Colorado
9-6,1-3Pac-12
California
2-13,1-3Pac-12
Buffs Rally Comes Up Short As Colorado Falls At Cal
December 31, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BERKELEY, Calif. — Colorado fell behind early and saw a late rally come up just short Saturday as the Buffaloes dropped an 80-76 decision to Cal at Haas Pavilion.
The loss ended the Buffs' five-game win streak and CU fell to 9-6 overall and 1-3 in Pac-12 play. Cal won for just the second time this season to improve to 2-13, 1-3.
Colorado gave up a 12-0 run early and trailed by 12 at intermission, 39-27. The Buffs then fell behind by as much as 21 in the second half before a furious rally cut the Bears' lead to just three, 79-76, in the final seconds.
Cal, though, clinched the win with a free throw with six seconds to play and a last-second 3-pointer by the Buffs missed its mark.
The Buffs were dominated on both ends for most of the night by a Cal team that scored just 43 points two nights previously in a loss to Utah. CU allowed the Bears to shoot 58 percent from the floor (29-for-50) and Cal also had a dominating 36-23 edge on the boards.
CU shot 45 percent from the floor (30-for-66), but that number was inflated by the Buffs' late hot streak. Colorado went on a 20-6 run in the final 2:06, with KJ Simpson scoring 16 points in the surge, before the Bears finally put the game away.
Simpson led the Buffs with 25 points and J'Vonne Hadley added 17.
Joel Brown led five Bears in double figures with 21 points while freshman Grant Newell had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The loss to the Bears — who opened the season with 12 losses before finally beating UT Arlington — is a particularly damaging one. Not only did it end CU's win streak, it also ruined Colorado's chances to pull to .500 in Pac-12 play as the Buffs squandered an opportunity for a valuable road win.
"Let's just talk about one of the most pathetic defensive performances in Colorado basketball history," an obviously irate CU coach Tad Boyle said. "I've only been part of it now for 12 and a half years but I can't think of a more disappointing defensive performance than what I saw tonight. It didn't matter what we did or what we ran, we couldn't couldn't stop them."
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs struggled offensively and had no answer defensively in the first half as the Bears built a 39-27 lead at intermission. Cal then extended that cushion to as much as 21 with seven minutes to play.
But the Buffs finally came alive down the stretch, using a 20-5 run in the final two minutes to cut Cal's lead to 79-76 with six seconds remaining. Simpson had 16 points in the run, including three 3-pointers, and the Buffs were somehow still alive.
The Bears, however, finally clinched the win with a free throw for a four-point lead and Colorado missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"You know the old saying, 'Don't say hello when it's time to say good-bye,'" Boyle said. "That's what these guys did. They said a lot when it was too late. Too little too late."
Boyle insisted CU's coaching staff did not take the Bears lightly. But Cal looked nothing like the team that lost 58-43 to Utah on Thursday.
Instead, the Bears came out firing. Cal jumped out to a 14-4 lead and while the Buffs were struggling on the offensive end, the Bears tallied their most productive half of the season to take a 39-27 edge at intermission.
"If you give guys shots and they start making them, they start believing," Boyle said. "It changes everything."
CU endured a five-minute scoring drought that saw seven straight empty Colorado possessions in the first half while Cal shot 60 percent from the floor.
Colorado's woes continued for much of the second half. With 4:06 to play, Cal held a 70-49 edge.
But the Buffs slowly chipped away at the lead, then put together their 20-6 run over the final two minutes to give the Bears a scare before finally succumbing.
"It falls on me," Boyle said of the Buffs' effort. "The responsibility is mine and that's where I'm disappointed in myself because I haven't gotten through to these guys yet. (But) I'm not going to change what I believe in. I'm not going to change how I coach. I have to do it better. I have to be a better coach than I've been. Today's just as much on me as it is on our players."
TURNING POINT: Although the Buffs threw a scare into the Bears late, it was an early 12-0 run by Cal that saw the Bears take control that made the difference.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs wasted a golden opportunity for a conference road win and now find themselves 1-3 in league play. In the long run, these are the kinds of losses that can do big damage to teams on the NCAA bubble at season's end.
KEY STATISTICS: CU allowed the Bears to shoot 58 percent from the floor (29-for-50) and Cal also had a dominating 36-23 edge on the boards.
NEXT UP: Colorado returns home next week for a pair of games, hosting Oregon on Thursday in a 7 p.m. matchup at the CU Events Center (ESPN2/U) and Oregon State on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. game (Pac-12 Network).
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
