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We had a day full of celebration at The Keg!
On a day full of pageantry and celebration, Colorado fans had a day to remember at The Keg. The Buffaloes demolished the Bellarmine Knights by a final score of 79-55 in front of the Heisman Trophy and bowl-bound CU football team.
As far as the actual basketball game on display goes, it was about as boring as it gets. Colorado steamrolled the Knights with no resistance for the full 40 minutes. Bellarmine was simply too small and slow for Colorado, as the Buffaloes made them look like a high school team.
That size advantage came in handy on the defensive floor, as the Buffs clogged up any lanes Bellarmine was looking to drive through and finished the contest with 3 blocked shots, all of which came in the first half. Colorado’s length advantage proved too much for Bellarmine to handle, as CU snagged 15 steals and converted them into 17 points.
Offensively, the Buffs essentially got whatever they wanted. They were carving through Knights in the post like butter and getting to the bucket. Colorado finished with 79 points, 64 of which came from the field. The Buffs also snagged 10 offensive boards, chewing the clock and dictating the pace.
Garbage time came early in Boulder this Saturday, as this game was in hand for Colorado with a 30+ point lead with 12 minutes to play. The Buffaloes coasted to an easy 24-point win and barely broke a sweat.
Assane Diop stole the show against the Knights, finishing the contest with 15 points in only 17 minutes. Diop has shined for Colorado on the defensive floor, but coach Tad Boyle has been pushing his young forward to get more involved offensively. Diop did just that, leading the game in scoring and acting as Colorado's spark plug.
Julian Hammond is another Buff who paved the way for Colorado, scoring 10 points. Hammond’s greatest impact wasn’t felt in the scoring column though, as he was dealing out passes and playing aggressive on-ball defensive against the Knights. Hammond finished the game with five assists and four steals, being a big factor against Bellarmine.
While the Buffs didn’t shoot the ball great from three-point range (6-24, 25%), RJ Smith was a major outlier. Smith finished the game with three triples on four attempts, proving once again that he’s Colorado's biggest threat from beyond the arc.
The most interesting part of the game was probably the pregame antics, as Colorado busted out all the bells and whistles to celebrate Travis Hunter’s Heisman win. A photo op was available for fans to take a picture with the trophy, and thousands of Colorado fans showed up to take advantage of it.
That’s just the beginning of the wackiness, too. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter came out in full uniform and were warming up in front of the fans, hitting half-court shots and putting on a dunk showcase.
Afterward, Colorado fans got their first opportunity to congratulate Hunter for his Heisman win when appeared with the trophy and was given a massive standing ovation from Buffs Faithful. They even brought out the pyrotechnics, which is how you know they meant business.
Travis and Shedeur even got their pregame intros as honorary team members along with the starting lineup!
Colorado’s record now improves to 11-2 after their non-conference slate, as they prepare to move into Big 12 play. The Big 12 is arguably the best hoops conference this season, so Colorado needs to run the gauntlet. The Buffaloes’ first task will be to exact revenge on third-ranked Iowa State for beating them in Maui on December 30th.
by RylandScholes
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