Monster win over Utah secures 20th season victory

A huge win over Utah on Saturday night in the regular season finale secured the Buffs 20th win of the season. More importantly, they earned the number four seed in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament, which gives them a critical first-round bye.

With the victory, the Buffs finished the regular season with a 6-4 record on the road, which is their first winning record in over 50 years.

It was also the second time that head coach Tad Boyle led the team to 20 wins for two seasons in a row. It was the ninth overall time that he accomplished that feat during his tenure.

Senior forward Evan Battey recorded a career-high 27 points in his final regular-season game. He shot 6-for-9 from three and 10-for-17 from inside the arc. Sophomore forward Jabari Walker aided Battey with his own 22 points and 12 rebounds for his 16th double-double this season.

Sophomore guard Nique Clifford, who has been helping cover for the injured senior guard Elijah Parquet, chipped in 11 points. Freshman guard Julian Hammond made just the second start of his career. He added three points and three assists as well.

By the end of the first half, the Buffs led by over 20 points and led by as much as 29 in the second half. Utah never obtained a lead after their first score of the game.

With the monster victory, Boyle and the Buffs have extra time to prepare for the Pac-12 tournament. They will tip-off against the winner of the Oregon-Oregon State matchup this upcoming Thursday at 3:30 p.m. MST.