes. CU dominated the boards by a 46-22 margin and improved its season record to 9-0 when out-rebounding its opponent.
Colorado shot a season-best 59 percent from the field (32-for-54), while the Wolverines were 35 percent from the field (17-for-49) and only two of nine free throws.
Larry Washington scored 10 points for Morris Brown, which scored only 17 field goals and lost its 13th straight.
Colorado winners of its last six of seven games travels to rival Nebraska this Saturday, Jan. 12 for a Big 12 match up.
Colorado Head Coach Ricardo Patton Post-game quotes:
GENERAL: "This was a much needed game for us tonight. It was an opportunity for us to work on the things that we really needed to improve on. It wasn't about playing Morris Brown, it was about playing the teams that we are going to play that are better than Morris Brown. It was more of us establishing how we want to play this season. I thought all our guys got good touches tonight ... and that's how the game is supposed to be played. I thought we did a good job of working on all the little things that make the big things happen."
ON GAME IMPROVEMENTS: "We had some set things before this game that we wanted to do to get better at. We really wanted to work on our transition defense, and the way we communicate with each other out on the floor. I did not want our guys to be considered with the time or the score, I just wanted us to have really good ball movement, and work on what we needed. I thought our inside guys got some good touches and we were able to get our post-players the ball. That's what we needed ... (to be) used to playing inside-out."
ON THE BIG 12 COMPETITION: "At this time of year you see a lot of teams rising up and going out and beating each other. I am just hoping that we can get in the mix too."
ON Center David Harrison and guard Mookie Wright (injuries): "Yes, they will be playing in our next game and that is without having spoken to our trainer (Kenny Boyd) in the last couple of days."
Forward Stephane Pelle: "I think we improved on communication, transition and just overall defense tonight. I always know what it takes against bad or good teams. Personally, I took it seriously and the rest of the team did too. They played well. The last few practices (two-a-days) have been tougher than the ones before, but it helped get us focus."
Guard D.J. Harrison: "We have to prepare and play the same way at home as we do on the road. It was a good practice tonight on defense, and we are ready to go (for Nebraska), we just need to get everyone healthy. We have to learn to play at the same intensity on the road. It shouldn't be a problem getting up; if you lose you still have to run the same. The hardest part is the first five minutes of the game; whoever wins those first five minutes wins the half. We always seem to start well on the road, but we just have problems finishing. It is part of maturing. We have to learn how to finish them off."
