Colorado
13-2, 2-0
Oregon
13-1, 1-1
Brooks: Booker, Dinwiddie Propel Buffs Past Ducks
January 05, 2014 | Men's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – Colorado's pair of stellar junior guards – Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie – took control Sunday afternoon, alternately pushing and pulling the No. 20 Buffs to a 100-91 Pac-12 Conference win over No. 10 Oregon at the raucous Coors Events Center.
CU improved to 13-2 (2-0 Pac-12), matching the program's best start since the 1968-69 season. The Buffs have now won five of six meetings and four straight against the Ducks since joining the Pac-12 and are unbeaten (5-0 all time, 3-0 Pac-12) against Oregon at the CEC, where fourth-year coach Tad Boyle is an imposing 55-7.
"That was a high-level basketball game, a treat for anybody in the building," Boyle said. "It's a special win because of the respect we have for (coach) Dana Altman and the Oregon program."
Booker, who scored a career-high 27 points, and Dinwiddie (23) combined for 50 points as the Buffs overcame a 10-point second-half deficit and disposed of the previously unbeaten Ducks (13-1, 1-1). CU's prized backcourt duo was golden in nearly everything they touched: Booker hit 10-of-12 free throws, Dinwiddie sank 10-of-11 and they combined for 11 of CU's 14 assists. Between them, they were four-of-seven from beyond the arc, with Dinwiddie going three-for-four.
 "It's pretty simple," said Dinwiddie, who played 37 minutes to Booker's 36 and declined Boyle's offers for second-half breaks. "When 'Ski 'plays really well, we play really well. We kind of go as he goes . . . when he's up, we are one good team."
Booker called his and Dinwiddie's combined productivity "wonderful" and said of his backcourt mate: "I think he's probably the best point guard I've played with . . . it's nice to have somebody like that on my side and know I can trust him."
Boyle said when his starting guards are dialed in on the same afternoon, the Buffs are not only hard to handle but fun to observe – especially when an opponent enters the CEC with up-and-down intentions: "I wish every team that came into Coors wanted to run . . . that's the way we want to play. It's fun to watch, it's fun to play, it's fun to coach. Yeah, it was fun today."
Boyle said his team is marked "toughness, resiliency . . . and they obviously believe in each other" – and that was never more apparent than in the second half when the Buffs rallied from a 10-point deficit.
CU also got double-figure scoring from Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson, who contributed 15 points each. Scott also collected 12 of the Buffs' 39 rebounds (Oregon had 33) for his fifth consecutive double-double and seventh this season.
The Buffs shot 56.4 percent from the field, a dramatic upgrade from their 38.2 percent on Thursday night against Oregon State. The Ducks came in as the nation's highest scoring team (89.2 ppg) and shooting 50 percent from the field. They got their scoring average, but the Buffs held them to 42.3 percent shooting.
CU was perfect from the foul line (13-for-13) in the first half and finished 33-of-39. Ironically, the first missed free throw was by Booker, who hit one of three after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with just under 6 minutes left. The Buffs committed 16 turnovers – costing them 20 points – to the Ducks' nine, but outscored the visitors' 40-34 in the paint and got 17 second-chance points to Oregon's nine.
"Obviously, they shoot 56 percent and out-rebounded us," Altman said. "We just didn't ourselves a chance."
That wasn't entirely true. With 14:22 to play, the Ducks were up 10 points (58-48), forcing a timeout by Boyle. Following that, the Buffs ratcheted up their defensive intensity and went on a 16-4 run that produced a 64-62 CU advantage. Oregon never led again.
"Luckily, we had same situation when it was 21-12," Dinwiddie said. "We fought back and took the lead. You never want to start (a second half) in a hole . . . but we knew we could come back."
Added Altman: "It turned there and we just didn't get any stops. They are a good defensive team. They play with tremendous confidence here."
The Buffs led 44-42 at the break, but only 3:15 earlier they had enjoyed their largest advantage of the half – 39-31 – courtesy of a 9-0 run. It appeared that CU would carry at least a five-point lead to the locker room, but Oregon's Jason Calliste, left open for a 3-pointer, drained it with a second showing on the clock.
After an 11-2 spurt that wiped out CU's first lead (10-8), Oregon took its largest first-half margin – nine points at 21-12 – before the Buffs calmed themselves and rallied. They would have to do it again.
Only 7 seconds into the second half, Oregon pressured CU into a timeout, then got possession on a jump ball and tied the score at 44-44 on a layup by Richard Amardi. A minute later, Mike Moser (24 points) hit a baseline jumper and the Ducks retook the lead, 46-44.
A Scott put-back produced a 46-46 tie – and a back-and-forth second half appeared to be unfolding. Wrong. Getting eight points from Moser, Oregon outscored CU 10-0 and took its first double-digit – 58-48 – lead with 14:22 remaining.
But the Buffs weren't rattled. Over the next 5 minutes, they outscored the Ducks 16-4 to go up 64-62 on a 3-pointer by freshman Jaron Hopkins.
Then, it was Dinwiddie do-it time, with Booker's magic to follow.
After hitting back-to-back treys, the junior guard sank two free throws to push CU up 72-66 with 7:58 to play. Oregon pulled within two points twice (72-70) on a pair of Dominic Artis free throws and a layup by Elgin Cook, but CU opened an eight-point (80-72) advantage with 5:03 left.
Booker then scored seven of the Buffs' next 11 points as they went ahead 91-80 with 2:23 left. Oregon capitalized on two CU turnovers to creep to within 92-86, then got to within five (94-89) on a Joseph Young 3-pointer from the right wing at the 1:22 mark.
After a Duck timeout, Oregon got the ball back when Dinwiddie was whistled for a pushing foul on the inbounds play. But the Ducks couldn't score on that possession, and Xavier Talton hit one of two free throws when fouled at the other end (95-89).
The conclusion was fitting: When Dinwiddie and Booker sank five of six free throws in the last 40.4 seconds to get the Buffs to 100 for the first time in Pac-12 play, the CEC crowd began chanting "over-rated, over-rated."
Asked what kind of statement Sunday's win made to the Pac-12 and the nation, Dinwiddie said, "We thought we kind of made a statement against Kansas (a 75-72 win over the then-No. 6 Jayhawks). We go on the board. It shows we ain't going to lose at home (but) like coach says, now it's time to take our show on the road."
The Buffs play Washington State on Wednesday in Spokane, then play at Washington on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
