STILLWATER, Okla. — At stake for the Colorado and Oklahoma State men’s basketball teams Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena was a chance to stave off sole possession of last place in the Big 12.
Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, they took the plunge after Oklahoma State (11-11, 2-6 Big 12) separated itself with a 64-63 victory.
With the exception of 10 minutes of inspired play in the second half, the Buffaloes looked overmatched and out of sorts. They committed turnovers, struggled to get off shots and chipped paint off the rim with nearly each trip to the free-throw line.
“This game was lost in the first 20 minutes,” CU coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “We avoid contact going to the rim. We double clutch, so we don’t finish layups. And then we avoid contact on defense. We didn’t take one charge with them flying to the rim, bailing them out with unnecessary fouls and just giving them second-chance opportunities and missing free throws. You’re not going to win any games doing those kinds of things.”
The Buffs (9-13, 1-7) extended their road losing streak in conference play to 17 games.
CU trailed 25-16 at the break Wednesday, setting a season-low for points in a half after misfiring on 15 of its 20 shots. CU’s previous season low for points in a half (19) came in the season opener against New Mexico.
“We can’t let this loss get us down,” said CU senior guard Richard Roby, who set a school record by starting his 106th game and scored 15 of his game-high 22 points during the second half.
Bzdelik said he was satisfied with his team’s effort in the second half.
“But it’s a 40-minute game,” he said. “We lost the game. That’s all that matters.”
