The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team (8-2) beat the Bellarmine Knights (3-8) 79-55 in a stellar matchup to wrap up non-conference play.
The Buffs came out of the gate hot, scoring the first points just 10 seconds into the game. The game was fairly close for the first five minutes, with pressure from the Knights early on. CU would pull through to dominate by 11 points at the 8-minute mark.
The star of the show was sophomore forward Assane Diop, who scored the first two points for the Buffs. From there he proceeded to score a career-high 15 points with a 63.6 (7-for-11) field goal percentage.
“It feels good to score the ball whenever you can,” Diop said postgame. “But like I said, it was not about me at all. It was just my teammates getting me open.”
RJ Smith had another impressive game, putting up 11 points and five rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting. The redshirt sophomore guard put up two 3-pointers in the first half and another in the second half.
“I shoot every day, and it’s just taking that and carrying it over to the game,” Smith said of his ability to shoot from deep.
The Buffs’ defense showed up to work in the first half, allowing only 16 points by the Knights. Bellarmine had several layup attempts, but the pressure by CU was too much to handle.
Halftime saw a special celebration of the Colorado Buffaloes football team and Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. Fans in the CU Events Center cheered as the Buffs departed for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
The second half saw the Buffs continue to dominate on the court. Senior forward Andrej Jakimovski led the charge with the first layup after a Knights 3-pointer from Kenyon Goodin.
With seven fouls tallied against the Knights, the Buffs recorded six free throws. Senior center Elijah Malone made four free throws within 40 seconds of one another at the eight-minute mark of the second half.
Colorado recorded 15 steals, tied for the most in program history after stealing 15 against USC in 2013. The Buffs recorded 12 steals in two games this season against Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington respectively.
Colorado’s defense left a little to be desired in the second half, allowing 39 points by the Knights. Dezmo McKinney was the star late, putting up eight points in the last four minutes.
“The second half, I was really disappointed,” head coach Tad Boyle said postgame. “But overall, I think we shared the ball well.”
Senior guard Julian Hammond III led the Buffs in assists with five overall, two in the second half. Jakimovski followed close behind Hammond with four assists overall, two in the second half.
The Buffs’ second line had a chance to shine late in the second half. Forward Nick Randall scored his first points as a Buff with nine seconds remaining in the game.
“It’s huge because they don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Smith said about supporting the walk-ons. “They support us throughout the whole game, throughout the whole season, and it was good to return the favor.”
With this win in the book, the Buffs remain undefeated at home as they wrap up non-conference play. Their first conference matchup will be against the No. 3-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (9-1). This marks the second time these teams meet this season, the first being in the Maui Invitational in November.
“You can’t beat teams like that unless you play them,” coach Boyle said on the upcoming Big 12 opener. “And we’re playing them, and we got them in Boulder.”
The Buffs’ Big 12 opener against the Cyclones will be aired Monday, Dec. 30, at 7:00 p.m. MT on ESPN+.