The University of Colorado Buffaloes basketball team were dealt another blow Sunday night as they fell 71-68 in the last minute to the No. 25 USC Trojans. With five straight losses to start conference play, Colorado drops to 10-8 on the season.
In untypical fashion, the Buffs started the game well, making use of open three-pointers and USC turnovers to lead by as much as 11 in the first ten minutes. Junior guards George King and Dominique Collier played a big part, both going 2-of-3 from behind the arc in the first half. King finished with the most points for the Buffs, with 16.
The Trojans relied on 6-foot-11-inch forward Chimezie Metu for points, as he bullied the Colorado defense in the post and racked up 20 points in the first half alone. Metu’s size and physicality were too much for CU to handle. He slammed home dunks and made crucial layups, finishing the game with 24 points. The forward was a major factor in USC’s 36 points in the paint. Colorado scored 22 by comparison.
Aside from Metu, USC struggled to put points on the board after untimely turnovers and making just about 16 percent of its shots from beyond the arch. Things started clicking for the Trojans as the end of the first half neared.
The Buffs led 35-34 at the half after stalling out on offense and allowing the Trojans to claw their way back into the game. USC came back out strong, not allowing Colorado to gain momentum or take advantage of any open shots.
Things remained tight in the second half, but bad fouls and continued turnover trouble kept the Buffaloes behind. Missed layups in the paint didn’t help either, as the Trojans took a 64-58 lead with four minutes remaining.
The Buffs found a way to contain Metu in the second half, namely with Wesley Gordon’s strong inside presence. The Trojans found other ways to get to the hoop though, slashing inside and finding shots in the field.
Offensive droughts ultimately doomed the Buffs, with the team at one point going nearly 12 minutes without making a shot. USC’s defense did firm up in that time frame, but much of the trouble could be blamed on poor shooting from the Buffs. Noticeably cold from the floor was senior guard Derrick White, who went 4-of-13 during the game. He finished with 10 points.
A wide open three from the Trojans’ Jonah Mathews gave USC some space, making the score 67-60 with 2:44 remaining.
Senior guard/forward Xavier Johnson then showed up big in the final two minutes, nailing a three with 1:39 left to make it 67-65 in favor of the Trojans. Johnson then came up with a clutch rebound on USC’s ensuing possession. The senior followed it up with yet another three with 43 seconds remaining, putting the Buffs up 68-67. However, thanks to another bucket from Metu, the Trojans reclaimed the lead and made one last defensive stand to deny the Buffaloes the win.
“Tonight, to me, was turnovers and second shots by them that cost us this basketball game,” said Tad Boyle, head coach, after the game. “We have to get it done — right now, we’re not getting it done.”
It was another tough loss to swallow for CU, but the coaches and players were still optimistic looking forward.
“We have confident players, we’re still confident as a team [and] that’s not going to be an issue,” George King said.
“There’s not a team on the rest of the schedule that we can’t beat,” Boyle added.
Next up, the Buffaloes will hit the road for a Wednesday night matchup with the Washington Huskies. Tipoff is at 9 p.m. (MST)
Contact CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Kyle Rini at kyle.rini@colorado.edu.
