Colorado completes 11th largest comeback in program history against shorthanded USC

BOULDER – If you’re capable of putting together a fantastic first half and a forgettable second half, what’s stopping you from doing the opposite?

Nothing apparently as the Colorado men’s basketball team showed against the USC Trojans just a few days after a second half meltdown against Cal capped off a winless three-game road trip.

“We’re a first half team (team) usually and in the second half we kind of fall off a little bit,” J’Vonne Hadley said, “and he (Tad Boyle) said, ‘It’s going to be the opposite tonight.'”

The senior wing player led the comeback for the Buffs with 15 points, 10 of which in the second half, on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field. He also led all players in rebounds with nine while he added three assists and a steal in the 68-58 win.

"He very unselfish," head coach Tad Boyle said about Hadley, "he makes the right plays nine times out 10, and he competes his tail off defensively."

As Colorado turned what was once a 16-point lead for USC into a 10-point victory, it wasn’t just Hadley who stepped up – the whole team did. After a first half where the Buffs shot almost 16% worse from the field than USC and lost the rebound battle by six while turning the ball over five times, they proceeded to hold the Trojans to 21 points on 7-of-29 shooting (24.1%) while forcing 10 turnovers and scoring 44 points in the second half. CU also dished out nine assists in the final 20 minutes as all five starters shot at least nine shots in the contest but no more than 12 as they evenly divided the scoring share.

“I told our guys after the game, ‘The thing that makes this team so, so good, in my opinion, and so dangerous is we’ve got multiple guys that on any given night can score the ball,’” Boyle said about his team. “...Our balance is so good and that’s what we need to understand. We just have to rely on each other offensively and not have an agenda.”

The Buffs also made a point to tire out a beat-up USC squad as the Trojans missed their top two scorers on the year, Boogie Ellis (hamstring) and Isaiah Collier (hand). With Julian Hammond III back in rotation for CU, however, the bench of the junior guard and Luke O’Brien contributed to that as they brought big defensive minutes in the second half. They only combined for seven points, but three of them came from a go-ahead 3-pointer from O’Brien with 10 minutes, 34 seconds left in the game.

However, it may have been the Buffs’ “sixth man” that propelled CU to victory in the second half. After Tristan da Silva tipped USC’s first pass of the half, the Colorado faithful was loud and energized for the rest of the contest. As Cody Williams got loose on the break for a dunk shortly after taking the lead while a 3-pointer from KJ Simpson and a mean dunk from Eddie Lampkin Jr. put the Trojans away in the final minute, the CU Events Center was shaking on multiple occasions as the Buffs completed their comeback (the 11th biggest in CU history) – even breaking out in "Eddie" chants after his big play.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in the Buffs' comeback win over USC. He also had a dagger dunk in the final minute that got the crowd on its feet. (Photo by Roberto Patrick Gerra/Sko Buffs Sports)

“We appreciate everybody that comes out and, you know, shows appreciation,” Hadley said, “even though, you know, sometimes we’re struggling. We do appreciate that.”

“Shoutout Buff nation,” da Silva added.

As Colorado went on to win on Saturday night, they focused on shutting down Kobe Johnson as he scored just 10 points while also halting any surprising contributors. Oziyah Sellers led all scorers with 18 points, however, 16 of them came in the first half.

With the defense creating momentum and turning into offense, the Buffs pushed the ball in transition as they turned 14 USC turnovers into 21 fast break points.

“We thrive in transition,” Hadley said. “...When we get out and run in transition, we’re a really hard team to stop. But, you don’t get stops, you don’t get those opportunities.”

Williams finished with 13 points and brought his defensive prowess while da Silva and Lampkin with 12 each. Simpson ended the night with nine points as he and da Silva dished out four assists a piece. Lampkin also grabbed seven rebounds.

With Colorado finding a much-needed win at home despite the first half scare, they look to improve their now 3-3 Pac-12 record, 12-5 on the season, against the Oregon Ducks on Thursday (Jan. 18). Tipoff is set for 8:30 MT at the CUEC.

“Now we’ve got to be better than we were tonight next Thursday against Oregon,” Boyle said.

Cover photo by Roberto Patrick Gerra/Sko Buffs Sports