Buffaloes Host Eastern Washington

Saturday, November 8

Boulder, Colo.

2 p.m.

Colorado

Eastern Washington

Tickets From $18 - $73

Elijah Malone

November 07, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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By: Troy Andre, Associate Director/Athletic Communications

Game 2 - Eastern Washington, Saturday, November 8, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 2:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Thad Anderson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/3XnO2mN
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: SXM App 998
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611123

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 1-0 after its 84-78 season-opening win over Montana State on Nov. 3.

The Buffaloes had five players score in double figures, led by true freshman Isaiah Johnson's 24 points. Graduate senior Elijah Malone had 10 points and a CU personal-best 13 rebounds. Sophomore Sebastian Rancik had 13 points while junior Bangot Dak had 12 and junior transfer Barrington Hargress had in his Buffaloes debut.

The scoring balance was a welcome sight for Colorado, which went without a game last season with five double-figure scorers. The last time the Buffaloes had five in double-digits was the NCAA Tournament first round win over Florida, on March 22, 2024.

Colorado shot 51.9 percent from the field to help counter Montana State which shot a similar number at .518. The Bobcats hit 29 of 56 attempts as the Buffaloes won for just the 12th time in their last 64 games (12-52) when the opponent shoots 51.8 percent or better. Colorado had lost four straight in that scenario, the last win a 79-75 decision at Oregon on March 7, 2024, when the Ducks shot 53.3 percent. The last home win with the opponent shooting above 51.8 percent was against California, a 71-65 decision on Feb. 6, 2020, the Bears shot 55.6 percent in that game.

JOHNSON'S MONSTER DEBUT: Isaiah Johnson's 24 points against Montana State marked the second-most by Colorado freshman in a debut. Johnson made 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, while hitting 10 of 12 free throw attempts.

The record for a CU freshman debut is 31 points by Emmett Lewis, who had 31 against New Mexico on Nov. 29, 1975. Lewis would go on become the first of seven Buffs to ever lead the team in scoring for a season, averaging 15.0 in 1975-76.

Overall, his 24 points ties for the 13th best single-game total by a Colorado freshman. The last to reach that mark was current Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker, who scored 24 against Georgetown in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

All 24 of Johnson's points came in second half, the most in any one half by a Colorado freshman. Overall his 24 points in one half ties for the 12th-best mark by a Buff, regardless of class.

MALONE'S IMPRESSIVE LINE: Graduate center Elijah Malone filled up the stat line nicely against Montana State finishing with 10 points and a trio of CU personal-bests with 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Through the first week of the season, he is the only player in NCAA Division I basketball to have a game with double-figure points and rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The double-double was his second as a Buffalo, and actually is second in a row as he finished off the 2024-25 season with a 17-point, 10-rebound performance against Villanova in the College Basketball Crown Tournament. Overall it's the 28th double-double of his collegiate career (26 at Grace).

Malone's 13 rebounds are his best at Colorado and fifth overall; he had 17 with Grace against Cornerstone on Dec. 30, 2021. His four steals are a career-high, both CU and Grace. Malone's five assists are one off his Grace best, as he dished out six at Taylor (Ind.) on Feb. 13, 2021.

DEBUTS/SEASON FIRSTS: Seven Buffaloes saw their first action in a Colorado uniform in the opener against Montana State. Barrington Hargress played in his first Colorado game after two seasons at UC Riverside. Six freshmen made their collegiate debuts: Jalin Holland, Isaiah Johnson, Josiah Sanders, Ian Inman, Andrew Crawford (redshirt) and Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaola.

First Points: Elijah Malone, on a free throw
First FG: Sebastian Rancik, a 3-pointer
First Rebound: Barrington Hargress
First Assist: Elijah Malone
First Steal: Elijah Malone

OPENERS: Colorado improved to 88-35 (.715) in all-time season openers and has won its last 10. The Buffaloes are 14-2 under head coach Tad Boyle and 41-5 in overall season openers since 1980-81.

The Buffaloes are 99-24 (.805) all-time in home openers, have won their last 18 and 24 of their last 25. Boyle's teams are 16-0 in home openers.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 137-41 (.770) in nonconference regular-season games under head coach Tad Boyle, including a 90-24 mark (.789) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 105-8 (.929) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record that includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.

In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is 205-47 at home (.813). The Buffaloes are 518-198 (.723) all-time at the CUEC. The Buffaloes have won at least 10 games at home each of the last 16 seasons.

ABOUT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington is 0-2 to begin the season after a couple of competitive road setbacks. The Eagles opened the season falling by six, 80-74, at preseason No. 12 ranked UCLA. Two days later, Eastern Washington had another single-digit result, dropping a 70-62 decision to Loyola Marymount. The Eagles begin the 2025-26 season with seven of their first eight games on the road, including the first four.

Senior guard Isaiah Moses is Eastern Washington's leading scorer, averaging 15 points over the first two games. Junior forward Alton Hamilton IV is averaging 10.0 points and a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 62 percent from the field. Graduate forward Kiree Huie is averaging 11.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Eastern Washington was picked to finish fifth in the 2025-26 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and eighth in the media version.

THE SERIES: This will be the sixth meeting between Colorado and
Eastern Washington. The Buffaloes have won all five previous meetings with all five coming in Boulder. Colorado defeated the Eagles 76-56 in the 2024-25 season opener.

CONNECTIONS: Colorado-Eastern Washington will feature a battle between UC Riverside's top two scorers from a year ago. Colorado junior Barrington Hargress will go up against his former teammate, Eagles senior guard Isaiah Moses.

Hargress led the Highlanders and ranked ninth in the nation in scoring at 20.2 points per game with his 686 total points setting a school record. Moses averaged 12.0 points and 3.0 assists, earning honorable mention to the All-Big West Conference team.

Colorado assistant Bill Grier and Eastern Washington's Dan Monson coached together at Gonzaga.