Johnson leads Buffaloes to near upset, No. 22 BYU survives OT thriller

Colorado freshman guard Isaiah Johnson had a career-high 27 points in their loss to No. 22 BYU (Photo via @CUBuffsMBB/X)

When the Colorado Buffaloes (14-12, 4-9) took the No. 22-ranked BYU Cougars (19-6, 7-5 Big 12) to overtime in hopes of capturing their first top-25 win of the season, they (14-12, 4-9) squandered an opportunity for an upset in Provo, falling 90-86.

At the low point of its season in a 34-point loss to Texas Tech, Colorado showed greater effort and toughness in a back-and-forth battle against BYU. The Buffaloes were led by freshman guard Isaiah Johnson, who scored 27 points in 43 minutes. 

After going scoreless against the Red Raiders, forward Bangot Dak bounced back with 15 points, while guard Barrington Hargress added 20 points on 63% shooting, knocking down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Although ESPN’s projected No. 2 overall pick AJ Dybansta scored 20 points, BYU was led by guard Robert Wright III, who poured in 39 points, missing just four shots and one free throw. No other Cougar reached double figures; however, BYU shot 50% from three-point range, draining 11 threes.

“That was a heck of a college basketball game from the start,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said. “I'm really proud of our guys. We got punched in the face on Wednesday against Texas Tech. But tonight, I felt like we were aggressive the whole game, and we fought like a team that I'm proud of representing.”

Johnson opened the game by attacking the rim for Colorado’s first points and followed it with a block on the defensive end. During the possession, BYU’s second-leading scorer, Richie Saunders, exited with an injury. 

Despite the early spark, the Buffaloes grew timid, settling for perimeter shots and starting 0-for-3 from deep. The Cougars struggled to capitalize, missing open looks and holding just a three-point lead four minutes in.

Momentum shifted after a BYU alley-oop and a Colorado layup ignited both offenses. With BYU retiring Jimmer Fredette’s jersey, the teams put on a shooting display, knocking down 3s on four straight possessions. 

A turnover by Dybansta gave Hargress an opportunity to tie the game with an and-one, but he missed the free throw.

BYU responded with another 3-pointer to extend its lead to four before both teams went nearly three minutes without scoring. 

Colorado guard Jalin Holland ended the drought with an and-one opportunity. Though he missed the free throw, he secured his own rebound and converted the putback to tie the game with a four-point play.

Colorado briefly grabbed a three-point lead behind a Johnson free throw and a Hargress jumper with 12 minutes into the half. However, Wright scored four straight points and alongside a 3-pointer out of a media timeout to swing momentum back to BYU. 

After some back-and-forth basketball, the Cougars pushed their lead to eight with 2:43 left in the first half. Johnson responded with a steal and a layup to cut the deficit to six with a minute remaining, but Dybansta drove through the defense with 36 seconds left to restore the eight-point lead. Johnson answered right back, hitting a buzzer-beating crossover 3-pointer to close the gap to five.

“Isaiah Johnson is the best freshman in the country that nobody talks about," Boyle said. "I believe he'll be an NBA player someday.”

BYU opened the second half with a pair of free throws but then went nearly five minutes without a field goal, allowing Colorado to surge ahead. The Buffaloes used a 13-0 run to take a six-point lead, with Dak scoring seven straight during the stretch.

The Cougars answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game before Hargress knocked down back-to-back threes to push Colorado back in front by six. Wright responded with six straight points of his own — two technical free throws, a jumper, and two more free throws to even the score again.

The back-and-forth battle continued until Dybansta converted second-chance free throws and Wright buried a three-pointer to give BYU a five-point lead, forcing a Colorado timeout. The Buffaloes trimmed the deficit to three, but a BYU free throw and another Wright tre-ball extended the lead to seven. Wright was dominant in the half, scoring 23 points on perfect shooting from the field.

Colorado refused to fade. After Dybansta and the Buffaloes traded layups, Johnson converted free throws on a fast break, and Hargress hit another three to pull back within one possession. Wright and Johnson exchanged layups before Wright converted an and-one to push Colorado back to a five-point deficit.

A Dak offensive rebound led to a Johnson three with three minutes left, cutting the deficit back to two. A BYU turnover and missed Colorado and BYU threes set up Colorado's final possession with 25 seconds left. 

Expecting Johnson to hold for the final shot, BYU’s defense was caught off guard when the freshman drove for a layup to tie the game with 18 seconds remaining. Dybansta missed the potential winner, sending the game to overtime.

Nearly four minutes into overtime, a three-pointer by BYU’s Aleksej Kostic with 1:21 remaining forced a Colorado timeout, with the Buffaloes trailing by three. After the timeout, Colorado failed to convert a three-pointer despite two second-chance opportunities. 

BYU salted the game at the free-throw line as Colorado shot 2-for-10 from the field and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in overtime, resulting in a four-point Cougar victory.

Colorado returns home to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-9, 4-8) on Feb. 21.Tip-off from the CU Events Center is set for 1:30 p.m. MT (TNT/ truTV).