Buffs dismantled by No. 5 Houston Cougars

Forward Sebastian Rancik getting up shots pregame. The sophomore finished with 11 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes (Photo via CUBuffsMBB/X).

The Colorado Buffaloes (16-13, 6-10 Big 12) were no match for the No. 5 Houston Cougars (24-5, 12-4), getting blown out 102-62 on Saturday. 

Nothing went right for the black and gold in Houston, highlighted by head coach Tad Boyle’s ejection just before the half. Boyle was assessed back-to-back technical fouls for arguing a moving screen, forcing assistant head coach Mike Rohn to take over. 

Whether Boyle was out there or not, the Buffaloes did not stand a chance against a hungry Cougars team, coming off three-straight losses.  

Despite starting the game 4-for-5 from the field and jumping out to a 10-2 lead, Colorado could not maintain the advantage. The Cougars quickly picked it up, going on two separate 12-0 runs in the span of seven minutes. During that stretch, Colorado went on a seven-minute field goal drought, scoring just three free throws. 

The Cougars built up a 26-point lead at the break and never looked back. 

"I liked the way we started the game," Boyle said. "But we couldn't sustain it, and Houston is so good on both sides of the ball. It's a great learning opportunity for our young guys to see what a top-five team in the country looks like."

Throughout the game, the Buffs’ defense was unable to shut down the Cougars’ explosive offense, giving up over 100 points for the first time this season. 

Houston was extremely efficient, shooting 60 percent from the field and 10-for-17 from 3-point range (58.8 percent). 

Guard Milos Uzan led all scorers, with 26 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field (69 percent) and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. 

He was able to find open shots all game, punishing the Buffs’ defensive rotations by raining down 3-pointers. When the defense pressured him, Uzan found the unguarded man, resulting in six assists for the senior.  

Freshman Isaiah Johnson did all he could against the Cougars’ physical defense. He led the Buffs in points (19) on 7-for-9 from the floor. The 6-foot-1 guard also grabbed three rebounds over the lengthy squad and threw four assists. 

Forward Bangot Dak finished with 15 points on 50 percent from the floor. The 7-foot junior only corralled three rebounds, 3.5 lower than his average, contributing to the Buffs’ rebounding deficit (-12). 

Rather than dwell on this embarrassing loss, Colorado needs to turn the page to March. The Buffaloes have two more games to get right for the Big 12 championship tournament and arguably still have their toughest matchup ahead of them, hosting the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats in the last game of the regular season.  

Before that, Colorado will play on the road against the Utah Utes (10-18, 2-13) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MT. (ESPN+)