Although Colorado came within two points of the Runnin’ Utes after falling behind by 10 points late in the game, Utah outlasted the Buffs on the road, 86-81.
Kyle Kuzma finished with 25 points although he was on the bench for a big part of the first half. David Collette finished with 14 points, and Lorenzo Bonam added 12. Devon Daniels did not travel with the team to Boulder, because he has been indefinitely suspended “due to conduct detrimental to the team,” according to a press release before the game.
Overall, the Utes shot 58.3 percent from the floor, and they were 78.1 percent from the charity stripe.
“We finally hit our free throws and sealed the game,” Kuzma said.
Despite a turnover to start the game, the Utes went opened up with a 7-0 run. The Buffs then went on a 7-2 run to close the gap to two points about five minutes into the action, and a Colorado dunk tied the game at 9. Gabe Bealer, who got the start in place of Daniels, hit a three-pointer, but Colorado answered it with its own three.
Although Colorado kept tieing up the score, Utah eventually gave itself a six point cushion, 23-17. Kuzma was soon whistled for his second foul, but it didn’t have too much of an effect as another Utah three-pointer put the Utes up 26-18. Collette soon hit his second three-pointer of the season, and Utah went up 29-20.
The Utes maintained that nine point lead for a good portion of the second half, and it was extended to 10 points after Bealer hit his second three-pointer of the night. The Buffaloes cut it to eight points at halftime as the Utes led 36-28.
While Utah hit a three pointer early on in the second half, Colorado hit a few baskets to make it a three point game, and it was trailing 39-36. Tyler Rawson knocked down a three-pointer to make it a six point game again, and after a couple of free throws from Collette that lead was back to eight points, 44-36.
Colorado began to chip away at this lead again as it made it a 49-44 game. After a Kuzma free throw, Colorado hit a pair of free throws to make it a four point game. Utah started to pull away again with Kuzma on the floor, and the Utes soon led 58-48. The Buffs wouldn’t go away though, and Collette was whistled for his fourth foul with about eight and a half minutes left in the game, and it led to a three point play for Colorado.
Although Colorado came within five points, 65-60, Utah continued to make its free throws, and Kuzma hit a three-pointer to put the Utes back up by 10 points. Utah then gave the ball away on a couple of possessions, and Colorado quickly cut it down to five points again, 73-68.
Utah only went 1-of-2 from the line, then the Buffs hit both of their free throws to cut it to four points.
While Utah went on to hit a pair of free throws with 1:44 left in the second half, Colorado fired back with a three-pointer to cut Utah’s lead in half, 76-73. Collette hit a reverse layup to make it a five point game, but with 40.9 seconds left, Utah fouled a three-point shooter. The Buffs went 3-of-3 from the line, and it was a two point game, 80-78.
Rawson went just 1-of-2 from the line on the immediate foul from Colorado afterwards, but CU missed a three pointer that would have tied the game at 81, and Utah controlled things from then on.
@kbrenneisen