Colorado’s men’s basketball team is preparing for its 11th game of the season, set to face Portland State on Wednesday, December 17 at the CU Events Center in Boulder. The Buffaloes currently hold a 9-1 record, marking their best start through ten games since the 2015-16 season when they also began 9-1 and eventually reached an 11-1 start.
In their most recent outing, Colorado rebounded from its first loss of the season by defeating UTSA with a score of 88-64. During that game, the Buffaloes matched their season highs in rebounds (46), total field goal attempts (69), and three-point attempts (23). They also achieved a season-high 17 offensive rebounds, which was their highest since recording 18 against Kansas earlier this year.
The Buffaloes had a strong second half against UTSA, shooting 62.2 percent from the field. This performance marked the sixth time in ten games that Colorado has shot at least 60 percent in a second half. Overall, they finished at 49.3 percent shooting for the game—only the fourth time this season they have been held below fifty percent.
Assists were another highlight for Colorado, as they recorded 21 assists—their third game this season with at least twenty assists and their second-best total behind only their matchup with UC Davis. Under head coach Tad Boyle, Colorado has won six consecutive games and holds a record of 39-2 when tallying at least twenty assists.
Turnovers have remained low for Colorado; they committed eleven turnovers against UTSA, tying their season high but still meeting their target of eleven or fewer per game—a goal achieved in all ten contests so far.
Individual performances included Barrington Hargress scoring a season-high 23 points on nine-of-twelve shooting, including five-of-seven from beyond the arc. His five three-pointers tied his career high and marked his best totals this season for both field goals and three-pointers made. Sebastian Rancik contributed fifteen points while Bangot Dak added ten.
Josiah Sanders set a personal best with six rebounds and matched his career high with three field goals made. Isaiah Johnson dished out a career-high six assists—bringing his total to twelve over the last three games—and committed just one turnover during that span after going six straight games without one.
Portland State enters Wednesday’s contest with a record of 6-3 following a home win over George Fox. The Vikings average just over eighty-three points per game while shooting nearly forty-nine percent from the field. They lead the Big Sky Conference in offensive rebounds (13.6 per game) and turnovers forced (14.6 per game). Defensively, Portland State allows nearly seventy points per contest and holds opponents to forty-one percent shooting—best in their conference and among the top seventy nationally.
Senior forward Teri Miller Jr., averaging seventeen-and-a-half points per game, leads Portland State alongside senior guard Jaylin Henderson who averages seventeen points per contest and leads both conference and ranks fifteenth nationally in assists at more than six per game. Senior center Tre-Vaughn Minott tops both conference and ranks fifteenth nationally with nearly four offensive rebounds each outing; he also averages just over eleven points per game along with junior guard Keyon Kensie Jr., who contributes just above ten points on average.
This upcoming matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Colorado and Portland State.
