LAS VEGAS — The loss at UCLA on Feb. 15 wasn’t the ugliest of Colorado’s shortcomings on the highway this season. Nor was it probably the most irritating, because the Buffaloes had been a month faraway from losing a 19-point second-half lead at California.
But that loss through the closing Pac-12 Convention go to to Pauley Pavilion despatched the Buffs to a brand new nadir with their highway woes. The CU males’s basketball staff has modified that narrative, although, over the previous month and can take a six-game successful streak, together with renewed hopes for a spot within the NCAA Match, into their closing look within the Pac-12 match.
The primary spherical started on Wednesday, however the third-seeded Buffs don’t play till the ultimate quarterfinal recreation on Thursday night time (9:30 p.m. MT, FS1) towards both Eleventh-seeded Arizona State or sixth-seeded Utah, who had been set for the ultimate first-round recreation late Wednesday night time.
“I feel the teaching employees actually emphasizes that. Initially of the season, they at all times discuss how the season is a marathon,” CU senior Tristan da Silva stated. “They type of make the gamers conscious that the video games are necessary, however even when you’re struggling you’ve nonetheless acquired plenty of time to get higher, to get to the purpose the place you wish to get at.”
CU’s season was on the brink following the loss at UCLA, which left the Buffs at 7-7 within the league, 1-7 in true highway video games and 3-8 away from residence general. What occurred subsequent may need turned the fortunes of your entire season.
The Buffs (22-9, 13-7 Pac-12) had been on their technique to one other highway loss two nights later at USC when KJ Simpson scored 11 factors in a late 20-5 run that acquired the Buffs again within the recreation. A Simpson-to-Luke O’Brien dunk tied the sport with 3.7 seconds left, and CU finally prevailed in double additional time.
Afterward, the Buffs returned residence to go 3-0 throughout their closing homestand, then recorded a essential two-game highway sweep — simply this system’s fourth in 13 seasons within the Pac-12 — final week at Oregon and Oregon State. CU in all probability wants yet another win to really feel extra assured about its NCAA tourney prospects, but when the Buffs hear their title referred to as on Choice Sunday, the ultimate seven-plus minutes of regulation plus the overtimes at USC shall be remembered as a very powerful minutes of the season.
“It’s simply the maturation strategy of our staff and the end result of plenty of arduous work,” CU head coach Tad Boyle stated. “I feel we’ve proven actually good enchancment over the past three weeks defensively. And I feel we’ve proven actually good enchancment by way of taking good care of the basketball. If you happen to don’t flip it over on the highway and also you deal with the ball, and also you guard, you give your self an opportunity to win. And that’s what we’ve completed.
“We had the nice comeback win at USC, which I feel gave this staff plenty of confidence. With out that, you come again and the heads are down somewhat bit. To not say we couldn’t have gotten on the run that we’re on. We may have. However that was the spark that type of ignited the flame and acquired our guys believing.”
In 13 earlier seasons below Boyle, the Buffs have received their first convention match recreation 12 occasions. The one time CU misplaced its opener, in 2020, the match was canceled the next morning in the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Given the Buffs received’t know their opponent till late Wednesday night time — CU cut up the common season sequence with each Utah and ASU, with the house staff successful each recreation — that focus-on-ourselves strategy shall be key to a Vegas run.
“It’s a brand new season. What we’ve completed previously doesn’t matter,” da Silva stated. “It’s actually solely about that one recreation. After which if you deal with that one, you’ll be able to transfer on to the subsequent one. If you happen to’ve received zero video games all season and get to Pac-12 play, you’ll be able to nonetheless come away with a win. It doesn’t matter what you’ve completed within the season.”
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