In a season of highs and increasing lows, the Buffaloes went into Washington on Wednesday night searching for their first conference win of 2017. After falling 85-83 to the Huskies in overtime, they’ll have to keep searching.
The loss brings their season record to 10-9, with zero wins in their six Pac-12 games.
Despite executing well in the first half on offense and defense and amassing a 17-point lead early in the second half, the Buffs couldn’t get the job done for the final 25 minutes of play against a similarly struggling Huskies team (9-9, 2-4).
For the game, the Buffs shot 44.6 percent to Washington’s 44.3 percent, but they didn’t seem to have an answer for star guard Markelle Fultz, who finished the night with 37 points.
Seniors Derrick White and Xavier Johnson tried their best to make up for lack of the offensive effort in the second half, as they finished with 23 and 24 points respectively. White also contributed an impressive eight assists to his total.
Throughout the final 25 minutes of play, the same ailments they’ve suffered much of the season plagued Colorado as the Buffaloes failed to execute down the stretch on offense and defense, and couldn’t handle the ball well with 15 turnovers.
After a tumultuous start to their conference season, the Buffs desperately needed to come out on top while visiting an equally struggling Washington team. From the start, that desire to turn their recent fortunes around shined through in their up-tempo effort and their aggression in the first half.
After exchanging blows in the opening minutes, the Buffs got on top early and held that lead for the rest of the half. At the half, the Buffs led 39-24. Although they couldn’t cool Fultz’s jets, who ended the half with 12 points, the Buffs’ defense wreaked havoc on the rest of the Huskies (5-of-20 shooting).
At the start of the second half, the Buffs quickly gained a 17-point edge, but that didn’t last long.
Throughout the remainder of regulation, the Huskies outperformed the Buffs in all areas of the floor as they slowly chipped away at the deficit. With a minute and a half left on the clock, the Huskies tied the game at 64. Not long after that, they regained the lead for the first time since the opening seconds of the contest.
By the time the clock struck zero, the Buffs and the Huskies were locked at 67 apiece.
As overtime drew out, each team exchanged blow after blow and the Buffs struggled to gain any semblance of a lead on the Huskies. And although they had multiple chances to get the job done in the final minute of the game, they ultimately fell to the sharp-shooting Huskies as time expired, 85-83.
The Buffs return to action on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at Washington State. The game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
