Colorado
21-9, 10-7
Arizona State
14-15, 4-12
Buffs Celebrate Senior Day With Win Over ASU
February 28, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado coach Tad Boyle called Sunday's 79-69 win over Arizona State a "workmanlike" effort for the Buffs.
In that regard, it was a fitting Senior Day home finale for CU star Josh Scott. The CU senior and four-year starter put forth a microcosm of his career: a workmanlike 15-point, six-rebound, two-assist effort in what will almost certainly be his final appearance in the Coors Events Center.
The win improved the Buffs' record to 21-9 overall and 10-7 in the Pac-12. More importantly, it added another victory to their NCAA Tournament resume´. With one more regular season game remaining — Saturday's 7:30 p.m. affair at Utah — and the ensuing week's Pac-12 Tournament, the Buffs continue to build a tournament-worthy body of work.
It also marked just the third time in CU history that the Buffs have reached the 21-win mark in the regular season. The first came in 1996-97; the second in 2013-14.
For Scott and his three fellow seniors — Xavier Talton, Eli Stalzer and Brett Brady — it was an emotional afternoon, played out before 10,325, the second-largest Events Center crowd of the season. Scott in particular spent the last several weeks discussing how his final game at the Events Center would be a difficult moment, and the moment live up to the anticipation.
"I don't think there's one word that would describe it," Scott said. "It was kind of a culmination of four years here with a lot of memories, a lot of struggles and a lot of blood all put into one moment.
"It hit me when my name was announced for the last time. … I'm just glad we came out with a win, not just for me, but for the other seniors as well."
It wasn't particularly easy. The Sun Devils, still smarting from an 81-46 loss at Utah earlier in the week, put forth one of their better efforts of the Pac-12 season.
But when the opening tip went up, Scott and his teammates went to work. While they had more trouble than maybe expected in shaking the Sun Devils, they were in control for much of the afternoon. Colorado led by 14 midway through the first half, endured an ASU run that gave the Sun Devils a brief lead late in the half, and took a 38-35 edge into the locker room at intermission.
After the half, it was more of the same. The two teams traded runs, with an 8-0 ASU surge tying the game at 45-45 with 14:41 left in the game. Colorado, though, answered with an 8-0 run of its own, sparked by five straight points from Josh Fortune for a 53-45 lead, and the Buffs never trailed again. The Sun Devils managed to close the gap to three two more times down the stretch, but Colorado had an answer each time.
Fortune finished with his second straight solid game, leading CU in scoring with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with four assists and two rebounds. Tre'Shaun Fletcher added 13 for Colorado, while Dominique Collier contributed nine points and five assists and George King chipped in nine points, four rebounds and a pair of assists.
"It was a great team win," Boyle said. "It wasn't a real pretty win but I think Arizona State had a lot to do with that. Their backs are against the wall a little bit."
Offensively, it was one of the Buffs' most efficient games of the year. CU hit 52 percent of its field goal tries (25 of 48), including an 11-for-21 day from 3-point range. The Buffs also committed just eight turnovers — their second straight game with single digits in that category — and finished with a 35-25 edge on the boards.
Defensively, though, the Buffs did allow ASU to also shoot nearly 50 percent (24 of 50). Tra Holder led the Sun Devils with 16 points and Gerry Blakes added 15 — all coming in the irst half.
"We weren't great defensively," Boyle said. "Part of it was us and part of it was that they made some tough shots."
Now, the Buffs must figure out how to take their show on the road. Their only home loss in a 16-1 season at the Events Center was a 56-54 loss to Utah on a buzzer beater early in the Pac-12 season.
They'll have a chance to even the score on Saturday.
"Our challenge is to take it away," Boyle said. "Most likely, we aren't going to be playing in the Coors Events Center again this year. That's the fact. We have to win however many games we can win the rest of the season away from home."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
