LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Colorado Buffaloes (9-15, 0-13 Big 12) battled the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks (17-7, 8-5 Big 12) on Tuesday night, falling by a score of 71-59 in their return to Allen Fieldhouse.
Head coach Tad Boyle and assistant coach Danny Manning, both former Jayhawks, led the Buffaloes into Lawrence intending to achieve the program's first win at Allen Fieldhouse since it started visiting in 1983. That 42-year drought continued Tuesday, however, as Kansas sent a dominant message to the Buffaloes, extending their historic winless start to conference play.
Star center Hunter Dickinson led the way offensively for KU, finishing the night with 19 points on a sensational 8-of-11 shooting. His performance was accompanied by a great defensive showing from senior forward K.J. Adams, who registered a block and three steals in the contest.
The energy Adams provided is something the Jayhawks have been looking for in recent weeks.
“That’s what I think we’ve got to get…consistent energy,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said on Monday.
The Buffs came into the game with great energy from tip-off, playing physical basketball through the first 10 minutes. Guard Javon Ruffin and center Elijah Malone made their presence felt on the glass in that span, registering five total rebounds. Despite their physical play, a cold streak from 3-point range saw the Buffs miss all of their last 10 shots from beyond the arc in the half, sending them into the locker room trailing 40-26.
A new fire was lit under CU after halftime, with forward Andrej Jakimovski hitting back-to-back 3s in the first two possessions. This inspired a 7-0 run for Colorado that saw the lead cut to just six points, forcing a Jayhawks timeout. The Buffaloes’ momentum shift was short-lived though, as the Jayhawks began to pull away after the break.
Freshman forward Sebastian Rancik did everything in his power to keep CU alive, registering a career-high 19 points, 11 of which came in the second half.
"His toughness,” Boyle mentioned of the traits that guided Rancik’s stellar night. “He's not afraid, and he's going to keep getting better and better."
Despite this, Kansas’ defense was still far too potent for the rest of his team. It held the Buffs’ leading scorer, guard Julian Hammond III, to just two points on a 1-for-7 shooting night from the field. Ruffin, who saw increased minutes Tuesday, was held scoreless, missing all four of his shot attempts.
“Their personnel is good enough to beat UConn,” Self said of CU’s late-game abilities. “But it hasn’t been what it’s needed to be to close out close games in our league.”
Colorado’s next game will take place back at the CU Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 15 against the UCF Knights (13-11, 4-9 Big 12), tipping off at 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
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