BOULDER — The Pac-12 starts Friday for the Colorado basketball team.
The Buffs will welcome future conference foe California at 7:30 p.m. in the second round of the NIT.
The first round Wednesday looked almost easy for CU, which ran Texas Southern out of the Coors Events Center, winning 88-74. Alec Burks scored 27 points and Cory Higgins 25, and the Buffs looked interested in sharing the ball with 19 assists.
“We didn’t know what team to expect, whether they would be down because they didn’t make the (NCAA) Tournament or hungry,” Texas Southern forward Travele Jones said. “I guess we got the hungry team.”
CU first-year coach Tad Boyle wasn’t sure what to expect, either, after the NCAA snub heard ’round the country. He talked to the team after receiving the NIT bid and asked for the team’s input.
Higgins and fellow senior Levi Knutson stood up and asked teammates for a chance to extend their careers.
“I thought that was a great sign,” Boyle said.
Burks and Higgins combined to put the Tigers away early, as CU led 44-29 at halftime. Higgins led an 18-6 tear to conclude the first half. He and Burks took turns passing up open looks to pass the ball to each other.
“Cory kind of willed us to win tonight. That’s what we needed,” Boyle said.
Higgins wouldn’t call it a statement game in response to the NCAA omission. Fans surely hadn’t gotten over the snub, as evidenced by some signs and T-shirts.
“I don’t think it took us that long to get over it,” Higgins said. “What happened is what it is and we had to deal with it. We didn’t have any other choices. There are tougher things in life, so we just need to focus our energy on the NIT.”
Burks, a sophomore who keeps hearing “one more year” chants from students who don’t want him to leave early for the NBA, also had some input. Higgins said Burks implored his teammates to go into halftime with a double-digit lead when they were up by just three.
The Buffs (22-13) tied the Chauncey Billups-led 1997 NCAA team for the most wins in school history.
“This is a chance for us to set the standard as a team for the future,” Boyle said.
The school’s NCAA champion ski team was honored at halftime.
FG FT Reb
TSU (19-13) Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
King 15 2-2 0-0 3-6 1 4 4
Galloway 40 1-9 3-4 0-4 11 1 6
Jones 39 7-18 3-5 4-6 0 4 17
Price 8 1-2 0-0 1-1 0 2 2
Jhnsn-Dnner 38 7-14 1-1 2-5 0 2 19
Norris 6 0-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 0
Smith 33 8-13 5-6 2-4 0 4 24
Christie 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Denson 5 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 2 0
Ray 16 1-5 0-0 0-0 2 1 2
Totals 200 27-68 12-16 13-29 14 22 74
Percentages: FG .397, FT .750. 3-point goals: 8-28, .286 (Johnson-Danner 4-8, Smith 3-6, Galloway 1-6, Ray 0-2, Norris 0-3, Jones 0-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 2 (King, Price). Turnovers: 9 (Jones 3, Galloway 2, King, Johnson-Danner, Norris, Smith). Steals: 9 (Galloway 3, Jones 3, Smith 2, Ray). Technical fouls: None.
FG FT Reb
CU (22-13) Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
Dufault 16 0-5 0-0 2-5 1 2 0
Tomlinson 27 0-0 0-0 0-0 6 0 0
Relphorde 25 1-4 5-6 1-4 0 0 7
Burks 30 8-9 10-13 1-7 4 1 27
Higgins 28 8-11 8-10 1-5 2 3 25
Sharpe 14 3-4 0-0 0-1 3 3 6
Coney 6 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Roberson 26 7-8 1-2 2-8 2 4 15
Knutson 24 2-7 0-0 0-3 1 0 6
Mills 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Eckloff 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Totals 200 30-49 24-31 7-37 19 14 88
Percentages: FG .612, FT .774. 3-point goals: 4-15, .267 (Knutson 2-6, Burks 1-1, Higgins 1-4, Roberson 0-1, Relphorde 0-3). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 2 (Roberson 2). Turnovers: 13 (Higgins 3, Sharpe 2, Relphorde 2, Roberson 2, Tomlinson 2, Knutson, Dufault). Steals: 6 (Tomlinson 2, Burks 2, Roberson, Relphorde). Technical Fouls: None.
Texas Southern 29 45 — 74
Colorado 44 44 — 88
A — 6,299. Officials —Bob Staffen, Winston Stith, Ronnie Hernandez.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
