Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
2-2,0-0Pac-12
Massachusetts
2-1,0-0Atlantic 10
Buffs Rally Falls Short In Loss To UMass
November 17, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
CONWAY, S.C. — Colorado rallied late Thursday but could not completely overcome an 11-point second-half deficit as the Buffaloes dropped a 66-63 decision to Massachusetts in the first round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Tad Boyle's Buffs fell to 2-2 with the loss while UMass improved to 2-1.
Colorado trailed 58-47 with 7:31 to play after an 11-0 Minutemen run. But the Buffs managed to whittle the deficit down to two in the final minutes and had several chances to tie the game or take the lead.
But CU came up empty each time. Colorado missed a 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining that would have given the Buffs the lead and two more 3-point tries in the final six seconds that would have tied the game.
Colorado struggled on the offensive end all day. The Buffs finished just 25-for-73 from the floor, including an 11-for-37 second half. CU also allowed UMass to shoot 47 percent from the floor. The Buffs attempted 20 more field goals than the Minutemen but had trouble finishing their opportunities all day.
Tristan da Silva led CU with 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Guard KJ Simpson finished with 13 points, but shot just 4-for-16 from the floor. Center Lawson Lovering had a career-best eight points, five rebounds and three assists.
Noah Fernandes led UMass with 22 points while freshmen reserve guard RJ Luis had 18.
"UMass is extremely physical and sometimes the whistle doesn't go your way away from home," Boyle said. "You have to figure out a way to finish. We had some really good looks that didn't go in. We have to be tough and UMass was the tougher team."
HOW IT HAPPENED: After a first half that featured eight ties and 12 lead changes, Colorado trailed, 37-34, at the break. The Buffs held a six-point edge early, but the Minutemen came back, hitting 53.3 percent of their shots in the opening 20 minutes to take the lead at intermission.
"Our defense in the first half was atrocious," Boyle said.
But the key stretch came midway through the second half. UMass used an 11-0 run to turn a 47-47 tie into a 58-47 lead and Colorado never completely closed the deficit again.
CU played better on the defensive end in the second half but the Buffs never found an offensive rhythm. Colorado missed 10 straight field goal tries in a five-minute scoring drought that allowed UMass to build its big lead.
"We had opportunities," Boyle said. "But we didn't finish."
Colorado did manage to whittle away at the lead down the stretch. CU used a 6-0 run to pull within 61-58 with 4:12 left to play, fueled by a da Silva baseline drive and dunk and four free throws.
But CU then missed several opportunities to close the gap over the next two minutes and UMass pushed its lead back to seven, 65-58, with 1:26 left to play.
"Our guys fought," Boyle said. "They fought their way back into the game, but we just couldn't get over the hump."
Indeed, Colorado had one more rally in the waning minutes. Da Silva drained a long 3-pointer with just 1:17 to play and CU trailed by four, 65-61.
Colorado then cut the deficit to just two with under a minute to play on a da Silva fadeaway, then missed an opportunity to take the lead seconds later when a da Silva 3-pointer drew iron.
Following a Fernandes free throw that pushed the Minutemen's lead back to three, 66-63, Simpson missed two 3-point tries in the final six seconds to hand UMass the win.
"We put ourselves in that situation," da Silva said. "It's all about energy from the get go. That's what it ultimately comes down to."
CU shot just 11-for-37 from the field in the second half and just 4-for-9 from the free throw line.
"I like the competitiveness of our group but we're just not good enough for 40 minutes," Boyle said. "We have to understand that there's a lot of good players in college basketball, I don't care what league you're talking about."
The Buffs started the game quickly, hitting six of their first eight shots to take a 13-7 lead less than five minutes in. Julian Hammond III had a 3-pointer early and Simpson had four points to help Colorado push ahead early.
But the Minutemen responded with a 7-0 run, aided by two Colorado turnovers, and the game became a see-saw affair the rest of the half. The first period featured eight ties and 12 lead changes.
The Buffs didn't help their cause on the offensive end. CU hit just eight of its final 28 field goal tries of the half while the Minutemen warmed up. UMass finished the first half 16-for-30 from the field and Colorado trailed, 37-34, at the break.
TURNING POINT: After the Buffs battled back to tie the game at 47-47 seven minutes into the second half, the Minutemen reeled off an 11-0 run. CU never managed to tie the game or take the lead again.
WHAT IT MEANS: It was the second loss for CU in what has already been an up-and-down season and will no doubt be another tough teaching moment for the young Buffs.
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs shot just 34 percent from the field (25-for-73) while UMass was 25-for-53 … Free throws continue to be an issue for CU. The Buffs were just 7-for-13 from the line. They are now 58-for-86 (67 percent) this season from the stripe … CU was just 6-for-25 from 3-point range … Colorado had just four fast break points.
NEXT UP: The Buffs will play Texas A&M in a consolation game on Friday at 10 a.m. MT (ESPNU/KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM). The No. 24 ranked Aggies dropped an 88-79 decision to Murray State in their first round matchup.
