Buffs Beat

Colorado stuns No. 2 UConn 73-72 in Maui Invitational

Buffaloes pull off a signature win after Michigan State loss

Kenny Lee

Marco Garcia-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team upset the No. 2 UConn Huskies in a thrilling 73-72 upset during the Maui Invitational, marking the program’s biggest victory in the past three years. The game showcased a gritty second-half comeback and was highlighted by clutch performances from Julian Hammond, Elijah Malone, and Andrej Jakimovski.

Tad Boyle and the Buffs all knew that taking on Dan Hurley’s Huskies was going to be a tall task as they were coming off a somewhat controversial 99-97 overtime loss against the Memphis Tigers on Monday. One player in particular the Buffs dealt with early was freshman forward Liam McNeely.

It was a slow start for the Buffs to begin the consolation match against the Huskies after not scoring for the first two and half minutes. Scoring opened up with senior guard Julian Hammond knocking down a jumper with nearly 18 minutes to go.

While the Buffs defense looked to be in better shape compared to yesterday, UConn shot the lights out from distance. Following Bagnot Dak missing a jumper, the Huskies quickly got out in transition and McNeely made a deep three to make it a six point game, 18-12 with 11:52 to go.

For the majority of the half it was controlled by UConn with taking care of the ball and a solid shooting performance from the field. However, the Buffs defense still caused enough problems forcing the defending champs into five turnovers. With just under three minutes to go in the half, a pair of free throws from Assane Diop cut the lead down to single digits.

Trailing 40-32 at halftime, the Buffaloes regrouped and surged back in the second half with resilience and determination. Hammond and Malone led Colorado’s scoring with 16 points each, while Jakimovski added 12 points to round out the team’s double-digit scorers. The Buffs shot an impressive 51.1% from the field, going 23-of-45, which proved crucial in their rally.

In the game’s pivotal moments, a layup by Malone with just over a minute remaining cut UConn’s lead to 72-71. On the following defensive possession, Javon Ruffin delivered a critical block, setting up a dramatic sequence for the Buffs. Jakimovski capitalized with an incredible layup, giving Colorado a one-point lead with just five seconds left. UConn’s Hassan Diarra had a chance to snatch victory for the Huskies, but his three-point attempt missed as time expired. Diarra finished the game with 11 points, while UConn’s Liam McNeeley led all scorers with 20 points in the losing effort.

The win not only marked Colorado’s first-ever victory over UConn but also underscored head coach Tad Boyle’s knack for pulling off major upsets. It was the seventh time in Boyle’s tenure that the Buffs have defeated a top-10 team, improving their record in such games to 7-24 under his leadership.

This victory serves as a statement for the Buffaloes, who are looking to make noise this season. It’s also a testament to their ability to perform under pressure and take down elite competition. For Colorado, this triumph in Maui could serve as a springboard for even greater success in the weeks ahead. The Buffs move to the fifth-place game in the tournament after a loss to Michigan State on Monday.

While Boyle is an "all-business" coach and looks forward to moving on to the next game, he praised the squad after the historic win. “It takes character, It takes toughness, it takes belief in yourself and our guys had that,” Boyle said. “ I mentioned the fact that we're going to learn a lot about this team in this tournament and we learned from last night and we turned around tonight.”

The Buffs will take on the winner of Iowa State vs Dayton and you can catch the action tomorrow on ESPN 2.

Published |Modified
Kenny Lee
KENNY LEE

Home/Basketball