Colorado
9-2,0-0Pac-12
Prairie View A&M
3-8,0-0SWAC
Buffs Use Big Second Half To Roll Past Prairie View A&M
December 19, 2019 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER — Colorado played solid defense for 40 minutes and the Buffaloes' offense came alive down the stretch Thursday night, lifting CU to an 83-64 win over Prairie View A&M at the CU Events Center.
The Buffs, who travel to Chicago on Saturday for a matchup with 13th-ranked Dayton, improved to 9-2 while Prairie View dropped to 3-8.
Colorado led by just five with 10 minutes to play, but used a 17-3 run over a three-minute stretch late in the second half to pull away for good, building the lead to as much as 24 in the final minutes.Â
Evan Battey led the Buffs with 20 points and nine rebounds while Tyler Bey had 13 points and seven rebounds. D'Shawn Schwartz also had 13 points for Colorado, all in the second half, including three 3-pointers in CU's decisive run. McKinley Wright IV had 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists for CU.
Gerard Andrus led PVAMU with 12 points.
The Buffs held Prairie View to just 36.8 percent shooting (25-for-68), including 1-for-9 from 3-point range. The Buffs shot an even 50 percent from the floor (26-for-52) despite a 5-for-20 night from long range and Colorado also held an 43-29 edge on the boards.
"A good workmanlike effort," CU coach Tad Boyle said. "I really thought there were some really some things we can build on, especially offensively. Eighteen assists, which is always a good number on 26 baskets — we'll take that every night. We still turned it over a little bit too much (16 turnovers) … but I like how we shared the ball and moved the ball. We'll take the win and we'll move on and and now it's on to Chicago and the Dayton Flyers."
HOW IT HAPPENED: After taking a seven-point lead at the half, 35-28, Colorado built its cushion to as much as 11 early in the second half. Battey had 11 points for the Buffs in the first seven minutes of the half and a Lucas Siewert bucket at the 13:30 mark gave Colorado a 48-37 lead.
But the Panthers refused to go away, cutting the margin back to five, 50-45, on a pair of Faite Williams free throws with 10:01 remaining.
That's when the Buffs found their offensive footing, thanks in large part to Schwartz. The CU junior had a nice pump-fake and bucket for his first points of the game to put Colorado up by seven, 54-47, then hit two straight 3-pointers in a 10-0 run that gave CU a 66-49 cushion with just more than six minutes to play.
"I just needed to see something go in," Schwartz said. "Once I get one, I feel like the basket gets huge. Kin (Wright) told me to just keep shooting it and keep shooting it. If guys really believe in you, that's going to help you play well."
The Panthers finally stopped CU's run with a free throw, but the Buffs came back with another 7-0 surge, capped by another Schwartz 3-pointer, to put the game away. Colorado built its lead to as much as 24 over the final two minutes.
Battey continues to grow as a force for the Buffs on both ends of the floor, just missing the second double-double of his career. He hit 10 of his 11 free throw tries — the Buffs were 26-for-28 — as he drew eight fouls in the game.
"Evan's just getting better and better," Boyle said. "He's just playing within himself."
Wright, meanwhile, had a workmanlike effort with his 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting along with seven rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots.
"I thought McKinley the whole night was really looking to get guys involved," Boyle said. "Look at his line — he scores 11 points on five shots. That's very efficient."
The Buffs led by seven at the half, 35-28, thanks in large part to hitting 13 of their 14 free throw attempts. CU broke away from a 15-15 tie with a 6-0 run to take control with 6:16 to play in the half, then built the lead to as much as nine before taking a 7-point edge into intermission.
The Buffs shot 10-for-23 in the opening half while PVAMU was 13-for-38. The Panthers stayed in the game by collecting seven offensive rebounds, which they converted into seven second-chance points. The Buffs had 20 total rebounds, but just two on the offensive end.
TURNING POINT: After the Panthers had closed to within seven with just under eight minutes to play, CU went on a 10-0 run, part of a 17-3 surge that put the game away for good.
WHAT IT MEANS: It was overall one of the Buffs' better performances in recent weeks — some momentum they can use heading into Saturday's game with Dayton.
CU STANDOUTS: Evan Battey led the Buffs with 20 points and nine rebounds … Tyler Bey had 13 points and seven rebounds … D'Shawn Schwartz also had 13 points for Colorado, all in the second half … McKinley Wright IV had 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists for CU.
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs shot 50 percent from the floor (26-for-52) and hit 26 of their 28 free throw tries … CU had a 43-29 rebounding edge … The Buffs also had a 20-8 edge in fast break scoring.Â
NOTEWORTHY: The 83 points were a season high for Colorado … CU is 68-4 in the Boyle era when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor … The 18 assists and 26 made free throws were also season bests for the Buffs … The Battey-Bey-Wright combination scored 44 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the field and 17-for-18 from the line. The trio was held to 14 points in last week's win at Colorado State.
QUOTEWORTHY: "When we get everybody making shots at the clip that they're able to — when we get Shane Gatling making shots on the same night that D'Shawn Schwartz is making shots on the same night Maddox Daniels is making shots on the same night Lucas Siewert is making shots, we are a dangerous team. That hasn't happened yet — and that's why I say the upside or ceiling for this team is still very, very high." — CU head coach Tad Boyle
NEXT UP: The Buffs play again Saturday in Chicago against No. 13 Dayton in a 4:30 p.m. game at the United Center, a game the Buffs have had circled on the calendar since it first appeared. CU's Wright originally committed to play with Dayton before then-head coach Archie Miller left for Indiana, and it will be a rematch of last year's NIT first-round game, won by Colorado, 78-73, in Boulder.
The Flyers are 9-1, with their only loss a 90-84 defeat to Kansas in overtime in the Maui Jim tournament title game. They are led by 6-9 forward Obi Toppen, who is averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
"It's a big one," Wright said. "It's going to be a fun one. It's one we have to win."
Boyle admitted to something that has been a rarity in his career — getting a sneak peak at a future opponent with one game still in between. Boyle took the time this week to take a look at Dayton's most recent game, a 71-58 win over North Texas on Tuesday.
"We've got our work cut out for us," Boyle said. "The thing that makes Dayton so good is they've got depth — quality depth — they're well coached, they defend and they're efficient on offense. They are a legit top 20 team. This is this is an opportunity you just just relish."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Â
Â
