Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
14-4, 3-2Pac-12
Oregon
14-4, 3-2Pac-12
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 41 | 46 | 87 |
| Colorado | 46 | 45 | 91 |
Buffs Hold Off Oregon, 91-87, For Key Pac-12 Win
January 17, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Tad Boyle and his Buffaloes have been looking for a signature win all season.
Sunday evening, they produced one. Josh Scott scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double, CU's bench tossed in 45 points — tying a season-high — and the Buffs hit their free throws down the stretch for a 91-87 win over Oregon.
The Buffs improved to 14-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play while the Ducks emerged with the same marks.
While the Ducks aren't currently ranked in the nation's top 25 in either poll, they've been included at different junctures of the season, and were receiving votes last week. Â Even more importantly, they entered Sunday's game with a No. 7 NCAA RPI, a ranking that means far more than national polls when it comes to the NCAA Tournament Selection committee.
Why is Josh Scott one of the best players in the nation? Domination at both ends of the court. #GoBuffs https://t.co/Kfc10qSnlP
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) January 18, 2016
"A big-time win for our program against a very, very quality team," Boyle said. "When you put this one in the win column you feel like you've done something. I told our guys I don't think we've beaten a bona fide, legitimate NCAA Tournament team yet, but tonight we did."
It didn't come easily. The Buffs led for most of the first half, but every time they threatened to build anything resembling a comfortable cushion, the Ducks bounced back, and CU led by just five, 46-41, at the half.
Oregon then put together an 11-0 run early in the second half to take the lead, and while the Buffs managed to slip back ahead, it set the stage for a see-saw second half in a game that featured 15 lead changes and seven ties, including a 78-78 score with just more than three minutes remaining. Not until Tre'Shaun Fletcher and Xavier Talton hit free throws in the final 10 seconds did CU have the win in hand.
Fletcher's 14 points and Talton's 13, along with 13 from Tory Miller, were a big part of the Buffs' bench production. The Buffs also received a solid effort on both ends of the floor from guard Thomas Akyazili, who had six points, three rebounds and three assists. Akyazili, Talton, Fletcher and starting point guard Dominique Collier were all on the floor together with Scott down the stretch as the Buffs needed solid defense and ball security, which they produced.
Akyazili with the Alley and Miller with the Oop. With authority! Great bench play for the Buffs against Ore... https://t.co/pFp2e1s5uZ
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) January 18, 2016
"They were playing the best," Boyle said. "They were taking care of the ball and they were making their free throws. You have to keep the ball down the stretch and they were doing that for us."
The Buffs broke the 78-78 tie with 3:11 remaining on a pair of Fletcher free throws, then bumped the margin up to four when Fletcher scrambled for a loose ball and laid it in for an 82-78 lead. Colorado increased to 85-79 seconds later when Akyazili dished a beautiful pass to Scott, who laid it in and then added a free throw.
But the Ducks wouldn't go away. Oregon cut the lead to three on a Tyler Dorsey 3-pointer before Collier hit one of two free throws to make it a two-possession game again. Fletcher then forced a turnover on Oregon's ensuing inbounds play, was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 27 seconds left to bump CU's lead back to five, 87-82.
Casey Benson hit two free throws for the Ducks to cut the CU lead back to three, but Fletcher hit two more free throws with 8.5 on the clock, and after another Dorsey 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left, Talton finally iced the game with two free throws at the 2.2-second mark.
"We had to grind this one out," Boyle said. "Oregon is a good team and they weren't going to go away. Our guys were gritty enough to win this game, but the bench was the key."
Fletcher scored seven of his 14 points in the final three minutes, and also had a big rebound and forced turnover in the stretch. It was a stark turnaround from his zero-point, zero-rebound and three-turnover effort against Oregon State four nights earlier.
"I just tried to focus on affecting the game without scoring by getting tips and rebounds," Fletcher said. "When my shot's not falling, the main thing I wanted to focus on coming into this game was doing the little stuff."
Talton also bounced back from a sub-par effort on the three-game CU homestand. After a scoreless game against Utah and two points against OSU, he added three assists and a steal to his 13 points against the Ducks.
"The way they played tonight shows the character and toughness they have," Boyle said. "That's what you have to have in league play. You're going to have bad games and bad practices, but you need to bounce back. The two of them know they are capable of playing better than they have and tonight they came out and did it. That's why I'm so proud of them."
Along with his 12 points, Miller also had seven rebounds — a key contribution, as the Buffs were without the services of Wesley Gordon for much of the evening after Gordon suffered a thumb injury.
And, through it all, there was the "normal" contribution from Scott, who simply continues to cement his stand as one of the nation's premier big men. Along with 17 points and 11 rebounds, Scott had a pair of blocks and was outstanding on the defensive end of the floor.
"It's almost like you take the guy for granted," Boyle said.
UP NEXT: Now sitting in a tie for third in the Pac-12 standings, the Buffs take their show on the road for a pair of games, at Washington on Wednesday (8 p.m, Pac-12 Networks) and at Washington State on Saturday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).
"To separate yourself in this league, you have to win on the road," Boyle said. "We have to go on this road trip with the mindset that we're going to compete in both games, and if we do that I think we can win some games in this league."
GREAT SCOTT: Along with Sunday's game being his 10th double-double of the season, it was Scott's 33rd of his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Burdette Haldorson for seventh on CU's all-time list. Scott also moved into fifth on CU's all-time rebound list (868) and surpassed the 1,500-point mark for his career.
PAC-12 BESTS: Fletcher's 14 points were a Pac-12 high for the CU junior; and Tory Miller's 12 points were also his best in a conference game.
COLLIER ON A ROLL: Collier, who finished with seven points, six assists and no turnovers, now has 14 assists over the last three games. The Buffs finished with 17 assists and 14 turnovers, with the guards — Collier, Akyazili and Talton — combining for 12 of those assists and just two turnovers.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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