Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Aim To Bounce Back Vs. UCLA
February 19, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
LOS ANGELES — If ever Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes have been in need of a short memory, it is now.
Three days after perhaps their most disappointing loss of the season, the 19-8 Buffs (8-6 Pac-12) will attempt to erase that memory Saturday night when they travel to Pauley Pavilion for a 9 p.m. meeting with UCLA (Fox Sports 1).
The Buffs will be seeking a much-needed road-trip split in the wake of Wednesday night's loss at Southern California. Colorado dominated the game for more than 30 minutes, only to see the Trojans outscore CU 31-10 over the last eight minutes to collect a 79-72 win.
Now, the Buffs must figure out how to stretch that 30-minute effort into 40 minutes and at least keep pace with the upper division of the Pac-12.
With four conference games remaining, CU currently sits in sixth place in the conference standings — but still just one game out of third place and well within reach of a top-four finish and first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament.
A win over UCLA would keep the Buffs in the hunt for one of those coveted spots.
Boyle, though, said his team's focus isn't on anything other than the next game.
"We can't worry about big-picture stuff," Boyle said. "We have to figure out how to get back on the horse and get a win. All that other stuff doesn't matter. For us, it's the next game."
After a brief workout Thursday, the Buffs conducted a full practice Friday at Pauley Pavilion.
"We had a good practice," Boyle said. "They had some pep in their step. They were down after Wednesday, and I'm glad we had two days in between. But they'll bounce back and be ready to play. They're resilient."
Against the Bruins, the Buffs will attempt to replicate some of their efforts against USC — and discard others.
The Buffs would like to continue their recent dominance on the boards. In their last two games, they've outrebounded their opponents by a 92-56 count, including a 37-21 edge against USC. The Trojans' 21 rebounds were the fewest by a CU opponent this season.
But what the Buffs have to figure out how to shake is a plague of turnovers that has hounded them for much of the season. The Buffs had 22 turnovers against USC — their third time with at least 20 in their last four games. USC converted those turnovers into 22 points, a number that more than made up for the rebound differential.
"It's not a secret," Boyle said. "We've got to take care of the ball."
In the 14-12 Bruins (5-8 Pac-12), the Buffs will see a team that has ridden a season-long roller coaster. UCLA owns wins over Kentucky and Gonzaga, but is also the only Pac-12 team to lose to Washington State. The Bruins have lost three of their last four, with their most recent outing a 75-73 loss to Utah on Thursday, when they nearly overcame a 14-point deficit late in the game before falling just short.
But one area in which the Bruins have been consistent is on the scoreboard. They're averaging nearly 79 points per game, with two players — guards Isaac Hamilton (16.8 points per game) and Bryce Alford (16.2 ppg) — currently ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, in the league scoring race.
"They're a very, very talented offensive team that can score points in a hurry," Boyle said. "They've got multiple guys that can score. Alford is a guy who has the green light and Hamilton can fill it up. When they get it rolling, they're an offensive juggernaut."
Alford, son of head coach Steve Alford, is fifth in the conference in 3-point field goals made (55), second in the league in assists (5.4 per game) and leads the Pac-12 in minutes played (36.5 per game).
BROADCAST: Fox Sports 1 will carry the telecast with Aaron Goldsmith and Steve Lavin while 850 KOA will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
THE SERIES: This will be the 12th meeting between the two schools, with UCLA holding a 9-2 edge. The two teams split their series last year, both winning at home. Colorado is 0-7 in Los Angeles and Boyle is 1-5 vs. UCLA as a head coach. Alford is 3-1 against the Buffs as a head coach.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
