Colorado
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Iowa State
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Buffaloes Fall To No. 5 Iowa State In Maui Invite Finale
November 27, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
LAHAINA, Hawaii — Colorado had no answer for Iowa State's pressure defense Wednesday and the Buffaloes dropped a 99-71 decision in their final game of the Maui Invitational.
Tad Boyle's Buffs fell to 5-2 while the fifth-ranked Cyclones improved to 5-1. The two teams will meet again Dec. 30 when they open Big 12 play with a 7 p.m. game in Boulder.
Julian Hammond III led CU with 20 points and Andrej Jakimovski scored 18. Trevor Baskin led the Buffs on the boards with eight rebounds.
Iowa State put six players in double figures, led by 24 points from Milan Momcilovic.
ISU's defense caused problems throughout the game for CU. The Buffs finished with 18 turnovers that led to 37 Iowa State points, including a 22-6 edge in fast break points.
The Buffs got off to a good start and held a 22-20 lead with nine minutes to play in the first half. But the Cyclones continued to force turnovers and finished the half with a 25-12 surge to take an 11-point edge into the break, 45-34.
But unlike Tuesday's game, when the Buffs overcame an 11-point first-half deficit against No. 2 UConn to get the win, CU had no comeback in the second half. The Cyclones built their lead into the 20s and finally into the 30s as Colorado's turnover woes continued, resulting in a 54-37 scoring edge for ISU in the second half.
Colorado shot just 42 percent from the field (23-for-55) while the Cyclones shot 60 percent (35-for-58). ISU also held a 31-25 edge on the boards, including seven offensive rebounds that produced 14 points.
"I wasn't a math major but I can add, and 51 of their 99 points came off offensive rebounds where we don't box out and the other 37 come off turnovers," Boyle said. "That's 51 of their 99 points that we have a direct result of causing. You put the combination of turnovers and not boxing out and not guarding, this is what you get against a good team and Iowa State's a hell of a program, hell of a team."
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado started well, then survived a 1-for-9 shooting stretch to overcome a 15-11 deficit and take a 22-20 lead.
Bangot Dak hit a 3-pointer to pull Colorado within one before RJ Smith hit back-to-back treys to give the Buffs a 20-17 lead. A minute later, an Elijah Malone bucket inside gave CU a 22-20 edge with 8:45 to play in the half.
"When we were strong with the ball and had strong cuts, good things happened for us," Boyle said. "We got good looks and we made some baskets."
But there weren't enough of those moments for the Buffs as the Cyclones controlled the game for the rest of the half with their swarming defense. ISU ripped off a quick 10-0 run as the Colorado committed four turnovers in five possessions before Jamikovski hit two free throws to pull CU within six, 30-24.
ISU, though, continued the onslaught. The Cyclones stretched their run to 15-4, pushing their cushion into double digits, 35-24, on a long 3-pointer thanks to a pair of offensive rebounds.
Colorado did get a pair of Jakimovski 3-pointers in the final two minutes of the half but CU couldn't come up with a defensive stop. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded ISU had a 25-12 run on the board over the final 8 minutes of the period to take a 45-34 lead into the break.
The Buffs committed nine turnovers in the first half leading to 20 points for ISU and the Cyclones also reaped nine second-chance points. Colorado shot just 11-for-26 in the opening half while Iowa State shot 19-for-33.
The Buffs never found their rhythm in the second half. Iowa State's defense continued to cause problems for CU while the Cyclones continued to roll on the offensive end. ISU slowly built its lead over the first 10 minutes of the half, finally opening up a 25-point edge, 75-52, with nine minutes to play.
Iowa State then built its edge to as much as 33 in the final minutes as the Buffs never threatened to close the gap.
"We just couldn't get stops," Jakimovski said. "For us, everything starts on defense and they scored 99 points. We just couldn't get stops and like Coach said, we didn't take care of the ball. Those are two huge things for us. Now we have to bounce back. It was a great experience for us. We got a taste of what the Big 12 is and I think we'll be ready."
DECISIVE STRETCH: After Colorado took a 22-20 lead midway through the first half, ISU answered with a 10-0 run to take control and the Buffs never threatened again.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs leave Hawaii with a win over No. 2 UConn under their belts, but also two losses to other top-tier teams. They now have four more non-conference games before opening Big 12 play.
NEXT UP: The Buffs return to the CU Events Center next Monday for a 7 p.m. game against Pacific (ESPN+).
