College Basketball Recap: Colorado Buffaloes explode in second half, defeat Auburn Tigers 90-59.
By Andrew Dill
Nov 17, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard/forward Xavier Johnson (2) reacts to his three point basket in the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Buffaloes played in a late-night game Monday night and were not affected by it. Colorado exploded in the second-half, outscoring the Auburn Tigers 52-25 en route to a 90-59 victory at the Coors Event Center.
Colorado played sluggish towards the end of the first-half as Auburn trailed by just four points, 38-34 in favor of CU. The second-half of basketball was perhaps one of the more dominating performances I’ve ever seen.
The Buffs’ went on a 24-0 run in which Auburn went 12 consecutive minutes without a field goal made. That can be attributed to Colorado’s length on defense. Auburn also missed 18-straight shots at one point – maybe due to the altitude per say. Not to mention, Auburn was without their primary scorer in Antoine Mason.
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Colorado failed to feed Josh Scott in the first-half and made sure they did in the second. Scott was immediately handed the ball and drew the contact, knocking down two free-throws to start the second off right. The junior forward scored 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting, knocking down 9-of-10 free-throw attempts. Scott also recorded 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.
Xavier Johnson had himself a night as well, adding 17 points of his own. Johnson shot 5-of-10 from the field, collecting 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Don’t forget about Wesley Gordon. He was very active on the class in the win, hauling down 12 rebounds (5 offensive) with a block. Gordon also chipped in 16 points.
Askia Booker might be finally finding his rhythm. The guard struggled all night up until he knocked down a three-pointer which lead to a four-point play. The senior scored 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting, dishing out 2 assists as Colorado rolled to an impressive victory on national television.
For Auburn, KT Harrell might have been the lone bright spot. The senior from Montgomery, Alabama scored a game-high 20 points on 5-of-17 shooting while going a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. As a team, Auburn shot 29.0% (20-69) and 18.5% from deep (5-of-27).
Notes:
- Freshman G Dominique Collier (DNP) – disciplinary reasons. Will suit up Sat. vs. Wyoming.
- Colorado shot 31-of-53 from the field (58.5%) while outrebounding the Tigers, 46-31.
- Colorado’s bench chipped in 25 points in the win; 7 apiece from Tre’Shaun Fletcher and Jaron Hopkins.
The Colorado Buffaloes (2-0, 0-0 in Pac-12) resume action Saturday night as they hit the road, taking on the Wyoming Cowboys. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM EST, 4:00 PM MST.