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Colorado scored 48 points in the first half, setting a record for most points in a half since they've moved to the Pac-12, and got their third straight win in the conference as they beat Washington Sunday night at the Coors Event Center 91-65. It was the best performance the Buffs have had since Spencer Dinwiddie's injury. Josh Scott, Askia Booker and Xavier Johnson all stepped up with each of them scoring 20 or more points. The trio combined for 68 points and the Buffs' total of 91 points was tied for their second highest of the season. They are now 18-6 overall and 7-4 in the Pac-12.
Things the Buffaloes did well:
Ed Note: JHOP did THIS well...
Although Wesley Gordon was out with a sprained ankle, it didn't stop Colorado from firing on all cylinders to start off the game. The Huskies had to use two timeouts early to calm the Buffs' excellent start as they were up by 16 only five and a half minutes into the game. Xavier Johnson got it going early and ended up scoring a career-high 27 points to go along with his 10 rebounds. Washington chose not to double Josh Scott and it didn't work out. Scott had 21 points and eight rebounds and consistently hit jump hooks with both hands.
Askia Booker had another incredible game with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Once again, more importantly, he was a willing passer and finished with seven assists. Jaron Hopkins and Xavier Talton played well for the most part as they combined for 14 points. Hopkins had a posterizing dunk on C.J. Wilcox midway through the second half and it was the best dunk Colorado has had this season.
The Buffaloes never stopped bringing energy and aggressive play. They won the rebounding margin by 14 finishing with 44 total and they created second chances with nine offensive rebounds. From beyond the arc, the Buffs shot 64 percent on 9-of-14 shooting and hit their first four threes. As a team, they shot 55 percent from the field and had 18 assists on 31 made field goals. On defense, the Buffs were effective and limited the Huskies to 32 percent shooting.
Things the Buffaloes struggled with:
There were stretches in the game where Washington had open looks from three and easy layups inside, but the Buffs essentially played a perfect game Sunday night.
Up Next:
Colorado has a crucial road trip to Los Angeles and will take on UCLA and USC. They'll play the Bruins first this Thursday and then the Trojans on Sunday. Winning both would be ideal, but if Colorado can just split the weekend, the trip will be a success. Xavier Johnson needs to keep up his strong play along with Josh Scott and Askia Booker. If all three of them continue to play well, wins should keep coming.
