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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffs probably just punched their ticket to the dance
The Colorado Buffaloes made quick work of the Utah Utes in Las Vegas on Thursday, beating them in a decisive 72-58 win to advance to the quarter-finals of the Pac-12 tournament.
Fresh off six consecutive wins, the Buffs got off to a hot start. After trading buckets for the first few minutes of play, Colorado sprinted out on an 18-2 run to build up a sizable 24-10 lead. The Buffs followed that up by going ice cold, missing 9 consecutive shots from the floor, allowing the Utes to go on a 17-2 run of their own.
In the first half, the Utes attacked Colorado with the three-ball to great success. Utah shot 42.9% from deep in he first, making six clutch three-pointers to keep them within reach. Despite the Buffs’ cold streak, they shot the ball relatively well in the first. Colorado made 43.3% (13-30) from the field in the first, making three triples in the process.
Utah’s run to end the half made things interesting, but Colorado’s dominant first ten minutes of play really helped minimize that damage. The Buffs headed to halftime up 33-30, looking to regroup and regain the momentum going into the second.
Colorado started the second half out by going on an 8-2 run and never looked back. The Buffs doubled-down on the defensive side of the floor, which really turned the tides of this game. The three-ball, which Utah heavily relied on in the first half, got seemingly completely eliminated by Colorado. The Utes shot only 2 of 16 from deep in the second half, along with less than ideal 10 of 28 from the floor.
On the offensive floor, the Buffs didn't slow their roll. Colorado finished the game shooting 45% (28-63) from the field and an impressive 57.1% (4-7) from three. CU took smart shots and took great care of the ball, only turning the ball over 3 times in the second half. In the end, Utah had no answer for Colorado’s smothering defense and efficient scoring, as CU won by a margin of 14 points and will play Wazzu on Friday in the quarter-finals.
KJ Simpson once again proved that he’s the best player in the Pac-12 finishing with a game-high 18 points, 10 rebound double-double. Simpson shot 4 of 6 from deep on Thursday, most of which came at pivotal times to completely flip the game’s momentum.
Eddie Lampkin had what was probably his best game yet in a Colorado Buffaloes uniform, racking up 17 points and 12 rebounds. Along with his ninth double-double of the season, Lampkin absolutely crushed Utah in the post and pretty much got whatever he wanted, finishing the game shooting an impressive 8 of 14 from the field.
At long last, Thursday’s win over Utah has likely punched Colorado’s ticket to the dance. The Buffs will now have to face off against 22nd ranked Washington State Friday night in the semi-finals. A win over Wazzu would move Colorado further up on the bubble and help avoid a potential play-in game to make it to the tournament. CU will face off against the Cougs Friday night at 8:30 pm local time on the Fox Sports 1.
by RylandScholes
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