BOULDER — With his basketball team squarely on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid, Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon told a staff member that he didn’t get much sleep during the night before the Aggies’ Wednesday night game against Big 12 cellar-dweller Colorado in the Coors Events Center.
Turgeon must have known something. Playing in their final home game, the Buffaloes showed some spunk. But this one ended the same way most of Colorado’s close games have gone this season — with another heartbreaking loss, this time 72-66.
Texas A&M (22-8, 8-7 Big 12) took its first lead with 16 minutes left in the game when junior guard Donald Sloan swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Aggies up 35-34. But Colorado didn’t give in and jumped back in front, 46-41.
The visitors regained the lead for good on a rare four-point play by junior guard Donald Sloan, who was fouled by forward Casey Crawford while hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:51 remaining. Sloan converted the free throw to make it 59-56.
Colorado (9-20, 1-14) failed to avoid its first 10-game losing streak since the 1985-86 season, when the Buffaloes lost their last 17 games in Tom Apke’s final year as head coach.
CU sophomore guard Cory Higgins scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, helping the Buffs take a 32-24 lead at the break — the first halftime lead for Colorado in a Big 12 game this season. The Buffs shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) during the opening 20 minutes and helped force 16 Aggie turnovers.
Like a thief in the night, Higgins made three steals in the first half and each time raced to the other end for layups.
Colorado got back two freshmen, starting point guard Nate Tomlinson (concussion) and reserve forward Toby Veal (dental work), after sitting out two games.
Veal drew early playing time when CU’s lone “Senior night” honoree, Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, committed his second personal before three minutes had elapsed. A 6-foot-7 leaper, Veal responded with 6 points in the first half alone — already his career best for a game.
Texas A&M came out flat. The Aggies committed four turnovers during the first 3 1/2 minutes that CU turned into 6 points.
A disgusted Turgeon substituted four starters, but a 3-pointer by Higgins from the left corner gave the hosts a 9-2 advantage by the first media timeout. Colorado extended its early lead to 13-2 before Texas A&M began to claw back.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
