Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Northwestern
MBB OPENS WITH 11 POINT WIN AT NORTHWESTERN
November 22, 2003 | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -- Michel Morandais scored 21 points and Colorado held Northwestern to three baskets in the final 13 minutes Friday night to beat the Wildcats 67-56 in the season opener.
Jitim Young scored 18 for Northwestern, which couldn't get open looks in the second half after shooting 52 percent in the first and taking a five-point lead.
Blair Wilson added 16 and David Harrison 10 for Colorado. Vedran Vukusic had 13 for Northwestern, which shot 24 percent in the second half and was outscored 40-24.
With Northwestern up by a basket with 13 minutes left, Morandais picked up his fourth foul and was forced to the bench. Young made two free throws for a 45-41 lead.
But with Morandais, its top returning scorer, out of the game, Colorado didn't falter.
Three-pointers by Wilson and Marcus Hall and a followup basket by Glean Eddy highlighted a 14-2 run and put Colorado up 55-47 with just over six minutes left.
Harrison's slam follow after Morandais had reentered the game gave the Buffaloes a 10-point lead with 3:35 to play.
Colorado trailed by five at the half but behind 3-pointers from Morandais, Wilson and Glean Eddy got a two-point lead early in the second.
After struggling early, the Buffaloes went on a 10-0 behind seven points from Morandais to take their only lead of the half at 21-20.
But 3-pointers by Young and Davor Duvancic started the Wildcats on a quick 10-2 spurt and then went on for a 32-27 lead at the half.
Northwestern constantly used backdoor cuts to get open for layups against the Colorado defense. T.J Parker had 11 points at the half for NU and Morandais 13 for Colorado. Parker had just one point in the second half.
Colorado, which opens with three straight road games, returns four starters from a 20-12 team that made the NCAA tournament and lost to Michigan State.
