Spencer Dinwiddie (25) passes around Wyoming’s Charles Hankerson Jr. (1) on Wednesday at the Coors Events Center. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado men’s basketball team won a hard-fought victory over the Wyoming Cowboys 63-58 on Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center.
“It wasn’t pretty,” said head coach Tad Boyle after the game. “But I was very proud of our boys for finding a way to win down the stretch.”
The Colorado offense hit two early three-pointers to give the Buffs an 8-5 lead, but sloppy ball handling and poor shooting slowed the team’s momentum. The Buffs committed eight turnovers in the first half and only shot 32 percent from the field.
Despite a poor offensive first half, the Buffs defense was able to keep it close against a Wyoming team that shot a blistering 48 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Josh Scott drew two key offensive fouls late in the half to help put a stop to a Wyoming rally. It was 31-26 heading into the locker room.
The Buffs offense was able to find their stride in the second half, outscoring Wyoming 37-27. They found success attacking off the dribble and getting to the free throw line, shooting a total of 34 free throws.
Fouls played a big role in the game, with 48 committed by the both teams throughout the night. The NCAA’s new hand check rule had an obvious effect, junior guard Spencer Dinwiddie says.
“The new rules make it really hard to guard people, even slow people,” Dinwiddie said.
The Buffs were able to capitalize on the excess fouls, shooting 72.7 percent from the line.
Dinwiddie led the Buffs to victory, scoring 15 points and pulling down seven boards in 30 minutes of play. He also made 10-13 free throws, including several key ones down the stretch.
“We are very excited to beat a team like that,” said Buffs sophomore forward Josh Scott. “It shows that we have a lot of promise for the games coming up.”
The Buffs will look to extend their winning streak at home against Jackson State at 10 am on Saturday.
Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
Contact CUIndependent Staff Writer Sam Showalter at samuel.showalter@colorado.edu
