BOULDER, Colo.—Not even Chauncey Billups sitting courtside could inspire Colorado to its first Big 12 victory of the season.
Jacob Pullen scored five of his team-high 17 points in overtime and Kansas State overcame Dwight Thorne’s career-high 30 points to beat the Buffaloes 77-75 in overtime Saturday.
Denis Clemente scored all of his 15 points after halftime for the Wildcats.
Billups, an all-star guard for the Denver Nuggets, attended the game as part of the second annual men’s basketball homecoming weekend for Colorado alumni. He saw his former school erase an 11-point second half deficit only to falter in overtime.
“This is the type of the game that makes you want to cry,” Thorne said. “It was an emotionally and physically draining game.”
The Wildcats (12-7, 1-4) ended a four-game losing streak in a battle of the last winless teams in the Big 12.
“Road wins are road wins,” Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. “I don’t care who it’s against.”
The Wildcats had to rebound after losing a 65-59 lead with 1:05 left in regulation. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson converted a three-point play with 34.9 seconds left to cut the lead to 65-64. And after two free throws by Darren Kent extended the lead to three, Thorne hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 10 seconds left to force overtime.
“I thought we were going to win the game,” Thorne said.
The Wildcats led throughout overtime, and Thorne had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left, but he was fouled before he could get a shot off.
After making the first free throw, he intentionally missed the second and Colorado got possession with 1.3 seconds left. Jackson-Wilson missed a shot at the buzzer that would have tied it.
“In overtime we calmed down a little and we stuck together,” Kent said.
Colorado (8-10, 0-4) has lost four straight and seven of its last eight.
“We need a win badly,” said Jackson-Wilson, the lone senior on Colorado’s roster. “Cracking that win column in the Big 12 does wonders for you. To get that win does a lot for a confidence. I love my teammates and I know they’re going to have great success in the future, but we have to win now.”
Mistakes and a poor start hurt the young Buffaloes early.
“To start the game we were down (19-10) and already had seven turnovers,” Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “Youth is not an excuse. There has to be a sense of urgency otherwise you’re not going to grow.”
The Wildcats, whose only senior is Kent, were glad to get their first conference win.
“When you have a young team like we are, we’re somewhat fragile coming into this game,” Martin said. “To still find a way to win it in overtime is quite a credit to these kids.”
