Tuesday, April 1
Las Vegas, Nev.
6:30 p.m.
Colorado
14-21,3-17Big 12
64
vs
85
Villanova
20-14,11-9Big East
1
2
F
Colorado
30
34
64
Villanova
45
40
85
Buffs Bow Out of College Basketball Crown
April 01, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – Colorado's season came to an end in the first round of the inaugural College Basketball Crown as the Buffaloes fell to Villanova, 85-64, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Tuesday night.
Colorado finished the season 14-21. Despite a 16th place finish in the Big 12 Conference, the Buffaloes advanced to postseason play past the conference level for the 13th time in 14 possible seasons under head coach Tad Boyle.
"The reason you come to this tournament, you come here to build on your young guys, the guys that are coming back," Boyle said. "This is really something to build on as we look to the future. That's what this tournament is all about. It's disappointing that we lost, but we lost to a quality veteran team."
Elijah Malone carried the scoring load for the Buffs, leading the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double at Colorado on 7 of 10 shooting. He started the game by making his first five shots. RJ Smith was the only other Buff to score in double figures, ending with 10 points.
Without senior point guard Julian Hammond III, freshman Felix Kossaras made his first career start, finishing with nine points, four assists, and two 3-pointers - all career highs.
A common problem for the Buffs this season plagued them again, as they committed 12 turnovers that led to 16 Wildcat points, compared to seven turnovers for just five points for Colorado.
The Buffs outscored Villanova 28-26 points in the paint, but the Wildcats made 11 3-pointers compared to just six for Colorado.
Villanova was led by Eric Dixon and Wooga Poplar, who combined for 46 points. Dixon became the all-time leading scorer at Villanova, finishing with 22 points. Poplar ended with a game-high 24 points on 11 of 17 shooting.
"Now it's time to go back to Boulder," Boyle said. "Get the gym, get better, and hopefully add some pieces to next year's team. The future is bright. I'm disappointed in the year, but I'm not down."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffs crashed the glass early, securing four offensive rebounds and converting them into six second-chance points to keep the game close early as Villanova led 10-8 four minutes into the game.
Smith knocked down a 3-pointer to keep pace, but Villanova would counter with a 9-0 run via three straight 3-pointers to build a 27-14Â lead.
Needing to cut into the lead before the half ended, Kossaras hit from deep on back-to-back possessions, the first time making multiple 3-pointers in a game in his career to cut the Wildcat lead to seven with 6:25 left in the first half.
Villanova countered with a 13-0 run punctuated with a 3-pointer to push the lead to 20 points. The Buffs finished the half on an 8-3 run to go into the break down 45-30.
Both teams struggled to score in the early part of the second half. Bangot Dak and Malone were the only players to score for the Buffs in the first 10 minutes. Each of them hit a 3-pointer, and Malone added a layup.
The Wildcats found their offensive footing and pushed the lead to as much as 29 points in the second half. Colorado kept fighting, finding some offensive rhythm and scoring 34 points in the second half as a team, with the final basket of the season being a logo 3-pointer from senior Jack Pease, the first 3-point field goal of his career.
Colorado finished the season 14-21. Despite a 16th place finish in the Big 12 Conference, the Buffaloes advanced to postseason play past the conference level for the 13th time in 14 possible seasons under head coach Tad Boyle.
"The reason you come to this tournament, you come here to build on your young guys, the guys that are coming back," Boyle said. "This is really something to build on as we look to the future. That's what this tournament is all about. It's disappointing that we lost, but we lost to a quality veteran team."
Elijah Malone carried the scoring load for the Buffs, leading the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double at Colorado on 7 of 10 shooting. He started the game by making his first five shots. RJ Smith was the only other Buff to score in double figures, ending with 10 points.
Without senior point guard Julian Hammond III, freshman Felix Kossaras made his first career start, finishing with nine points, four assists, and two 3-pointers - all career highs.
A common problem for the Buffs this season plagued them again, as they committed 12 turnovers that led to 16 Wildcat points, compared to seven turnovers for just five points for Colorado.
The Buffs outscored Villanova 28-26 points in the paint, but the Wildcats made 11 3-pointers compared to just six for Colorado.
Villanova was led by Eric Dixon and Wooga Poplar, who combined for 46 points. Dixon became the all-time leading scorer at Villanova, finishing with 22 points. Poplar ended with a game-high 24 points on 11 of 17 shooting.
"Now it's time to go back to Boulder," Boyle said. "Get the gym, get better, and hopefully add some pieces to next year's team. The future is bright. I'm disappointed in the year, but I'm not down."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffs crashed the glass early, securing four offensive rebounds and converting them into six second-chance points to keep the game close early as Villanova led 10-8 four minutes into the game.
Smith knocked down a 3-pointer to keep pace, but Villanova would counter with a 9-0 run via three straight 3-pointers to build a 27-14Â lead.
Needing to cut into the lead before the half ended, Kossaras hit from deep on back-to-back possessions, the first time making multiple 3-pointers in a game in his career to cut the Wildcat lead to seven with 6:25 left in the first half.
Villanova countered with a 13-0 run punctuated with a 3-pointer to push the lead to 20 points. The Buffs finished the half on an 8-3 run to go into the break down 45-30.
Both teams struggled to score in the early part of the second half. Bangot Dak and Malone were the only players to score for the Buffs in the first 10 minutes. Each of them hit a 3-pointer, and Malone added a layup.
The Wildcats found their offensive footing and pushed the lead to as much as 29 points in the second half. Colorado kept fighting, finding some offensive rhythm and scoring 34 points in the second half as a team, with the final basket of the season being a logo 3-pointer from senior Jack Pease, the first 3-point field goal of his career.
Team Stats
CU
VU
FG%
.397
.532
3FG%
.280
.355
FT%
.538
.571
RB
37
34
TO
13
8
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
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