Colorado
4-1
Portland
5-4
Buffs Pull Away In Second Half To Rout Pilots
November 28, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado coach Tad Boyle is a firm believer that good defense leads to a productive offense.
The Buffs followed that recipe Wednesday night, breaking open a tight game in the second half to run away with a 93-69 win over Portland at the CU Events Center. Junior Lucas Siewert scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double and McKinley Wright IV added 22 points and seven rebounds for the Buffs.
Colorado improved to 4-1 while Portland fell to 5-4.
The Buffs finished with five players in double figures, with Evan Battey (10 points, five rebounds), Tyler Bey (12 points, six rebounds) and Shane Gatling (11 points) joining Siewert and Wright. It was Wright's seventh career 20-point game, and the third time in five games thus far that the Buffs have surpassed the 90-point mark.
Josh McSwiggan led Portland with 22 points.
Siewert scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half to keep the Buffs in what was a close game for the first 20 minutes. Wright scored 15 of his 22 after halftime, igniting a 16-1 run that broke open a 51-51- tie game and ultimately sparking a 28-4 surge that turned the game into a rout.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led by just three at the half, 39-36, after allowing the Pilots to shoot 48 percent from the field (15-for-31). That included a 10-for-14 stretch that led to a 20-7 Portland run that erased a 12-point Colorado lead.
But following a halftime talk from Boyle, the Buffs produced a much better effort on the defensive end in the second half, which in turn led to an offensive outburst that put the game away. Colorado broke away from a 51-51 tie with 14 minutes to go with a 16-1 run, then built the lead to as much as 32 late in the game.
"I got after them pretty good at halftime and they responded in the second half," Boyle said. "One of the things we talked about at halftime is they have to take ownership of what we're trying to do defensively and I felt like they really did in the second half. It started with McKinley but it didn't end with McKinley. We got some really good defensive possessions, broke the game open, and had a runaway."
Wright started the 16-1 run with a 3-pointer, then added a pair of free throws less than 30 seconds later. Bey added six points in the run and Namon Wright had four, including a steal and breakaway dunk.
""Vintage McKinley Wright," Boyle said. "He just says, 'OK guys, it's time to get this train moving,' and the train starts moving.
Fueling the run was a CU defensive effort that held the Pilots without a field goal for more than four minutes.
"Once we get stops, we get out in transition and that's when we're at our best," McKinley Wright said. "We're trying to focus on defense this year. We're one of the best teams in the country when we get out and run."
Colorado finished with a 25-11 edge in fast-break points while shooting 48.4 percent from the field (31-for-64) to go with a commanding 44-27 edge on the boards. The Pilots, meanwhile, shot just 37.5 percent from the field after halftime and finished 27-for-63 from the field.
Siewert continued to be a weapon inside and out, hitting two of his four 3-point tries to go along with three baskets inside and six free throws.
"He carried us in the first half offensively," Boyle said. "Our players understand what kind of a weapon Lucas is offensively. But he's such a tough matchup because he can shoot the three and his post moves are getting better by the day."
The Buffs threatened to break the game open in the first half, going on a 15-3 run to take a 26-14 lead with just more than nine minutes to go in the period. Siewert, McKinley Wright and Deleon Brown all had 3-pointers in the surge.
But just when it looked like the Buffs might blow the game open, their defense went south. The Pilots battled back with a 20-7 run to take a 34-33 lead with just under two minutes to go, hitting 10 of 14 field goal attempts in the burst.
Colorado finally recovered to regain the lead and take a 39-36 edge at intermission.
TURNING POINT: With the score tied at 51-51, the Buffs went on a 16-1 run midway through the second half to put the game away.
NICE NIGHT FOR NAMON: CU's leading scorer, Namon Wright, finished with just seven points, but he also had seven rebounds and three steals. ""Namon can help this team in a lot of different ways," Boyle said. "We want him to shoot it when he's open and he's proven to be a very very effective defensive rebounder for us. I'm pleased with the way Namon is playing. I keep getting back to defense. That's how guys are going to separate themselves."
WHAT IT MEANS: With two straight wins under their belt, the Buffs head into Saturday's rivalry game with Colorado State with some momentum.
READY FOR RAMS: Colorado holds a healthy 89-39 edge in the all-time series against Colorado State, but the Buffs have lost two in a row to the Rams and three of the last four. Boyle made a pointed plea for fans to show up for Saturday's 1 p.m. game against the Buffs' in-state rival.
"We're playing the game for our fans, so I hope our fans understand that, appreciate that, show up. I know there will be some CSU fans down here cheering for the Rams. We need to have this place rocking at 1 o'clock."
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs held a 25-11 edge in fast-break points and a 44-27 edge on the boards, and also shot almost 50 percent from the field (31-for-64).
CU STANDOUTS: Lucas Siewert had his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. … McKinley Wright had 22 points and seven boards. … Evan Battey had 10 points and five rebounds. … Tyler Bey had 12 points and six rebounds. … Shane Gatling scored 11 points. … Namon Wright had seven points, seven rebounds and three steals.
QUOTEWORTHY: "Our players will be ready Saturday at 1 o'clock, I can guarantee you that, emotionally and mentally. We just have to make sure we don't get too keyed up for this game. It's a rivalry game, we know we're going to get CSU's best shot. We always do, we always have. We have to be able to handle that and keep our emotions in check and play Colorado basketball. We don't have to do anything special, just be who we are and play the way we're capable of playing. It should be a great game." — CU head coach Tad Boyle.
NEXT UP: The Buffs play host to Colorado State on Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at the CU Events Center.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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