Colorado
8-4
Indiana
9-4
Higgins Takes Over Late as Buffs Hold on for 78-69 Win
December 23, 2010 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS-For the first time this season the Buffs are coming back to Boulder with a victory as Colorado defeated Indiana 78-69 in the third-place game of the Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena on Thursday evening.
Indiana (9-4) trailed by 19 with 11:50 remaining and was down 15 with 6:11 to play before going on a 14-2 run to cut the lead to three. The Hoosiers scored seven points off four CU turnovers during this stretch as the Buffs struggled with Indiana's pressure defense.
With the score at 67-64 and Colorado (8-4) having gone four minutes without a field goal, Cory Higgins put the Buffs on his back and threw down a driving, two-handed dunk to stop the Hoosiers' run with 2:09 to play.
"I actually did say, 'We're not going to lose this game,'" said Higgins on his game-changing dunk. "I just wanted to step up and make a big play, and fortunately it went my way."
"Our backs were kind of against the wall when they cut it to three, and Cory Higgins stepped up and played like a senior and made plays," said CU head coach Tad Boyle. "That dunk he had really got us going and got the momentum back on our side."
After Verdell Jones III hit a jumper on IU's next possession to make the score 69-66, Higgins made a layup and was fouled by Maurice Creek on the play. Higgins hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and put the Buffs up 72-66 with 1:01 remaining.
Higgins would make two more free throws and assist Austin Dufault on a fast break layup before Levi Knutson hit two free throws to end the scoring at 78-69.
Marcus Relphorde scored the first four points of the second half as CU opened the half with a 16-3 run to take a 19-point lead at 55-36 with 11:50 left in the game. Much of this run came with Alec Burks on the Buffaloes' bench as he picked up his fourth foul of the game with 18:14 remaining and didn't return until the 4:37 mark.
Higgins led CU with a game-high 22 points and Relphorde added 14. Burks scored nine in only 18 minutes of action before fouling out with 2:18 remaining. It was Burks' first career foul-out and only the second game of his career in which he didn't score double-digit points (the previous time came on Jan. 30, 2010, at Iowa State when Burks played only two minutes before leaving with a knee injury). Dufault pulled down seven rebounds and Nate Tomlinson had five assists. The Buffs shot 54.5 percent (24-of-44) from the field for the game. Indiana came into the game leading the Big Ten by holding opponents to 38 percent shooting.
Jordan Hulls led the Hoosiers with 17 points, going 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Victor Oladipo added 16 off the bench and Christian Watford scored 14. Indiana shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59) for the game, and scored 19 second chance points on 18 offensive rebounds.
After the Hoosiers scored the game's first four points, CU went on an 11-5 run to take their first lead of the tournament at 11-9 on a Relphorde layup with 15:40 remaining in the half. Relphorde scored six points for the Buffs during this run.
A Hulls three-pointer gave Indiana back the lead at 23-22 with 8:14 left in the half. Hulls led all players with 12 first-half points. Will Sheehey hit a free throw to put IU ahead 24-22, but the Hoosiers would not lead again.
Colorado went on an 8-1 run to take a 30-25 lead with 3:46 remaining. Included in this run was a fast break dunk by Burks who received an excellent assist from Nate Tomlinson. Burks was called for a technical foul on the play for hanging on the rim. Â
The Buffs went into the break with their biggest lead of the half after two Levi Knutson free throws with 24 seconds left put the Buffs in front 39-33. CU went a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line before halftime.
Marcus Relphorde was named to the all-tournament team for the Buffaloes. He scored 27 points combined in CU's two games.
CU returns to action on December 29 to take on Maryland Eastern Shore at the Coors Events Center. The game will tip at 7 p.m. and be televised on FSN Rocky Mountain.
