Colorado’s men’s basketball team was eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament after a 92-83 loss to Oklahoma State on March 10 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Buffaloes, seeded eleventh, fell to a season record of 17-15 and will now wait to see if they receive an invitation to a postseason tournament. Fourteenth-seeded Oklahoma State improved to 19-16 and advanced to face TCU in the second round.
The early exit marks a disappointing end for Colorado, which had hoped for a deeper run in the tournament. Head coach Tad Boyle said, “Tough loss. It’s never easy when it’s over with. I told the team a couple of weeks ago that when the season’s over, it’s over quickly. It’s just one day you’re playing, one day you’re not. Today, we’re playing tomorrow, we’re not, so we’re heading back home, and it’s not a good feeling.”
Colorado started strong with an 11-0 run but could not maintain momentum as Oklahoma State outscored them late in the first half and controlled play throughout the second half. Bangot Dak tied his career-high with 22 points along with eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Barrington Hargress contributed 18 points and nine assists while Ian Inman added 11 points off the bench.
Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson finished with 14 points but struggled from the field, shooting just five-for-fifteen overall and two-for-nine from three-point range. Boyle praised Johnson’s performance this season: “The sky’s the limit for Isaiah,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. In a normal year, he would be on the All-Freshman team in this league. Isaiah is a warrior, and he’s a great teammate. He’s given everything he’s got this year.” Anthony Roy led Oklahoma State with a game-high 24 points.
Statistically, Colorado shot better from both field (47 percent) and three-point range (10-for-29), but Oklahoma State excelled at free throws (29-of-35 compared to Colorado’s nine-for-sixteen) and dominated inside play by outrebounding Colorado forty-four to thirty-four and scoring forty points in the paint versus Colorado’s thirty.
Reflecting on his team’s defensive effort Boyle said: “We did not execute defensively tonight, good enough to beat Oklahoma State, and that was evident with their ninety-two points… We didn’t defend or rebound tonight, which cost us the game, and our season is over.” The Buffaloes will now await word on whether they will continue their season through postseason play.
