Colorado holds off Utah comeback, Dak goes for career night
Colorado (17-13, 7-10 Big 12) bounced back with an offensive explosion of a 92-78 win over Utah (10-20, 2-15 Big 12) on Wednesday night.
The Buffs shot 60.8% from the field, made nine 3s and 21 free throws on 17 assists, with just seven turnovers. In a career-high night for junior forward Bangot Dak, who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, he combined with guards Isaiah Johnson (22 points, four assists, three steals) and Barrington Hargress (19 points, three assists) for 63 of CU’s 92 (68.5%) points. The Black-and-Gold couldn’t be stopped inside.
And the Buffs were successful without one of their best players in sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik, who suffered an injury during a practice leading up to the game.
Still, like most of Colorado’s games this season, this one didn’t come without one team nearly blowing a lead. The Buffs, who led 51-25 at halftime after a fine defensive showing to start the night, suddenly couldn’t stop the Utes in the final 20 minutes. Utah scored 53 second-half points, outscoring CU by 12 in the half, and shot 17-of-23 (73.9%) from the field in the final 20 minutes. UU had only shot 34.5% from the floor in the first half.
With the increased shot-making, Utah went from 0-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half to 6-of-7 in the second. Terrence Brown, who went for a game-high 26 points, got the Utes’ scoring going with a banked-in 3-pointer to start the second half. And with fellow guard Don McHenry pouring in 19 points, with 15 in the final 11 minutes, UU cut the turnovers from nine in the first half to just one in the second.
While CU’s 26-point lead dwindled to nine points, though, it was Hargress, Dak and Johnson who stepped up with big shots down the stretch. Hargress made two tough jumpers after the lead fell to single digits, including his third 3-pointer of the night. Dak and Johnson, with 17 of Colorado’s free throws, got to the line before Johnson hit a dagger triple with just under three minutes to play.
Ultimately, the Buffs went on to win the high-scoring affair, spoiling not only Utah’s backcourt’s big scoring night but also the program’s senior night. While Brown and McHenry were the only Utes to reach double figures in scoring, Kendyl Sanders added eight points and a team-high five rebounds. Freshman Jalin Holland joined CU’s high-scoring trio in double-digits, scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 3-point shooting.
Names and numbers
Starters:
CU: Barrington Hargress, Isaiah Johnson, Josiah Sanders, Jalin Holland, Bangot Dak
UU: Terrence Brown, Don McHenry, Seydou Traore, James Onkonkwo, Keanu Dawes
Head-to-head:
- FG%: CU – 31-51 (60.8%)/UU – 27-52 (51.9%)
- 3PT%: CU – 9-17 (52.9%)/UU – 6-16 (37.5%)
- FT%: CU – 21-23 (91.3%)%)/UU – 18-23 (78.3%)
- Assists/Turnovers: CU – 17-7/UU – 15-10
- Rebounds/Offensive: CU – 27-6/UU – 23-8
- Steals/Blocks: CU – 6-5/UU – 4-4
- Fouls: CU – 17/UU – 18
Colorado:
- F, Bangot Dak (29 min.): 22 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 9-10 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 turnover, 4 blocks, +2
- G, Barrington Hargress (32 min.): 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 3PT, 2-3 FT), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, +13
- G, Isaiah Johnson (35 min.): 22 points (6-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 8-8 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 steals, +10
Utah:
- G, Terrence Brown (29 min.): 26 points (10-17 FG, 1-1 3PT, 5-8 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, -10
- G, Don McHenry (29 min.): 19 points (5-9 FG, 1-4 3PT, 8-8 FT), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 0 turnovers, -9
- F, Kendyl Sanders (18 min.): 8 points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-3 3PT) 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 1 steal, +13
Half-by-half
1st half: CU, 51-25
Colorado found quick offense, feeding Dak’s matchup against James Onkonkwo (six points). Dak scored on the first three possessions, all at the rim. Hargress knocked in a 3-pointer, and Dak got fouled, scoring eight points in the first four minutes. Yet, as CU started 4-of-6 from the field, Utah matched, getting downhill. Brown scored off a turnover and a blocked shot, scoring an and-one that tied the game at 11 after the first media timeout.
The Buffs put their foot on the gas out of the first break, going on a 7-2 run. While the offense wasn’t fantastic, the defense forced seven empty possessions on eight Utah trips down, including three-straight misses and three turnovers. Scoring off giveaways, Johnson got to the free throw line and converted and an and-one. And Josiah Sanders (eight points, three rebounds, five assists) scored a layup on the break. The Buffs led 18-13 with just under 12 minutes before the break.
