Fast break
Why the Buffs won: CU turned it on down the stretch, using a 16-0 run in the second half to take control. The Buffs shot .538 in the second half.
Three stars
1. Isaiah Johnson. The freshman guard continued his stellar play off the bench, going 9-for-11 on free throws with a team-high 17 points.
2. Alon Michaeli. Another freshman who provided a big spark off the bench, Michaeli connected on multiple 3-pointers for the second consecutive game before finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.
3. Bangot Dak. The junior forward didn’t have his best game offensively, going 1-for-7, but he grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and added three turnovers without an assist.
Up next: It’s rivalry week as CU visits Colorado State on Saturday (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
The opening month of November showcased a Colorado men’s basketball team defying the tepid outside expectations for the team.
The start of December was a definitive step backward for the Buffaloes. Yet in another sign of the gumption and potential that has made CU an interesting early-season storyline, the Buffs were able to make history despite being at less than their best.
Colorado erased an early 14-point lead by Cal Baptist and then took control with a dominant stretch in the second half, paving the way for a 78-70 victory in a battle of undefeated teams on Monday night at the CU Events Center.
With the victory, CU posted the program’s first 8-0 start since the 1949-50 season, even if history was made with the least picturesque win of the still-young season.
“We were lucky to get out of her with a win,” CU head Tad Boyle said. “Because we were not ready to play from the get-go for whatever reason. I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror on that one. It’s not because I took these guys too lightly. I knew how good they were. Coach (Danny) Manning did the scouting report, he know how good they were.
“That’s a step backwards. November was a good month for us. We won some tough games early where we weren’t very good. We got better as the month went on. I want our team to get better every week, every game, certainly every month throughout the season. And today was a step backwards. For that, I’m not too happy. But you take the win and you move on.”
CU recorded its lowest scoring total, lowest field goal percentage (.453) and lowest assist-to-turnover ratio (11 assists, 10 turnovers) of the season, but it was the lethargic defense and rebounding that put the Buffs in an early hole.
CU was a step slow out of the gate against the Lancers, who recorded five of their 14 offensive rebounds in the opening minutes. That sequence also featured a pair of turnovers by the Buffs, as Boyle subbed out the entirety of the starting five at the first media timeout.
The Buffs suffered a dry spell featuring 10 consecutive missed shots while Cal Baptist surged to a 23-9 lead.
“We just came out flat. We’ve got to be better, all five of us, to start the game,” CU forward Sebastian Rancik said. “We can’t let that happen again. The quick turnaround is no excuse. It’s our job to come out and be ready to play this game that we love. We’ve just got to be flat-out better in the future. It’s not acceptable.”
After the erratic start, CU rallied to within two points at halftime but couldn’t get over the hump until midway through the second half, using a 16-0 run to turn a 52-48 deficit into a 64-52 lead with a little more than 5 minutes remaining.
Cal Baptist remained within four points with 1 minute, 22 seconds remaining, but a tough jumper from Felix Kossaras followed by two free throws from Isaiah Johnson with 31.3 seconds remaining helped seal the win for CU.
The Buffs continued their streak of having at least four double-figure scorers in every game, with Johnson leading the way with 17 points.
“There’s a lot of things you can point to tonight but, again, our competitiveness, our fight, our will to win, that’s one thing I’ve got to give this group credit for. They’ve got that,” Boyle said. “That’s why we’re 8-0. That’s why we didn’t lost a game to Montana State or Eastern Washington when maybe we should have. That’s why we don’t lose tonight like maybe we should have. We found ways to win those games when you don’t play your best. You’ve got to take the positives and build on that. But we’ve got to improve the negatives.”
Colorado 78, Cal Baptist 70
CAL BAPTIST (7-1)
Ndong 2-3 1-2 5, Daniels Jr. 7-19 10-11 25, Muller 3-7 1-3 8, Malcolm 3-7 2-3 8, Williams 6-13 2-3 14, Henige 1-7 0-0 2, Griman 3-6 2-2 8, Bowser 0-0 0-0 0, Garcia 0-0 0-0 0, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-62 18-24 70.
COLORADO (8-0)
Rancik 3-7 4-4 12, Dak 1-7 2-2 5, Malone 3-6 0-0 6, Kossaras 3-4 0-0 6, Hargress 4-8 4-4 12, Inman 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 4-7 9-11 17, Michaeli 4-8 1-2 11, Sanders 2-3 2-4 7, Holland 0-2 2-4 2. Totals 24-53 24-31 78.
Halftime: Cal Baptist 34-32. 3-point field goals: Cal Baptist 2-13 (Daniels Jr. 1-5, Muller 1-1, Malcolm 0-3, Williams 0-2, Griman 0-2); Colorado 6-16 (Rancik 2-3, Dak 1-2, Kossaras 0-1, Inman 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Michaeli 2-5, Sanders 1-1, Holland 0-2). Rebounds: Cal Baptist 35 (Henige 7); Colorado 41 (Dak 8). Assists: Cal Baptist 9 (Muller 4); Colorado 11 (Dak 3, Johnson 3). Turnovers: Cal Baptist 11 (Daniels Jr. 4); Colorado 10 (Hargress 4). Total fouls: Cal Baptist 23, Colorado 18. A: 4,931.