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The Buffs put up a fight against the second-best team in the nation.
Colorado’s season has officially come to an end, falling to the Houston Cougars 68-77 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
The better team won in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon, as 16-seed Buffs couldn’t hang with the second-best team in the country.
The talent disparity was on display immediately after tip-off, as Kelvin Sampson’s signature defense swarmed the Buffaloes and clogged up lanes, resulting in a dreadful start for the Buffs. Colorado couldn’t make a bucket to save their lives, starting 3-11 on field goals, and quickly falling into a 7-21 hole against the Coogs.
Enter Andrej Jakimovski. The senior forward continued his tear from yesterday against West Virginia, nearly bringing the Buffs back into the game singlehandedly. Jakimovski drilled three first-half three-pointers and another three makes from the field for good measure, tallying 16 first-half points to keep Colorado alive.
Colorado’s defense also tightened up, forcing uncharacteristic Cougars turnovers. Houston, the team with by far the least amount of turnovers in the Big 12, turned the ball over six times in the first half thanks to some pesky on-ball defense by Jakimovski and Julian Hammond.
At the end of the first 20 minutes of play, Colorado found themselves in striking distance of the second-ranked Coogs, trailing only 33-38.
Houston started the second half off feeding Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JoJo Tugler down low, who cashed in for six quick points to start the period. Colorado would answer back with some clutch free throws from Jakimoski.
Unfortunately, this is where the end begins for the Buffs. Both the Coogs and Buffs pride themselves in the two same areas: rebounding and defense. Houston’s roster is comprised of some of the highest-end talent in college hoops, while this year’s Buffs team was made of some duct tape, DII/NAIA transfers and some younger players looking to develop.
Unsurprisingly, Houston dominated in nearly all aspects of the game down the stretch. They outrebounded Colorado thanks to their superior size and athleticism. LJ Cryer and Emmanuel Sharp’s offense ability proved to be too much for Hammond, Jakimovski and company to handle. With all the cards stacked against them, the Buffaloes folded under pressure, as the Cougs waltzed to a 77-68 win.
Colorado’s season might be over, but they came around to give the fanbase something to cheer for in the end.
This season was obviously a disappointment for a myriad of reasons. Colorado could have easily packed it up and called it quits, and nobody would’ve batted an eye. Instead, this Buffs squad banded together and battled their asses off this last week, which is what they should be remembered for.
by RylandScholes
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