Snapshot: CU Buffs at USC Trojans
Turning level: It wasn’t one stretch that doomed the Buffs, though falling right into a 15-3 gap out of the gate didn’t assist. CU saved rallying, however couldn’t get excessive because of a season-high 22 turnovers.
Buff of the sport: Lawson Lovering. The sophomore middle recorded the primary double-double of his profession, posting career-highs with 13 factors and 14 rebounds.
What’s subsequent?: The Buffs face a good larger problem within the again half of the Los Angeles journey on Saturday at No. 7 UCLA (6 p.m. MT, FOX).
LOS ANGELES — The Colorado males’s basketball group has been impolite friends in latest seasons on the Galen Middle.
On Thursday, the Buffaloes have been overly beneficiant friends. And it price them dearly.
The Buffaloes shook off a sluggish begin however in the end have been undone by the very best turnover complete in additional than two years, dropping a 68-61 resolution in a Pac-12 Convention battle at USC. The Buffs posted wins of their earlier three journeys to USC, however will sport a 3-4 convention document going into the Los Angeles journey finale on Saturday at No. 7 UCLA.
CU completed with 22 turnovers, its highest complete of the season and essentially the most by the Buffs since 23 turnovers in a hastily-scheduled, COVID-replacement recreation at Tennessee on Dec. 8, 2020.
USC additionally recorded 9 blocked pictures, together with 4 from Pac-12 blocks chief Joshua Morgan. On an evening when the Buffs displayed sufficient grit to rally from a deep early gap whereas enjoying strong protection and dominating the rebounding battle, the 31 empty possessions have been far an excessive amount of to beat.
The Trojans completed with a game-changing 20-7 edge on factors off turnovers.
“We talked earlier than the sport having to make good selections within the lane, and we didn’t do this,” CU head coach Tad Boyle mentioned. “Whenever you get 9 pictures blocked and also you flip it over 22 instances, you’re not going to beat anyone within the Pac-12. I don’t care who you’re enjoying.
“Tip our hat to our guys, as a result of they competed their tails off. They actually did. To have a four-point lead within the second half and play that badly on offense? It says one thing about our grit and our toughness, however we’re simply not enjoying very good.”
The Buffs limped out of the gate, committing 5 turnovers within the first 4 minutes, 15 seconds of the sport whereas lacking 5 of their first six pictures. USC took benefit of the giveaways to get straightforward baskets and race to a 15-3 lead, however CU regularly chipped away from there.
CU rallied to inside 34-32 at halftime and saved the momentum rolling after the break, scoring six straight factors to take a 40-36 lead. USC responded with a 14-2 run to push its benefit again to eight factors, however the Buffs didn’t go away quietly. Colorado minimize the Trojans’ result in three factors on a number of events and eventually obtained inside 60-59 on a financial institution within the lane from KJ Simpson with two minutes remaining.
A step-back jumper from USC’s Drew Peterson made it a three-point recreation once more, however CU wasted a pair probabilities down the stretch with two extra turnovers. USC’s Kobe Johnson hit 4 free throws within the remaining 39.4 seconds to ice the win for the Trojans.
“It’s arduous to rally again once you get down early within the first half,” CU middle Lawson Lovering mentioned. “We fought, however like coach mentioned within the locker room, we are able to struggle, nevertheless it’s a easy recreation and we’ve obtained to care for the easy issues. We didn’t do this. We didn’t play good in any respect and that’s what price us the sport. Even in case you play powerful however you don’t play good, good groups will nonetheless beat you.”
On an evening when the Buffs dominated the glass (44-29) and performed protection that was ok to win — USC completed with a .429 capturing proportion, however shot simply .373 after a 7-for-10 begin fueled by CU turnovers — even Boyle admitted his ordinary mantra of protection and rebounding fell flat in mild of the Buffs’ offensive struggles.
Lovering was a brilliant spot for the Buffs, recording the primary double-double of his profession with 13 factors and 14 rebounds. Simpson completed with 17 factors and Tristan da Silva added 13 however these two gamers, CU’s prime two scores, additionally mixed for 13 of the Buffs’ 22 turnovers.
“We let one get away,” Boyle mentioned. “This group is just not going to lose their struggle. They’re not going to lose their resolve. However we higher play higher, and smarter, than we did tonight. I all the time blame our protection and rebounding, however our protection and rebounding weren’t the problems tonight. It was our offensive ineptitude.”
USC 68, COLORADO 61
COLORADO (11-7, 3-4 Pac-12)
da Silva 5-12 2-2 13, Lovering 6-10 1-4 13, Clifford 0-4 0-0 0, Hadley 2-3 0-0 4, Simpson 7-14 2-2 17, O’Brien 1-4 0-0 2, Ruffin 3-8 3-3 12, Hammond 0-3 0-0 0, E.Wright 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 8-11 61.
USC (12-5, 4-2)
Morgan 5-8 2-4 12, Ellis 6-13 0-2 14, Okay.Johnson 1-4 6-6 8, Peterson 6-12 2-2 15, White 3-7 2-3 8, Dixon-Waters 4-11 0-0 9, Thomas 1-2 0-0 2, Iwuchukwu 0-2 0-0 0, Hornery 0-1 0-0 0, Niagu 0-0 0-0 0, Sellers 0-1 0-0 0, Okay.Wright 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-61 12-17 68.
Halftime — USC 34-32. 3-point objectives — Colorado 5-17 (Ruffin 3-6, da Silva 1-3, Simpson 1-4, Hammond 0-1, O’Brien 0-1, Clifford 0-2), USC 4-16 (Ellis 2-5, Dixon-Waters 1-3, Peterson 1-5, Hornery 0-1, Okay.Johnson 0-1, White 0-1). Rebounds — Colorado 44 (Lovering 14), USC 29 (Okay.Johnson 7). Assists — Colorado 15 (Hadley 4), USC 16 (Ellis 6). Complete Fouls — Colorado 16, USC 13.