Fast break
Why the Buffs lost: Kansas shot .571 during the first half and posted a 39-33 rebounding advantage.
Three stars
1. KU’s Hunter Dickinson. The All-American candidate went 8-for-11, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds.
2. CU’s Sebastian Rancik. The freshman foward matched Dickinson’s production with 19 points and nine rebounds. Rancik also did not have a turnover in 30 minutes.
3. KU’s Zeke Mayo. Knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Up next: CU will try to avoid tying the longest losing streak in program history when Central Florida visits the Events Center on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas alums Tad Boyle and especially Danny Manning received warm welcomes from the Kansas Jayhawks faithful.
Kansas treated the Buffaloes far more rudely.
The Buffs battled and refused to go away quietly, but ultimately No. 17 Kansas gradually pulled away while continuing the Big 12 Conference misery for CU, handing the Buffs a 71-59 defeat on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The loss kept CU winless in Big 12 play and extended the longest losing streak in 15 seasons under Boyle to 13 games, breaking a tie for the second-longest losing streak within a single season in team history. CU will be at risk of tying the longest losing streak in program history when Central Florida visits the Events Center on Saturday.
“This game was just a microcosm of our season this year,” Boyle said. “It’s just who we’ve been and who we continue to be. And until we change our ways, it’s going to continue that way. Played well in stretches. I thought our fight in the second half was good. I thought our defense was better in the second half. I thought we lost this thing in the first.”
While it wasn’t a win, the Buffs battled and provided some reason for optimism.
CU finished with a season-low eight turnovers, committing just two after halftime as the Buffs attempted a comeback. Forward Andrej Jakimovski shook off a prolonged shooting slump by hitting three 3-pointers in quick succession early in the second half, getting the Buffs back in the fight after trailing by 14 at halftime. Freshman Sebastian Rancik put together a breakout game, nearly recording his first career double-double with season-highs of 19 points and nine rebounds. Center Elijah Malone enjoyed what was by far his best game in Big 12 play, going 5-for-7 with 10 points — equaling his scoring total from the previous five games combined.
The Buffs didn’t flinch in the second half despite a 14-point halftime deficit that was preceded by CU missing nine of its final 10 shots of the first half. But this one got away from the Buffs in the opening 20 minutes.
The Jayhawks shot .571 (16-for-28) during the first half, using a flurry of dunks and other easy looks inside to post a 24-14 advantage on paint points in the opening frame. Kansas’ nine offensive rebounds and 11-10 edge on second-chance points were modest by CU’s standards, but the Jayhawks came away with offensive boards at key junctures.
CU also finished just 4-for-23 on 3-pointers. After Jakimovski, the rest of the Buffs finished a combined 1-for-16 from the arc.
“It’s a team game, and I’m happy to have these teammates around me that kept encouraging me to attack and keep staying confident,” Rancik said. “Definitely a confidence booster, showing me if you can do this here at Allen Fieldhouse, you can pretty much do it anywhere in the country.”
Behind Jakimovski’s hot start to the second half, the Buffs used a 10-2 run to get within six points.
CU remained within six after a 3-point play from Rancik with 10 minutes, 50 seconds remaining but KU gradually pulled away from there. A Rancik putback basket kept the Buffs within eight, but KU’s Zeke Mayo drained a 3-pointer off a Jayhawks offensive rebound to extend CU’s deficit to 11 points with about two and a half minutes remaining.
The Buffs held KU to a .367 mark in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to erase the hole CU dug during the first half.
“The fight of our guys, you look at the Houston game, you look at tonight, we’re not going away,” Boyle said. “But we’re just not good enough to sustain to get over that hump. We’re just not right now.”
No. 17 Kansas 71, Colorado 59
COLORADO (9-15, 0-13 Big 12)
Dak 4-9 3-4 11, Jakimovski 3-9 0-0 9, Rancik 7-13 4-6 19, Hammond 1-7 0-0 2, Ruffin 0-4 0-0 0, Smith 1-3 0-0 2, Malone 5-7 0-0 10, Diop 1-4 0-0 2, Baskin 0-1 2-2 2, Carrington 0-0 2-2 2, Kossaras 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 22-57 11-16 59.
KANSAS (17-7, 8-5)
Adams 5-7 0-1 10, Dickinson 8-11 3-6 19, Griffen 0-5 3-3 3, Harris 4-11 2-2 10, Mayo 4-12 2-2 13, Bidunga 2-3 0-0 4, Coit 3-6 0-0 8, Moore 0-1 0-0 0, Storr 1-1 1-2 4, Passmore 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-58 11-16 71.
Halftime: Kansas 40-26. 3-point field goals: Colorado 4-23 (Jakimovski 3-7, Rancik 1-5, Dak 0-2, Diop 0-2, Hammond 0-2, Smith 0-2, Ruffin 0-3); Kansas 6-21 (Mayo 3-7, Coit 2-3, Storr 1-1, Dickinson 0-1, Moore 0-1, Passmore 0-1, Harris 0-3, Griffen 0-4). Rebounds: Colorado 33 (Rancik 9); Kansas 39 (Dickinson, Mayo 9). Assists: Colorado 9 (Hammond 3); Kansas 18 (Adams, Harris, Mayo 5). Turnovers: Colorado 8 (eight players with 1); Kansas 8 (Dickinson 3). Total fouls: Colorado 14, Kansas 12. A: 15,300.
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