Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
18-9,9-7Pac-12
Utah
16-11,7-9Pac-12
Buffaloes Roll Past Utah
February 24, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado's KJ Simpson scored 28 points Saturday and the Buffaloes' men's basketball team rolled to an 89-65 win over Utah at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle's Buffs improved to 14-1 at home this year while bumping their overall record to 18-9 and their Pac-12 mark to 9-7. The Utes fell to 16-11, 7-9.
Colorado led by nine at the half and the Utes were still within 10 with just under 14 minutes to play. But the Buffs used a 9-0 run to boost their cushion to 19, then quickly pushed the margin into the 20s and Utah never shaved the margin below 20 again.
Simpson led four Buffs in double figures while shooting 10-for-15 from the floor, including a 5-for-8 night from long range. J'Vonne Hadley added 20 points and nine rebounds, Eddie Lampkin Jr. scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Tristan da Silva chipped in 12 points.
Gabe Madsen led Utah with 18 points, but he scored just two in the second half thanks to stellar defense from Hadley.
Colorado had an outstanding shooting night, connecting on 54 percent of its shots (32-for-59), including a 10-for-21 effort from 3-point range. The Utes shot 44 percent (27-for-61) but hit just four of their 23 attempts from beyond the arc and were just 12-for-31 in the second half.
But perhaps the most important statistics for the Buffs came in the turnover department. Colorado entered the game dead last in the Pac-12 in turnovers, but gave the ball away just four times against the Utes — a season low and tying the fewest ever by CU in a conference game. The Buffs also forced 10 Utah turnovers that led to 10 CU points.
The turnover number produced a big smile on Boyle's face.
"That was fantastic, and 19 assists to go with it," Boyle said. "If you do that, you're going to win a lot of games. We were efficient offensively, we showed great patience, we shared the ball and defensively we cranked it up in the second half. KJ did what he's been doing for us all year and J'Vonne was phenomenal both offensively and defensively."
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs led by as much as 17 in the first half before the Utes cut the lead to nine, 43-34, at the break.
CU then pushed its lead back to 15 less than three minutes into the second half when a Simpson 3-pointer gave Colorado a 53-48 edge at the 17:20 mark.
Utah briefly cut the deficit back to 10 before the Buffs put together a 6-0 run to take control for good. Da Silva hit two free throws, Simpson added a driving layup and Assane Diop recorded a block on the defensive end before tipping in a miss on the offensive end to give Colorado a 63-47 lead with 12:06 to play.
The run was enough to convince Utah coach Craig Smith to call a timeout but the stoppage didn't slow the Buffs. Simpson added his fourth 3-pointer out of the break to extend CU's run to 9-0 and Colorado's lead to 66-47, the Buffs' biggest of the game to that point.
The Utes never threatened again as CU continued to build its lead. Lampkin rammed home a dunk and added two free throws and a Simpson three-point play with 8:48 to play gave the Buffs a 24-point lead, 75-51.
Colorado then maintained control down the stretch, pushing its cushion to as much as 31 in the final minutes.
Along with his 28 points, Simpson had just one turnover in 35 minutes on the floor.
"Coach challenged us," Simpson said. "It was nice to go out there and live up to his expectations. We did a great job of being patient tonight and being well-disciplined and not forcing things."
Simpson, who leads the Pac-12 with three 30-point games, continues to be a force for the Buffs in nearly every department.
"His maturity level as a player on the floor, off the floor, in the film room is just off the charts," Boyle said. "He's just really coachable."
The Buffs were in control for virtually the entire game. After Utah scored first, Colorado rolled out a 12-0 run to take charge. Simpson had a pair of buckets in the surge, including a 3-pointer, as CU grabbed a 12-3 lead less than five minutes in.
The Buffs then continued to build their cushion. Simpson notched another 3-pointer from the corner to push CU's lead into double digits and the Buffs then put together a 9-0 run. Luke O'Brien started the burst with a corner trey, Diop added a basket inside and Hadley and Simpson both added buckets to give Colorado a 17-point edge, 33-16, with 7:06 still to play in the half.
The Buffs kept the lead in double digits over the next several minutes before Utah closed the half with a 9-2 run to cut the Buffs' lead to nine, 43-34, at the break.
Hadley led CU with 17 points and five rebounds in the opening half while Simpson added 14 points. CU's Cody Williams left the game with an injury and did not return the rest of the half, but he did start the second half before leaving the game again.
DECISIVE MOMENT: After Utah pulled to within 10 early in the second half, the Buffs put together a 9-0 run, part of an 18-4 surge that gave Colorado a 24-point cushion. Utah never came closer than 22 again.
WHAT IT MEANS: The win keeps the Buffs squarely in contention for a top-four conference finish, which would mean a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado committed a season-low four turnovers, which also tied the program record for fewest turnovers in a conference game. … CU shot 54 percent (32-for-59), including a 10-for-21 effort from 3-point range … The Utes shot 44 percent (27-for-61) but hit just four of their 23 attempts from beyond the arc and were just 12-for-31 in the second half … Colorado also had 19 assists, tying their season high in Pac-12 play.
NEXT UP: The Buffs wrap up their home schedule for the season next week with a pair at the Events Center. CU plays host to Cal on Wednesday in a 6 p.m. matchup (Pac-12 Network), then welcomes Stanford to the Events Center on Sunday for a 7 p.m. game (FS1).
