Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Rally Falls Short At Arizona State
January 06, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
TEMPE, Ariz. — Colorado's second half rally came up short Saturday night and the Buffaloes dropped a 76-73 decision to Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena.
Tad Boyle's Buffs dropped their second in a row and fell to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 play. ASU improved to 10-5, 4-0.
The Buffs trailed by 10 midway through the second half but battled back to tie the game at 70-70 with 2:16 to play on a basket from Eddie Lampkin Jr.
But Colorado couldn't come up with critical plays in the final minutes. CU missed a chance to take the lead with 1:30 remaining and the Sun Devils hit six free throws in the final 1:04 to collect the win.
KJ Simpson led CU with 23 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. J'Vonne Hadley scored 19, his high as a Buff, and Tristan da Silva tallied 17 in his return to the lineup after missing three games with an ankle injury.
Jamiya Neal led three players in double digits for ASU with 19 points.
Colorado shot a respectable 48 percent from the floor (23-for-48) but hit just seven of its 20 3-point tries. ASU shot 44 percent (25-for-57) while hitting eight of 22 from beyond the arc. Colorado also had a 35-30 edge on the boards.
But the decisive difference came in the turnover department. Colorado committed 13 miscues that led to 27 ASU points — including 10 in the first half that the Sun Devils converted into 20 points. ASU finished with 21 fast break points compared to CU's 10.
"We lost that game in the first half," said Boyle, whose team was once again missing standout freshman Cody Williams (wrist), as well as key reserve Julian Hammond III (back). "Our guys battled their tails off in the second half. But they had 20 points off our 10 turnovers in the first half — that's the ballgame."
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado trailed by six at intermission, 44-38, and fell behind by as much as 10 midway through the second half.
But the Buffs finally put together some defensive stops and some solid offensive possessions to chip away at the deficit.
Simpson started an 8-0 CU run with a drive to the hoop, followed by an Eddie Lampkin Jr. basket, two J'Vonne Hadley free throws and another Simpson basket inside. With 6:33 to play, the Buffs trailed by just two, 63-61.
Two minutes later, Colorado finally tied the game at 66-66 on a da Silva 3-pointer and the two teams traded buckets on the ensuing two possessions to set the score at 70-70 with 2 minutes remaining. The Buffs then recorded a defensive stop after an official's replay gave CU possession with 1:47 to play.
The Buffs, though, couldn't convert and take the lead. Instead, the Sun Devils got two Adam Miller free throws on their next trip down the floor to take a 72-70 lead with 1:04 to play.
Colorado then came up empty again on the offensive end and the Buffs were forced to foul with 25 seconds remaining. ASU hit two free throws with 25 seconds left for a four-point lead, 74-70, and the Buffs missed again on their ensuing possession.
ASU then hit two more free throws in the final 15 seconds while CU managed a Simpson 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining to complete the scoring.
"We just came up a little bit short tonight but it wasn't because of effort, it wasn't because of toughness," Boyle said. "It's just about not being able to make enough plays down the stretch."
After a rough start for both teams, Colorado appeared ready to take control midway through the first half. Luke O'Brien drained a long 3-pointer to start a 7-0 CU run and the Buffs grabbed a 17-10 lead at the 10:45 mark.
Colorado maintained its edge over the next five minutes. Simpson scored seven points over the next five minutes and a Simpson layup with 5:55 to go in the half gave the Buffs a 31-26 lead.
But the turnover bug bit the Buffs in a big way over the ensuing three minutes. Colorado committed five miscues on its next six trips down the floor and the Sun Devils reeled off a 13-0 run that included two 3-pointers and a three-point play from Miller.
With 2:43 to go in the half, Colorado's five-point lead had transformed into a 39-31 deficit.
Simpson finally ended a four-minute CU scoring drought with a pair of free throws and he added two more a minute later to go with a 3-pointer to pull the Buffs within 41-38.
But the Sun Devils scored three points in the final 40 seconds to take a 44-38 lead into the break as Colorado finished with 10 turnovers in the first half that led to 20 ASU points.
While da Silva played 36 minutes in his return to the lineup, the Buffs were still without key contributors Williams and Hammond.
"We're shorthanded but that's not an excuse," Boyle said. "It just means our margin for error is very, very thin."
The Buffs will next wrap up their three-game road trip on Wednesday with a 9 p.m. game at Cal.
"We've got to figure out a way to beat Cal on Wednesday," Boyle said. "It's not going to be easy because they play hard. We're just going to have to execute."
TURNING POINT: Even though this one was tied with two minutes remaining, the decisive stretch came in the final eight minutes of the first half when a rash of Colorado turnovers led to a 13-0 ASU run.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs let a golden opportunity for a conference road win slip away and they now need a win at Cal on Wednesday to salvage something from the three-game road trip and stay near the top of the Pac-12 standings.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado committed 13 miscues that led to 27 ASU points — including 10 in the first half that the Sun Devils converted into 20 points … The Buffs shot a respectable 48 percent from the floor (23-for-48) but hit just seven of its 20 3-point tries … ASU shot 44 percent (25-for-57) while hitting eight of 22 from beyond the arc. Colorado also had a 35-30 edge on the boards.
NEXT UP: The Buffs wrap up a three-game road trip next Wednesday with a 9 p.m. game at Cal (ESPNU), then return home Saturday for an 8 p.m. against USC at the CU Events Center (ESPN2).
