Short-handed Buffs Drop 2nd Game In a Row to ASU
The Colorado Buffaloes (11-4) lost to the Arizona State Sun Devils (10-5) last night 73-76 in a nail-biter that came down to the very last seconds. Coming off a disappointing blowout loss to Arizona, Colorado was seeking to secure the win against ASU but instead fall to a .500 conference play record. Despite a late 13-3 run by the Buffaloes, ASU free throws as well as multiple blocks by Alonzo Gaffney sealed the game for the Sun Devils.
Colorado once again was short-handed as they were without freshmen Cody Williams and junior Julian Hammond III. Tristan Da Silva made his return to the rotation after suffering an ankle injury and scored 17 points. KJ Simpson had a strong game as well scoring 23 points including his 1000th career point. J’Vonne Hadley had his best scoring performance of the season tallying 19 points.
Robert C Kline
Turnovers once again plagued Colorado as they allowed 27 points off 13 turnovers. Arizona State (with a record of 10-5 and 4-0 in the Pac-12) has impressively reached a 4-0 standing in their conference games. This achievement marks the first time since the 2007-08 season that the team has kicked off their league matches so successfully.
Highlighting their performance, the Sun Devils notched a season-best eight blocks, including a crucial game-clinching block by Alonzo Gaffney in the dying minutes. Jamiya Neal topped the scoring chart with 19 points, closely followed by Adam Miller's 18 points and Frankie Collins contributing 12 points. In a noteworthy accomplishment, the Maroon & Gold clinched their first home sweep against the Mountain schools since they last did it consecutively in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
Robert C Kline
The Colorado Buffaloes are set to bounce back from their recent defeat when they face the California Golden Bears next. This upcoming game is scheduled for January 10th, Wednesday, at 9:00 PM in Berkeley, California. The Buffaloes will be looking to improve their conference play record and regain momentum in the Pac-12 standings