BERKELEY, Calif. — On paper, the Colorado males’s basketball workforce notched a win within the more durable matchup of the nearly-annual two-game journey by means of the Bay Space.
The Buffaloes’ observe document says in any other case.
CU picked up an enormous street win on Thursday evening, overcoming sub-par video games from a number of starters to experience the recent hand of level guard KJ Simpson to a 73-70 win at Stanford. It was a stirring, gut-check type of win for the Buffs, who trailed for many of the second half earlier than prevailing on the finish regardless of a 22-for-26 evening for Stanford on the free-throw line.
Nonetheless, it was considerably of a matter in fact for CU in its Pac-12 Convention historical past at Stanford. The Buffs improved to 7-3 at Maples Pavilion since becoming a member of the league, successful for the third consecutive time at Stanford. On Saturday, the Buffs will look to finish a uncommon convention street sweep at Cal, which has struggled monumentally this season however has confirmed to be a irritating host to CU.
“Pac-12 basketball on the street, you’d higher be able to play towards everyone,” CU head coach Tad Boyle mentioned. “We’ve historically performed nicely at Stanford. We’ve historically not performed nicely at Cal. It’s time to reverse that. If we will get one other win on the street, it will get us again the place we must be. We’re not going to take them calmly, I promise you that.”
Whereas the Buffs have carried out nicely at Stanford, the alternative is true of Cal’s Haas Pavilion. CU gained there final 12 months, securing a multiple-game street sweep for simply the third time since becoming a member of the Pac-12 earlier than the 2011-12 season. But Buffs groups with a transparent expertise benefit, notably in current seasons, have stumbled in Berkeley.
The 2019-20 CU workforce, which might have landed within the NCAA Match had it not been canceled, suffered an unpleasant late-season loss at Haas Pavilion towards a Bears workforce that completed 14-16. The 2020-21 Buffs, which superior to the second spherical of the NCAA Match, misplaced in Berkeley towards a Cal membership that completed 3-17 within the Pac-12 and misplaced by 29 factors in Boulder a month earlier.
CU is simply 2-7 at Cal since becoming a member of the league.
“We will’t be all excited and pleased about (Stanford). Now we have plenty of stuff we have to work on,” Simpson mentioned. “We got here in and Stanford was sort of struggling, however they bought it going. It’s going to be the identical factor with Cal. They’ve bought actually nice gamers. A gradual begin, however we simply must be well-prepared and we will’t actually give attention to this (Stanford) win. It is a good win, however now we have to prepare for the subsequent one.”
It has been a troublesome run in Berkeley for Cal coach Mark Fox, with this system reaching new lows within the first half of his fourth season. The Bears have suffered residence losses towards UC Davis, Southern, Texas State and Japanese Washington. By way of Thursday’s video games, Cal ranked final within the Pac-12 in area aim share (.402), 3-point share (.260), assists per sport (9.4), scoring (58.0) and common rebounding margin (minus-2.1).
“We’re taking part in towards a Cal workforce that’s struggling slightly bit, however we will’t take them calmly,” CU ahead Luke O’Brien mentioned. “They’re an important workforce. They’re within the Pac-12 for a cause. If we will get them, we’ll have some actually good momentum into the Oregon video games (subsequent week).”
CU Buffs males’s basketball at California Golden Bears
TIPOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m. MT, Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.
TV/RADIO: TV — Pac-12 Community. Radio — KHOW 630 AM.
RECORDS: Colorado 9-5, 1-2 Pac-12 Convention; Cal 1-13, 0-3.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, thirteenth season (263-160, 319-226 total); Cal — Mark Fox, 4th season (36-71, 322-247).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G KJ Simpson, 6-2, So. (18.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.7 apg); F Tristan da Silva, 6-9, Jr. (14.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .523 area aim share); F J’Vonne Hadley, 6-6, Jr. (9.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .529 area aim share). Cal — G Devin Askew, 6-3, Jr. (16.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.7 apg); C Lars Thiemann, 7-1, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .547 area aim share); G Joel Brown, 6-3, Sr. (6.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.8 apg).
NOTES: A win would give the Buffs their first six-game successful streak in almost two years…Colorado is searching for simply the fourth multiple-game street sweep in convention play since becoming a member of the Pac-12. The Buffs swept the Bay Space journey final 12 months, technically posting a 3-0 journey with an added make-up date win at Oregon State on the entrance finish of that journey. CU additionally recorded two-game street sweeps in 2018-19 (at UCLA, USC) and 2012-13 (at Oregon, Oregon State)… Tad Boyle’s 111 common season Pac-12 wins ranks nineteenth in convention historical past…Simpson went 5-for-9 from the sphere and 8-for-10 on the free throw line and completed with what then was a career-high 19 factors CU’s win final season at Cal…Regardless of Cal’s struggles, the Bears have been a strong perimeter defensive workforce, rating third within the Pac-12 by means of Thursday with a defensive 3-point share of .305…After posting 4 of the 5 lowest turnover totals of the season throughout a four-game homestand that ended final week, the Buffs dedicated 16 turnovers at Stanford. In three true street video games, CU has averaged 17.7 turnovers…The Buffs return residence to host the Oregon colleges subsequent week, starting with the Oregon Geese on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2/U).
