Boulder – If this Colorado men’s basketball team is to find some semblance of success this season, nobody can see it from here.
Losing a Big 12 home game for the third time in four starts, the Buffaloes were carved up 79-65 on Wednesday night by a Missouri team that arrived at the Coors Events Center as the only winless team in conference play and is still learning a new system under a new coach.
CU fell to 5-11 overall and 1-5 in the league. It only promises to get tougher. Up next: Saturday afternoon at No. 8 Kansas.
That trip to Allen Fieldhouse begins a seven-game stretch that includes five road games.
“This is pretty tough (to take), knowing we have to go to Kansas,” CU junior guard Richard Roby said. “You really have to take care of your home court in the Big 12.”
Granted, Missouri (12-6, 1-4) had played better than its record suggested. The Tigers lost to Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas by a total of eight points. But this was the first visit to Boulder for first-year Tigers coach Mike Anderson. Concerned about whether his team could sustain its up-tempo pace at 5,400 feet, Anderson incorporated into the Tigers’ workout schedule a machine that reduces the level of oxygen and simulates high-altitude training.
Whether the Hypoxico training device had an effect or it proved to be a psychological ploy that worked is anyone’s guess. But Missouri, which isn’t much bigger than CU, did play quicker and stronger than the Buffs.
Missouri ran down loose balls, hustled for long rebounds and shot 50 percent from the field. The Tigers raced to a 41-28 halftime lead despite missing their first six shots from the field.
“We came out and hit them and they didn’t hit back,” Missouri freshman guard Keon Lawrence said.
Colorado’s focus entering the game was to take care of the basketball against Missouri’s full-court press. For the most part, the Buffs did that. They committed 15 turnovers, an acceptable number considering the frenetic pace of play.
But CU hit just 1-for-15 from beyond the 3-point line and shot 37.9 percent from everywhere.
Freshman guard Xavier Silas made the only 3-pointer and finished with a game-high 16 points.
“(Three-pointers) are huge against a zone defense and against the press,” said Roby, who had combined for 48 points in two victories over Missouri last season but didn’t reach double figures this time until a finger roll with 2:50 remaining gave him 11 points.
Colorado suffered its largest margin of defeat to Missouri in Boulder since 1990 (93-69). The Buffs had beaten Missouri four straight times here. But instead of extending that streak, CU allowed Anderson to become the third rookie Big 12 coach to notch his first conference win against the Buffs, joining Doc Sadler (Nebraska) and Jeff Capel (Oklahoma).
MISSOURI (12-6)
Brown 2-4 3-3 7, Grimes 1-3 1-3 3, Hannah 7-14 0-0 14, Horton 1-4 0-0 3, M. Lawrence 4-9 2-5 14, K. Lawrence 5-8 0-0 10, Tiller 5-8 0-1 12, Lyons 2-5 2-3 6, Berardini 0-0 0-0 0, Anderson Jr. 0-0 0-0 0, Watkins 1-2 2-4 4, Dandridge 0-0 0-0 0, Butterfield 2-3 1-1 6. Totals 30-60 11-20 79.
COLORADO (5-11)
Williams 6-8 3-4 15, Silas 6-12 3-3 16, King-Stockton 2-6 3-4 7, Coleman 3-6 2-3 8, Roby 4-12 3-5 11, Inge 0-1 0-0 0, Thorne 1-6 0-0 2, Van Burck 0-2 0-0 0, Jackson-Wilson 2-9 0-0 4, Perkowski 0-0 0-0 0, Kowal 0-0 0-0 0, Bay 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 25-66 14-19 65.
Halftime – Missouri 41-28. 3-point goals – Missouri 8-22 (M. Lawrence 4-8, Tiller 2-4, Butterfield 1-2, Horton 1-3, Brown 0-1, Lyons 0-1, Hannah 0-1, K. Lawrence 0-2), Colorado 1-15 (Silas 1-3, Coleman 0-1, Bay 0-3, Roby 0-4, Thorne 0-4). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – Missouri 39 (Butterfield 7), Colorado 42 (King-Stockton 9). Assists – Missouri 15 (Hannah 5), Colorado 12 (Coleman, Silas 3). Total fouls – Missouri 17, Colorado 20. A – 3,186.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
