Tory Miller, Josh Scott and Tre’Shaun Fletcher display a somber look following the Buffs 82-54 loss to the Arizona Wildcats. (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)
In what can only be described as an ugly game, Colorado fell 82-54 against their conference rivals, No. 7 Arizona, at home on Thursday night.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “It’s February the 26th and we’re not executing offensively, we’re not doing the things we’re supposed to do, we’re not making plays, and we haven’t gotten any better.”
Despite the outcome of the game, one player did make his mark on Buffalo history in the first half of Thursday night’s game. By swatting three balls away from Arizona, junior forward Josh Scott became the fifth player in CU history to join the 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks club.
For the first time in seven games, the Buffs didn’t shoot under 37 percent. They almost did, but they didn’t.
For the night, the Buffs shot 38.5 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from the three-point range. Arizona, on the other hand, shot an impressive 52.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.
“I think we were just a little stagnant today,” junior forward Xavier Johnson said. “We didn’t do our game plan, period. I think we didn’t execute at all, and we didn’t make the big plays that we needed to to beat a team like that.”
Senior guard Askia Booker led the team with 14 points and three rebounds, and was the only player to score in double digits for the Buffs. On the other side of the ball, 5 Wildcats shot double digits, led by freshman phenom Stanley Johnson, who had 15.
“I think there [are] players on this team that aren’t stepping up, but I will say this, I don’t think me and XJ and other people, we don’t have control of that,” Scott said. “That’s just trying to do what we’re told, obviously, but we’re not being successful at it.”
In the opening minutes of the matchup, the Buffs stayed right on pace with the Wildcats. When Zona scored a basket, they responded with one of their own. But, as with their previous meeting with the top-10 team, that success was short-lived.
After tying it up multiple times during the first few shots, Arizona quickly put on a clinic to take the game over. With about six minutes left in the first half, they extended their lead to as much as 15 points before the Buffs were able to cut back at the deficit.
By halftime, the score read 37-25 with the Wildcats on top.
“That’s where there’s got to be some fight in that locker room, and right now there isn’t,” Boyle said. “It’s almost like a submission. A submissive, ‘Okay, beat us now while you can type deal. That’s embarrassing.’”
For the half, the Buffs only shot 33.3 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from deep. Despite the low scoring percentages, their ball handling wasn’t all too terrible as they only committed four turnovers as opposed to Arizona’s six.
But Arizona fared much better from the field, going 48.1 percent and a deadly 57.1 percent from the three-point range. They did manage to out-rebound the Buffs 22-16, however.
While their shooting percentages certainly improved in the second half, their overall offense did not. They may have been shooting more efficiently, but they weren’t getting nearly as many looks.
That led to an Arizona run that the Buffs couldn’t shake. Their lead grew to 28 points with 21 seconds left, which ended up being the final score, 82-54.
“I think that we just need to come with more focus,” Johnson said. “I feel like not just show that we care more, but it’s hard sometimes. I don’t know how to explain that, but I’m not saying that we don’t care, it’s hard to battle sometimes.”
The Buffs return to their home court with the hope of redemption as they take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.
“I’m tired of this,” Boyle said. “And I want our players to know it, I want our fans to know it and I want the officials to know it … I’m sick of the way we’re playing.”
Contact CU Independent Basketball Writer Alissa Noe at alissa.noe@colorado.edu.
