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LAS VEGAS – Colorado’s run in the Pac-12 tournament was cut short on Thursday against the No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins after beating the Washington Huskies, as they fell by a score of 80-69.
The Buffs were unable to hold their lead over the Bruins after getting into foul trouble to start the second half. Head coach Tad Boyle had to turn to his bench players late in the game, which was not enough to knock the No. 1 seed out of the Pac-12 tournament.
“Our inability to get to the free throw line was the difference in the game, and our turnovers because when you drive on UCLA, they are very, very active with their hands,” Boyle said during the post game press conference. “They are very active with their hands, and they got their hands on a lot of balls and we had 15 turnovers.”
The Buffs were able to jump to a quick lead to start the game with a pair of three pointers by Julian Hammond III and Tristan da Silva. Lawson Lovering shortly followed with four quick points in the paint following Nique Clifford’s second foul, putting the Buffs back up by one.
UCLA did a good job limiting Colorado’s ability to get offensive rebounds for second chance shots. After Amari Bailey sank a three pointer with under 12 minutes left in the first half, the Bruins were able to take the lead, 15-14.
Colorado had a hard time keeping up, with Nique Clifford and Lawson Lovering getting into foul trouble early in the game. The Buffs had to turn to their bench players early in the game, however they were able to contribute significantly, which helped keep the Buffaloes in the game. Ethan Wright contributed 12 points while shooting 50 percent from the three point line and Jalen Gabbidon added 16 points and three assists.
“Ethan’s really played well. I thought Jalen defensively, again, yesterday against [Washington forward Keion] Brooks and even today against [UCLA forward Jaime] Jaquez, he gives you everything he’s got,” Boyle said. “I thought those guys gave us really good minutes. Our bench had 20 points at halftime. That’s pretty darn good production off your bench.”
With Wright and Gabbidon hitting their shots, Colorado was able to tie the game at 28 with under seven minutes left in the first half. Going into this game, Luke O’Brien was on a hot streak with two double doubles in his last three games. O’Brien was able to make a three pointer that helped the Buffs slowly chip away at their lead.
Seconds before the buzzer, da Silva made a quick pass to Wright, and he hit a three pointer to take the lead going into halftime, 38-37.
“Sharing the ball. I feel like that’s a big thing for us, you know, not having an agenda, just playing together, playing as a team, playing inside out, all that stuff,” da Silva said during the post game press conference. “If you hit the right man that’s wide open, all of our guys can shoot, all of our guys can knock down shots.”
The Bruins came out strong to start the second half, as Tyger Campbell took control of the game. The senior guard would finish with a career-high 28 points.
Colorado did a good job defending Pac-12 Player of the Year Jaime Jaquez Jr., holding him to five points in the first half. However, he was able to exploit the Buffs’ mistakes in the second half and draw a lot of fouls, finishing with 18 points.
Three minutes into the second half, Colorado was able to cut the lead after Lovering knocked down a pair of free throws, making the score 46-44. Colorado forced a Bruins turnover and Hammond made a three pointer to take the lead, 49-46, but it didn’t last long as UCLA retaliated with a three out of a timeout with under ten minutes left in the game.
Colorado’s poor shot selection and turnovers down the stretch cost them as UCLA took advantage and drew fouls, putting them in the bonus with a lot of time left in the game. Da Silva managed to hit a three followed by a jump shot with under five minutes left, bringing the score to 61-60 UCLA.
The Buffs’ momentum didn’t last long after a seven point Bruins’ run forced Boyle to call timeout. Da Silva and Lovering were able to put up four points to cut it to four at the two minute mark, but Colorado’s momentum soon slipped away after a critical turnover led to a Campbell and-one, extending the lead to 10 points.
After da Silva was fouled, Boyle had an exchange with the officials that resulted in a technical foul call on Colorado. Boyle continued the verbal exchange and got himself tossed from the game in the final seconds. The Buffs’ saw their run in the Pac-12 tournament come to an end, losing to the Bruins for the third time this season.
“Obviously, I had a disagreement on multiple occasions tonight. That just is part of the game,” Boyle said. “But the one thing I’m going to do for these guys is I’m going to fight for this team when I feel like they’re fighting for us, they’re fighting for Colorado across their chest, and that’s what I did.”
Next, Colorado will wait to hear if they qualify for the NIT tournament. The Buffs have high hopes for next season as most of their key players plan on returning, and the recruiting class Boyle is bringing in for the 2023-24 is one of his best. Boyle made it clear at the conclusion of their season that his loyalty to his team has never been as strong as he continues to support his players.
“The pain of regret stays with you the rest of your life. For three seniors, Cody Mains and Ethan Wright, Jalen Gabbidon, they came here to win,” Boyle said. “Colorado basketball isn’t going anywhere and I’m going to fight for this team and fight for this program as long as I’m the head coach.”
