BOULDER — Never mind for the season — the Colorado men’s basketball team can’t even get over the hump during a game.
Trailing the entire way for a third straight outing, the Buffs ran their losing streak to eight straight for the first time since the 1995-96 season, this time falling 76-55 Wednesday to Oklahoma State.
A Coors Events Center crowd of 4,288 watched Colorado (9-18, 1-12 Big 12) pull to within one point in the first half, when a 16-footer by sophomore guard Levi Knutson from the right elbow made it 24-23. But the Buffs missed their next three shots and committed three turnovers. That fueled an 11-0 run by Oklahoma State. And that was that.
CU coach Jeff Bzdelik was disappointed in his team.
“The lack of passion and effort from a great majority of our team was embarrassing,” Bzdelik said. “Even though we haven’t won a lot of games . . . effort and passion has usually been there.”
Bzdelik added that he is looking for a warrior’s mentality. “We’ve got a soft team,” he said. “I’ve recruited a lot of nice young men.”
Under first-year coach Travis Ford, Oklahoma State (18-9, 7-6) won its fourth straight conference game and remained on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
Ford installed a high-scoring, up-tempo offense that has revved up the the Cowboys. OSU burned Colorado’s zone by hiding 6-foot-6 sophomore James Anderson and 5-10 freshman Keiton Page in the corners. The pair combined for seven 3-pointers in the first half alone, helping Oklahoma State take a 43-31 lead.
Any thoughts of a Colorado comeback disappeared when Anderson scored the first points of the second half. You guessed it — a 3-pointer. Anderson became a one-man wrecking crew with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
“We had to get out to shooters quicker and not get sucked in on their drives,” Knutson said.
Colorado played without its starting point guard, freshman Nate Tomlinson, who suffered a concussion Saturday against Missouri. Knutson got more minutes and scored a career-best 19 points.
Unlike Eddie Sutton’s OSU teams, these Cowboys aren’t known for defense. But they held CU’s top offensive threat, Cory Higgins, to nine points.
OKLAHOMA STATE (18-9, 7-6)
Moses 3-8 2-4 8, Eaton 2-6 4-4 8, Harris 4-9 1-2 10, Page 4-6 0-0 12, Anderson 9-16 6-7 30, Muonelo 0-3 0-0 0, Brown 1-1 0-1 2, Sidorakis 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 25-51 13-18 76.
COLORADO (9-18, 1-12)
Jackson-Wilson 2-6 2-2 6, Dufault 1-6 0-4 2, Higgins 3-8 3-5 9, Thorne II 0-3 0-1 0, Coney 0-1 0-0 0, Kelley 2-3 1-2 5, Knutson 8-13 0-0 19, Crawford 5-10 0-0 14. Totals 21-50 6-14 55.
Halftime — OSU 43-31. 3-point goals — OSU 13-23 (Anderson 6-8, Page 4-6, Sidorakis 2-2, Harris 1-4, Eaton 0-1, Muonelo 0-2), CU 7-14 (Crawford 4-5, Knutson 3-5, Dufault 0-2, Thorne II 0-2). Fouled out — Dufault. Rebounds — OSU 38 (Anderson 10), CU 23 (Coney 6). Assists — OSU 13 (Eaton 5), CU 10 (Knutson 4). Total fouls — OSU 14, CU 16. A — 4,288.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