After Hargress hit two free throws, putting CU up seven points, Utah finally ended the scoring drought with free throws from Brown. Still, the Buffs kept turning the Utes over, who had nine turnovers to CU’s three in the half, leading to 13 of Colorado’s points in the opening 20 minutes. With multiple Buffs scoring, as Holland hit a 3-pointer, Alon Michaeli found a jam and both of CU’s backcourt scored in transition, the Buffs continued on an 8-0 run. Utah called a timeout with just under eight minutes to go after a Sanders’ layup, which put the Black-and-Gold up 14 points.
Alex Jensen called another timeout after CU outscored Utah 9-2 from the first one to the second. Johnson hit a quick 3-pointer, then Dak goaltended a Utah layup. But the Buffs continued to score inside on offense, with three layups, the last by Sanders. The Utes, shooting 4-of-16 from the field after the hot start to the contest, trailed 42-21 with just under five minutes before the half. They began 0-of-6 from the 3-point line.
While a media timeout came with four minutes left in the half, Colorado outscored Utah 9-4 afterward. Elijah Malone (six points, two rebounds, one block), who broke back into the rotation amid Rancik’s injury, scored a second bucket in the post, and Holland and Dak hit 3s, as the freshman hit two in the first half. Utah saw an Obomate Abbey mid-range jumper and a Josh Hayes and-one, but missed the final shot of the half: a corner 3-pointer from McHenry to go 0-of-9 from the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
Colorado led 51-25 after the huge half, shooting 19-of-28 (67.9%) from the field and 5-of-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc. Johnson and Holland led the scoring with 12 points each. And Brown’s nine points led Utah, which finished the half 10-of-29 (34.5%) from the field.
CU scored 10 more points in the paint.
2nd half: CU, 92-78 (UU, 53-41)
Utah didn’t quit coming out of the half, outscoring the Buffs 10-8 in the opening four minutes. Brown banked in the Utes’ first 3-pointer of the night and hit a mid-range, and Onkonkwo scored four points out of the pick-and-roll. Still, CU hit two 3-pointers, including Holland’s third, and Dak found an easy dunk. The Buffs led 59-35 with just over 16 minutes to go after Utah called a timeout to avoid a turnover.
Utah continued to outplay the Buffs, going on a 10-2 run and forcing a Colorado timeout with 13-and-a-half minutes to play. Brown turned it on, scoring 17 points in the second half, and scored on two more drives, including an and-one. While Ian Inman hit a mid-range pull-up, scoring CU’s only field goal for several minutes, Keanu Dawes (four points, four assists, three turnovers) hit a floater and swatted a Dak dunk, leading to a Sanders’ 3-pointer. Tad Boyle called a timeout amid the chaos, leading 61-45 with 13-and-a-half minutes to play.
Out of Colorado’s timeout, Malone scored another bucket in the post. Yet, Utah responded with a jumper by Sanders and a layup by Brown; the Utes were on a streak of 10 made field goals, and cut CU’s 26-point halftime lead by 10 in nearly nine minutes to open the half.
By the nine-minute mark, Utah had cut the lead to single digits. McHenry, who went for 15 points in the half, laced the Utes’ third triple of the half, as they shot 6-of-7 from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes. Seydou Traore hit another 3-pointer. And McHenry took over where Brown left off, getting fouled and scoring a tough and-one following a crossover, making a 69-60 ballgame.
Brown’s bank to open the half opened the floodgates.
However, Colorado executed well offensively, shooting 52.2% from the field in the second half and committing just four turnovers. When it lulled amid Utah’s offensive explosion, missing five consecutive shots, CU’s Hargress answered the bell. The junior guard scored an and-one to end the shooting drought, then made a mid-range jumper a few plays later. And when Dak ended Utah’s streak of 10 made field goals with a block, Hargress buried a deep, cold-blooded 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Colorado led 74-63 with just under seven minutes to play after UU’s Sanders matched Hargress’s 3 with his second of the night.
With both teams tiring, though, the final seven minutes featured many whistles. Each team shot seven free throws from the seven-minute mark to the four-minute mark, split by a 3-pointer from Traore.
After the free-throw shooting contest, the Buffs held off the Utes. Brown missed a nifty layup, and Dak scored a putback on the other end, as CU outrebounded Utah 27-23 in the contest. Then Johnson splashed a 3-ball from the same spot Hargress did minutes earlier.
With CU leading 88-74 after the big shot, that was all she wrote. The Buffs won 92-78 despite allowing 17-of-23 (73.9%) shooting from the field in the final 20 minutes, and 32 combined second-half points from Brown and McHenry. Colorado’s Hargress, Dak and Johnson combined for 63 points.
What’s next: The Buffs welcome the Big 12’s top team to Boulder on Saturday, tipping off against the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats (28-2, 15-2 Big 12) at 9 p.m. MT on ESPN+. The Wildcats beat No. 6 Iowa State 73-57 at home in their last contest, set to enter the CU Events Center on a five-game victory streak.