Freshman forward Wesley Gordon (1) drives against Taran Brown (35) on Thursday night in Boulder. See more photos from the game here. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)
Although the Buffs’ close victory over Santa Barbara did not affect their current No. 8 rank in the Pac-12, Head Coach Tad Boyle said the team a long way to go before they’re ready for conference play.
The Gauchos were missing their highest scorer, junior Alan Williams, when they presented the Buffs with a challenge at Coors Events Center Thursday night. Williams has averaged 24 points per game this season, shooting 55.6 percent from the field.
“With him in the game maybe it would have been a different outcome,” Boyle said after the game. ”I don’t want our players to have a sense of entitlement.”
Junior guard Askia Booker admitted to overlooking another important Gaucho, sophomore forward Taran Brown. Brown led Santa Barbara’s scoring with 23 points.
“The scouting report did say he’s a shooter,” Booker said. “But we didn’t know he shot like that.”
Throughout the first half, the Buffs struggled to set up their offense around the Gauchos’ zone defense, relying on the shooting skills of the junior duo, guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker. Dinwiddie ended the game with 24 points. Booker contributed 14.
After a late surge by the Buffs, the half ended with CU up 32-30.
Both the team and the crowd at the Coors Events Center entered the second half with more oomph.
“I don’t think anybody panicked on our team,” Booker said. ”We just kept running our motion.”
Dinwiddie agreed, adding that the team’s energy was not at its usual intensity for the first half.
“I decided I wanted to be a little more aggressive, and that’s what happened,” he said.
Sophomore forward Xavier Johnson, who has been among the top scorers for Colorado this season, reappeared on the court after a recent concussion. He finished the game with nine points and five rebounds.
Sophomore forward Josh Scott led the Buffs defensively with seven rebounds, followed by Wesley Gordon with six.
The Buffs extended their lead to 10 points with 3:56 left in the game, but the Gauchos whittled it back down to five in the final minute.
With the Colorado team shooting 44 percent from the field and 22 percent from the perimeter throughout the game, free throws became the true reason for victory. Spencer Dinwiddie was 14 for 15 at the free throw line, making four in the final forty seconds.
“I mean, that’s how I’m supposed to shoot,” Dinwiddie said. ”I’m mad I missed the one.”
A steal by Askia Booker with 3 seconds left sealed the win 76-68 for Buffaloes.
With how close Thursday night’s game played out, Boyle is focused on practice in the hours before the men take on Harvard.
“We’ll be ready for Harvard on Sunday,” Boyle said. “But we better get better between now and then.”
The away game will begin at 2:30 p.m. Colorado time on Sunday, and will be broadcast on ESPNU and AM 760.
See more photos from Thursday’s game against Santa Barbara here.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Jordyn Siemens at Jordyn.siemens@colorado.edu
