Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
24-9,13-7Pac-12
Washington State
24-9,14-6Pac-12
Buffs Top Washington State To Advance To Pac-12 Title Game
March 15, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
LAS VEGAS — Colorado's defense came through in the clutch Friday and the Buffaloes took a 58-52 win over Washington State to advance to Saturday's Pac-12 tournament championship game at T-Mobile Arena.
Tad Boyle's third-seeded Buffs, who won their eighth straight game to improve to 24-9, will face Oregon in the 7 p.m (MT) title game (Fox). The fourth-seeded Ducks advanced by upsetting top seed Arizona, 67-59.
Second seed Washington State dropped to 24-9.
The win gives the Buffs another crucial addition to their NCAA Tournament resumé, with nearly all projections having the Buffs in the field.
But Colorado can make sure there is no question about advancing by beating the Ducks on Saturday and clinching the Pac-12's automatic berth. CU won both matchups with Oregon this year in the regular season, taking an 86-70 win in Boulder in mid-January and a 79-75 victory in Eugene just last week.
Colorado led the Cougars for most of the game Friday, taking a four-point lead into halftime and pushing the margin to nine early in the second half. But WSU rallied to momentarily take the lead with just more than three minutes to play.
The Buffs, though, kept their composure and quickly regained the edge, then came up with two big defensive stops in the final minute to collect the win.
KJ Simpson led CU with 16 points and seven rebounds, Tristan da Silva added 13 points and J'Vonne Hadley scored 12 points and dished out four assists.
Isaac Jones led WSU with 13.
The Buffs' 58 points were their second-lowest point total of the season, but it was enough to beat the Cougars. Colorado shot just 43 percent (22-for-51), including a 3-for-15 night from long range.
But CU held Washington State to 42 percent shooting (22-for-52), including a 4-for-19 effort from beyond the arc. Colorado also forced 19 WSU turnovers and converted them into 16 points and the Buffs hit 11 of 17 free throw tries while the Cougars were 4-for-7 from the stripe.
"That was a helluva college basketball game," Boyle said. It wasn't the prettiest game by any means, but we had two teams out there just
battling and getting after it … We forced them into 19 turnovers and our pressure, I think, got to them. I'm just so proud of these guys, just the fight and the grit they played with down the stretch. We made plays when we had to make plays."
The Buffs now have a unique opportunity in the Pac-12 era. CU won the very first Pac-12 tourney title in 2012 and could win the last one with a victory over Oregon on Saturday.
"I think it's appropriate that we're in the championship game the last year of the Pac-12 and we won it the first year of the Pac-12," Boyle said. "We're going to have to play a hell of a game tomorrow to win. It's not going to be easy, but we'll be ready."
The Buffs could also establish the all-time program record for victories in a season with a win Saturday. CU tied the record of 24, reached twice previously, with the win over the Cougars.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado took a four-point lead at the break, 27-23, and quickly pushed the cushion to nine in the opening minutes of the second half. Simpson hit a 3-pointer, then added a turnaround jumper from the lane and the Buffs had a 36-27 lead less than four minutes in.
Colorado maintained the edge for the next three minutes but the Cougars wouldn't go away. WSU put together a 7-0 run to narrow CU's lead to two, 40-38, midway through the half and the Cougars finally tied it up at 46-46 with 6:10 to play on a Jones bucket inside.
The Buffs regained the lead less than a minute later when Cody Williams drove underneath for a bucket and Hadley added a free throw to give CU a 49-46 lead with just more than five minutes to play.
But the Cougars stayed within striking range. WSU cut Colorado's lead to one on a Myles Rice bucket with 4:29 to play, then got another Jones basket inside with 3:11 remaining to take a 50-49 lead.
The Buffs, though, had an answer. Simpson gave the Buffs the lead again with two free throws and a da Silva steal set up a layup from Hadley to give Colorado a 53-50 edge with just 2:13 left on the clock.
WSU again cut the lead to one but the Buffs got a huge bucket from Luke O'Brien off a feed from Hadley with 1:20 left to push their lead back to three.
The Buffs then forced two empty WSU possessions in the next minute, including the Cougars' 19th turnover of the game.
"Our defense has gotten a lot better over the last three, four weeks," Boyle said. "We did a great job. We forced them into 19 turnovers. That's something that Washington State doesn't do very often, is turn the ball over."
Washington State gained possession with 10 seconds remaining and the Buffs up by three but CU quickly fouled and the Cougars missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Eddie Lampkin Jr. then clinched the win for the Buffs with a free throw with 4.6 seconds left to give CU a 56-52 lead. Simpson added two more free throws in the final seconds to complete the scoring.
"We weren't at our best and I don't think Washington State was at their best," Boyle said. "But I think we each had a lot to do with that. They have good players, they're well-coached, they've had a hell of a year. But we got a big-time win by some big-time guys and big-time players."
Colorado led 27-23 at intermission after a first half that featured eight lead changes.
The Buffs got eight points from da Silva in the half and Simpson added seven. A Simpson drive to the hoop gave CU a 14-13 lead midway through the half and CU held onto the lead for the final 10 minutes of the period.
Neither team shot particularly well in the opening half, with the Buffs shooting 12-for-29 and the Cougars 10-for-25. Colorado's big lead came in the final minute when a Lampkin bucket gave CU a 27-22 before the Cougars got one free throw in the final seconds to narrow Colorado's lead to four at the break.
DECISIVE MOMENT: Washington State seemed to be grabbing momentum down the stretch, finally taking a 50-49 lead with 3:11 to play. But the Buffs answered with two Simpson free throws before a da Silva steal set up a Hadley layup to give CU a three-point lead. Colorado then held the Cougars off down the stretch.
WHAT IT MEANS: The victory should cement at least an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, but the Buffs can guarantee themselves a berth with a win over Oregon on Saturday.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado shot just 43 percent (22-for-51), including a 3-for-15 night from long range, while the Cougars shot 42 percent (22-for-52), including a 4-for-19 effort from beyond the arc … The Buffs forced 19 WSU turnovers and converted them into 16 points and the Buffs hit 11 of 17 free throw tries while the Cougars were 4-for-7 from the stripe.
NEXT UP: The Buffs face Oregon in Saturday's 7 p.m. (MT) championship game (Fox).
