BERKELEY, Calif. — There have been loads of ugly performances for the Colorado males’s basketball group at Cal’s Haas Pavilion.
None of them have been uglier, or extra deflating, than the hassle that unfolded Saturday. In an up-and-down first half of the season, the Buffaloes bid farewell to 2022 with their largest dud but, dropping an 80-76 choice towards a woeful Golden Bears squad that entered the sport with one win and ranked final within the Pac-12 in a number of important classes.
Cal definitely didn’t look the half towards the Buffs, because the Bears handed CU a end result that would finally show crippling to any designs on reaching the NCAA Event. The Buffs noticed their six-game profitable streak come to an finish whereas falling to 2-8 at Haas Pavilion since becoming a member of the Pac-12.
“It was essentially the most pathetic and disappointing defensive effort that I’ve been part of that I can bear in mind,” CU head coach Tad Boyle stated. “There’s no satisfaction. Our guards can’t get by way of ball screens. We had no one on our group who might even take into consideration guarding Joel Brown. He took us off the bounce each time he wished.
“I’m dumbfounded as a coach. I haven’t generated sufficient habits with this group. They don’t really feel my sense of the significance of protection and rebounding that I do. That’s a disconnect that I’ve to attach.”
Cal doubled its win whole regardless of enjoying with out main scorer Devin Askew, who has battled a foot harm in current weeks, however his absence wasn’t seen. The Bears entered the sport ranked final within the Pac-12 in subject purpose proportion and 3-point proportion however proceeded to torch the Buffs’ lackadaisical protection, ending 58.0% general and 7-for-13 on 3-pointers. Brown went 9-for-14 and scored 14 of his career-high 21 factors within the second half.
CU led solely briefly early, however the Bears constructed a 39-27 lead at halftime and saved extending the margin all through the second half, pushing it to 21 factors with 6 minutes, 41 seconds remaining. The Buffs completed simply 7-for-26 on 3-pointers — a dismal determine that also was bolstered by a late flurry — and have been outrebounded 36-23 by a Cal group ranked final within the Pac-12 in common rebounding margin.
Individually, level guard KJ Simpson once more was a standout, shaking off an ankle harm he suffered late within the first half to complete with 25 factors, 5 assists and three rebounds. J’Vonne Hadley was strong, going 8-for-11 with a season-high 17 factors. However the remainder of the group went simply 12-for-35 (34.3%).
“Whenever you get off to a gradual begin, and also you are available in appearing like the sport is simply going to be handed to you, it’s laborious,” Simpson stated. “We simply didn’t guard. There’s no particular factor that occurred that affected us on our finish. We simply didn’t guard the ball. We didn’t take satisfaction in our protection. We acquired caught up within the refs. We acquired in not making photographs and we didn’t satisfaction ourselves on protection. Which is what we’re alleged to do.”
CU managed to make the Bears sweat out the end, utilizing an all Simpson-and-Hadley 12-0 run to get inside six. A pair of Simpson 3-pointers left Cal needing to make a free throw with 6.3 seconds left, in any other case the Buffs would have had a chance at a game-tying 3-pointer. However Brown ended the drama by making the free throw.
In the end it was far too little, too late.
“Whenever you don’t play protection and also you don’t rebound, you depend on making threes. You depend on making photographs,” Boyle stated. “We’re not adequate shot makers, we’re not adequate free throw shooters, to depend on that evening in and evening out. So we’d higher be capable to depend on our protection and rebounding, which I speak about on a regular basis, however this group hasn’t accepted that and put it of their DNA. That’s on me. I’m undecided I’ve been a part of a extra disappointing loss from a protection and rebounding standpoint.”
Snapshot: CU Buffs at Cal
Turning level: Cal reeled off a 12-0 run within the early phases and by no means regarded again, main the competition the remainder of the way in which.
Buff of the sport: KJ Simpson. Regardless of turning his proper ankle late within the first half, Simpson completed with 25 factors, 5 assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals.
What’s subsequent?: The Buffs will try to regroup forward of a Thursday evening residence recreation towards Oregon (7 p.m., ESPN2/U).
