Colorado
3-0,0-0Pac-12
UC Irvine
3-2,0-0Big West
Buffs Defense Paves Way In Win Over Anteaters
November 18, 2019 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER — Defense is becoming a cornerstone for Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes.
The No. 23 Buffs forced 22 turnovers and McKinley Wright IV and Tyler Bey each scored 16 points Monday night to lead Colorado to a 69-53 win over UC Irvine at the CU Events Center.
CU improved to 3-0 while the Anteaters dropped to 3-2.
The Buff broke open a tight game in the first half with a 10-0 run to go up by 13, and still led by 10 at the half, 40-30. UCI managed to close the gap to six at two different junctures in the second half, but the Buffs had an answer each time.
Bey had seven rebounds and six steals to go with his 16 points while Wright had five assists and no turnovers along with his 16 points. D'Shawn Schwartz had eight points and five rebounds for the Buffs.
Collin Welp led UCI with 12 points.
Colorado finished with just seven turnovers while reaping 21 points off UCI's 22 turnovers. In a rarity for the Boyle era at CU, the Buffs won despite being outrebounded, 41-32.
The Anteaters entered the game shooting 49 percent from the floor but the Buffs held them to 39.6 percent for the night (21-for-53).
"That was a good win against a quality, quality basketball team," Boyle said. "We've got a lot of respect for UC Irvine, their coaching staff, their players. Our guys answered the bell and answered the challenge that I laid at their feet."
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs put together their best overall performance of the young season, making up for an off night shooting — 24-for-61 — with outstanding defense. Their 10-0 run, which turned a 24-23 lead into a 34-23 cushion late in the first half, came on the heels of three Anteater turnovers.
Schwartz started the run with a bucket off the glass, then delivered a 3-pointer following a Dallas Walton steal. Bey then collected a thunderous dunk after a Daylen Kountz steal and Wright assist, and Kountz completed the run with a 3-pointer after another UCI turnover.
"They were dialed in defensively and they did it for 40 minutes," Boyle said. "We held one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country to 39 percent and we held them to 53 points. That makes your heart pretty warm as a coach."
Even though Colorado led by 10 at the half, the Anteaters didn't go away quietly. UCI cut the margin to six at two different junctures in the second half, but each time the Buffaloes had an answer.
Colorado responded to the first UCI comeback with a 7-0 run, with Schwartz hitting a 3-pointer and Wright draining a one-hand floater from the lane to bump Colorado's margin to 48-35 at the 14:05 mark.
The Anteaters cut it back to six one more time with a 7-0 surge that reduced CU's lead to 51-45 with 9:14 to play, but the Buffs didn't flinch. Wright found Bey for an alley-oop dunk, then added two more one-handers to give CU a 60-49 lead with just under five minutes to play.
Less than two minutes later, Bey pushed the lead to 13 with a steal and dunk followed by a pair of free throws for a 64-51 lead to put the game away.
"A lot of credit goes to Colorado," UCI coach Russell Turner said of his team's turnovers. "They have a commitment on the defensive end. That's a big part of their success. They were able to impose their will on us and it showed in the turnover column."
CU built the lead to as much as 16 over the final minutes.
"Coach has really been stressing in practice how good this team was," Wright said. "We just had to really dial into the scouting report and I think every guy on our roster took it personally."
TURNING POINT: After UCI pulled to within one with 6:33 to go in the first half, the Buffs responded with a 10-0 run and the Anteaters never came closer than six again the rest of the night.
WHAT IT MEANS: Colorado continues to play outstanding defense. The Buffs have forced at least 16 turnovers in their first three games.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado forced 22 UCI turnovers and had just seven. CU had a 21-9 edge in points off turnovers.
BEY GETS DEFENSIVE: Bey's six steals doubled his previous career high of three. "Coach really gets on me about getting in my (defensive) stance," Bey said. "I've been able to get places faster, be quicker than others and stronger in the post. Tonight was one of those nights where almost every play I was able to get my hands up in the passing lane. I've been anticipating those passes a little better."
Boyle said the key for Bey now will be consistency.
"When Tyler moves his feet and he plays with awareness and energy on defense, holy cow," Boyle said. " He is he is disruptive because he is so athletically so quick. I thought his energy level and awareness level was big. We need that from him every night. The challenge for Tyler is playing that way consistently."
3-POINT SHOOTING STAYS HOT: While the Buffs struggled with their overall shooting — 24-for-61 — they were a much better 9-for-19 from 3-point range.
Last year, CU was 11th in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting in conference play, shooting just 31.2 percent. After three games this year, the Buffs are shooting 44.1 percent from long range (26-for-59).
"Good shooting percentages come from reps in the gym and great shot selection," Boyle said. "I know our guys are getting reps in the gym, and we're trying to get as many reps as we can. I see guys before practice and after practice getting up shots. We just have to keep taking good ones."
Schwartz, Kountz and Wright all had two 3-pointers, and Maddox Daniels added a big trey midway through the second half just after UCI had pulled to within six.
"What I love about Maddox is he's a true shooter," Boyle said. "Not only from his percentages, but also from the fact that if he misses the shot or makes a mistake, it doesn't get him down where he's worried about the next shot. He's gonna make the next shot."
NO TURNOVERS FOR WRIGHT: With five assists and no turnovers, Wright now has 15 assists and four turnovers in three games, an outstanding ratio.
"That's something I think McKinley was probably the most proud of and I was, too," Boyle said.
QUOTEWORTHY: "It's one game and we can learn from that. You learn from things that happen positively. McKinley can learn from a 16 and five (assists) and zero turnover game and Tyler can learn from being dialed in on defense and playing with energy and awareness. This team can be explosive on on both sides of the ball, but the defensive part to me is a great sign of where we are for this time of the year."
NEXT UP: The Buffs travel to Las Vegas next weekend for a pair of games in the MGM Resorts Main Event, beginning with a 6 p.m. game Sunday against Wyoming at T-Mobile Arena. They will then play again Tuesday, Nov. 26, against either TCU or Clemson.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
