Colorado secured an 85-73 victory over Utah at the CU Events Center on Wednesday, marking a 2-0 start in Big 12 play for just the third time in program history. The Buffaloes improved their overall record to 11-3, while Utah dropped to 8-7 and remains winless in conference play.
Bangot Dak led Colorado with his fourth career double-double, recording 16 points and tying his career-high with 12 rebounds. He also contributed three blocks and one steal. Sebastian Rancik was the team’s top scorer with 19 points. Off the bench, Isaiah Johnson added 12 points and Alon Michaeli scored 10.
Utah’s Don McHenery finished with a game-high 24 points, while Terrance Brown added 16. However, after halftime, Colorado limited the pair to only ten combined points.
Throughout the game, Colorado maintained a lead of around ten points but could not extend it further. With under four minutes left and Utah trailing by just two at 69-67, Colorado responded with a decisive 16-6 run to close out the game.
Defensively, Colorado used more zone coverage than usual this season, holding Utah to just under 40 percent shooting from the field and about 31 percent from beyond the arc.
“It helps us get into our press, try to speed their guards up, and to take some time off the clock, and then it’s just a different type of defense,” said Rancik regarding the team’s use of zone defense. “Like Coach [Boyle] always says, to play any defense, you just have to play hard. It’s the same as man, just a little of a different concept.”
The Buffaloes’ bench played a significant role in the win by outscoring Utah’s reserves by a margin of 33-8. Johnson and Michaeli led this effort along with Josiah Sanders’ nine points.
“I think Josiah [Sanders], Jalin [Holland], Isaiah [Johnson], and Alon [Michaeli], those four guys coming off the bench are pretty darn good,” said head coach Tad Boyle about his reserves. “I think the depth of this team is one of the strengths of this team. Our bench is huge, and Isaiah is a big part of that, but he’s not the only part of that. I’m really pleased with him. I say this all the time, but the ceiling of this team is still higher than where we’re playing.”
New Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo attended his first official athletic event at Colorado and addressed fans during halftime: “When we are united in our purpose and aligned in our vision, there is absolutely no limit to what we can achieve here. We’re going to lock arms shoulder to shoulder, and we’re going to have some fun. We’re going to win some games, win some championships, and we’re going to make this great state proud.”
Colorado started strong with an early run before Utah narrowed the gap later in both halves. Key contributions from multiple players helped maintain momentum through scoring bursts from both starters and substitutes.
Next up for Colorado is another home matchup against No.14 Texas Tech on Saturday at CU Events Center.
