Boulder – Joseph Jones didn’t allow Colorado’s fun to last long.
CU led eighth-ranked Texas A&M early, but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior center flexed his strength in the paint and powered the Aggies to an 87-69 Big 12 Conference victory Saturday before 2,953 at the Coors Events Center.
Jones scored 11 of his 18 points during a 15-0 Aggies run in the first half that answered a spirited spurt by Colorado. CU, winless in league play and considered an underdog, had taken a 25-18 lead with 7:49 remaining before halftime.
“Obviously, (Texas A&M’s) game plan was to pound it inside,” Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said, referring to the Aggies also getting 15 points from 6-9 senior Antanas Kavaliauskas against an undersized CU frontcourt.
Colorado (4-9, 0-3) never regained the lead after the second of two free throws by Jones put the visitors up 26-25. The Buffaloes made Texas A&M sweat for several minutes of the second half, however.
CU pulled to within a point, 53-52, when freshman center Sean Kowal hit a 15-foot jumper with 12:06 to go. The Buffs stayed within a point for the next three minutes but squandered several opportunities to take the lead.
“We should have been more patient,” Colorado senior point guard Dominique Coleman said.
Coleman, who struggled last season after transferring from a junior college in Tampa, Fla., played perhaps the best game of his Division I career. Taking control of the offense with Richard Roby failing to find the hoop (4-for-15 shooting for 11 points), Coleman pushed the pace and finished with 17 points. He also added a career-high 13 rebounds.
“When Dominique is playing the way he did tonight, we are a different team,” Patton said. “He kept their defense on their heels a little bit.”
But Texas A&M (15-2, 3-0) wouldn’t be denied. With threats coming at the Buffs from seemingly every angle – inside with Jones (also getting a career-best 15 rebounds), outside with senior guard Acie Law IV (21 points) and on the wing with 6-7 sophomore forward Josh Carter (19 points, including five 3-pointers) – the Aggies extended their winning streak to eight games.
Law, a preseason all-conference pick, was limited to four points in the first half. But he heated up when it counted. Law provided the Aggies with some breathing room by knocking down his only 3-pointer to make it 64-56 with 7:43 left. Carter then ended any hope of a Colorado comeback when he buried consecutive 3-pointers for a 76-59 lead with 3:23 to go.
“We got lucky … in reality, (Colorado) whipped us,” Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie said.
CU’s Patton wasn’t about to call the loss a “moral victory.”
“I’m not into moral victories,” he said. “And I hope our team isn’t. I thought our guys grew up in a lot.”
TEXAS A&M (15-2, 3-0 BIG 12)
Carter 7-11 0-0 19, Jones 5-10 8-11 18, Kavaliauskas 6-14 3-6 15, Law IV 7-11 6-6 21, Kirk 3-5 0-1 8, Sloan 1-2 2-2 4, Lee 0-1 0-0 0, Elonu 0-0 0-0 0, Pompey 1-2 0-0 2, Bennett 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-57 19-26 87.
COLORADO (4-9, 0-3 BIG 12)
Williams 2-3 0-2 5, Silas 4-10 3-4 11, King-Stockton 3-6 1-4 7, Coleman 5-13 7-10 17, Roby 4-15 3-3 11, Thorne 1-4 0-0 3, Jackson-Wilson 3-8 7-8 13, Kowal 1-2 0-0 2, Bay 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 21-31 69.
Halftime – Texas A&M 42-36. 3-point goals – Texas A&M 8-14 (Carter 5-7, Kirk 2-4, Law IV 1-1, Lee 0-1, Sloan 0-1), Colorado 2-12 (Williams 1-1, Thorne 1-3, Roby 0-1, Silas 0-3, Coleman 0-4). Fouled out – Carter, Sloan. Rebounds – Texas A&M 36 (Jones 15), Colorado 38 (Coleman 13). Assists – Texas A&M 14 (Jones, Sloan 4), Colorado 12 (Coleman, Roby 4). Total fouls – Texas A&M 25, Colorado 23. A – 2,953.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
