K.J. Simpson scored 27 points, Tristan da Silva added 15 points, and the Colorado Buffaloes beat the Colorado State Rams 93-65 in Boulder, Colo., on Thursday night.
Nique Clifford had 13 points and Luke O’Brien finished with 10 for Colorado (5-5). The Buffaloes got a boost in the second half when new football coach Deion Sanders entered the arena to a standing ovation from the packed house.
Isaiah Stevens scored 15 points and Taviontae Jackson had 10 for the Rams (6-4).
The game was close throughout the first half, with no team leading by more than four points early on. O’Brien had a layup off a turnover and then a dunk to put Colorado ahead 16-12 but Jackson made a layup and Isaiah Rivera hit a 3-pointer to put the Rams back in front.
Jackson hit a 3-pointer a few minutes later to give Colorado State a 22-18 lead, its biggest of the night, but the Buffaloes responded.
Da Silva made a jumper, J’Vonne Hadley dunked and Javon Ruffin scored on a layup to put Colorado back in front and force the Rams to call a timeout.
The Buffaloes extended the run to 10-0 on buckets from Clifford and Simpson before Stevens drained consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game at 28 with 4:21 left.
Simpson scored five points in a 10-2 run that gave Colorado a 38-30 lead at halftime.
The Buffaloes came out strong to start the second half and pull away. Simpson had a 3-pointer and a layup and da Silva hit a hook shot to put them ahead 45-32 less than two minutes into the second half.
It was an 11-point lead moments later when Colorado built an insurmountable lead. Da Silva and Simpson drained 3-pointers, Jalen Gabbidon dunked and Julian Hammond’s layup made it 59-40 with 13:25 remaining.
Shortly after a layup by James Moors got the Rams within 17 midway through the half, Simpson hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Clifford and O’Brien dunks put the Buffaloes ahead 80-52.
They closed it out from there.
–Field Level Media
