Junior forward Tristan da Silva drives toward the basket during the second half. Da Silva ended the game with 27 points. Jan. 22, 2023. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
The Colorado men’s basketball team faced another tough night on the road on Jan. 26, losing to the University of Oregon Ducks, 75-69, in Eugene, Ore. This was their fourth loss of the last five games, all of which took place against conference opponents. Following this loss, the Buffs (4-7 overall in Pac-12) have dropped to eighth in the conference. Though they maintain a 12-10 overall record, they now have a 1-6 record on the road.
Junior forward Tristan da Silva led the Buffs and all scorers with an impressive 23 points. Guard Nique Clifford shined as well, adding a career-high 17 points. However, most of the other offensive players did not perform well, despite the team’s previous blowout win against the Ducks, 68-41, on Jan. 5.
Most of the team had a poor shooting night, with only 36.9% from the field overall. They trailed by six at half-time and by double digits at several points in both halves. Point guard and leading scorer KJ Simpson struggled to find his usual rhythm, scoring eight yet shooting only 2-13 from the field and 0-4 from long range. Guards Julian Hammond III and Luke O’Brien added seven and five, respectively, but they both only shot 2-8 from the field.
However, overall, the Buffs still managed to stay strong, shooting 38.1% from three and 93% from the free throw line. They also forced 18 Oregon turnovers, 10 from steals. Good bursts of offense and defense occurred in the second half, and with five minutes left to play, Colorado trimmed down Oregon’s lead to just one.
But, unfortunately, Colorado never quite managed to secure their lead. Whenever the Buffs started to gain momentum, Oregon responded with rallies and halted their progress.
“We just couldn’t get the stops when we needed them,” said head coach Tad Boyle.
The Ducks shot well from the field, 49% from the field and 37% from three. They also drew and made several clutch free throws down the stretch, shooting 16-20 for the game.
Despite Colorado’s best efforts, Simpson’s off-night and the cold shooting from most players besides da Silva and Clifford proved costly. Of the 18 turnovers Colorado forced, they only scored 13 points off of them. Despite Oregon’s many miscues, the Buffs did not seize enough scoring opportunities.
“Our guys battled their tails off,” Boyle said. “When we shoot 36% and they shoot 49%, and we’re still in the game, it shows our fight, our competitiveness and our grit. All we can ask [from the team] is to give us everything they’ve got. I felt like they did tonight, but we didn’t finish.”
Following this game, the Ducks rose to 12-9 overall, sixth place in the Pac-12 and 6-4 in conference play. Forward Quincy Guerrier led the team with 16 points. Former CU guard Keeshawn Barthelemy added 13 off the bench, while center Nate Bittle added 11 with a career-high 13 rebounds.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Buffs faced their next opponent, the 8-13 Oregon State Beavers at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. Though they hoped to find some consistency against conference opponents and end their slump on the road this season, the Buffs lost this game to the Beavers, 60-52. This week, the Buffs will come home for their next match on Thursday, Feb. 2 against the California Golden Bears.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Harrison Simeon at harrison.Simeon@colorado.edu.
