Second-half spark keeps Colorado unbeaten in Thanksgiving battle
- Trinity Ortega
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Colorado Buffaloes remained undefeated (6-0) in their first road trip after conquering the San Francisco Dons (5-2). The 79-69 win for the Acrisure Holiday Classic Series took place on Thanksgiving Day in Palm Desert, California.
In the back-and-forth matchup on Thursday afternoon, the Buffs prevailed with efficient ball movement and a dominant second half, with exceptional showings from junior guard Barrington Hargress, who had 15 points, and freshman guard Isaiah Johnson, who had 17 off the bench.
Show-stopping forward Bangot Dak and center Elijah Malone continued to make big plays, and both accumulated 13 points.
While Colorado was quiet in the first half, it displayed sharp ball movement and passing knowledge. Dak delivered a highlight in the first, coming through with a big dunk off an assist from Hargress.
Hargress was a difference-maker, contributing to huge plays, including a 3-point play that cut CU’s deficit near the end of the first half. He then limped off the court, going back to the locker room and not being able to close out the first half.
After falling behind 20-15, the Dons went on an 8-0 run midway through the first. Junior forward Junjie Wang hit a prominent 3, giving USF a 23-20 lead.
San Francisco led by two at the break after building that run to 13-2. Ryan Beasley and Junjie Wang each scored 13 points for the Dons, and Tyrone Riley IV finished with 12. Guillermo Diaz Graham also made notable plays, finishing with 10 points for the second straight game, tying his season high.
Colorado came into the second half fighting, where the game grew more chippy and aggressive for both teams. Junior forward David Fuchs picked up a technical foul, but the Buffs kept their composure and continued.
After a few lead changes, Johnson completed a 3-point play with 11:47 remaining to give the Buffaloes a 54-51 lead they never surrendered.
Colorado gradually fought to build its lead, with key 3-pointers from Felix Kossaras and Sebastian Rancik extending the advantage to 10 points (71-61) with just over five minutes left. The Dons cut the deficit to five with three minutes remaining, but a costly turnover, a 3-point play by Hargress and an exclamation-point dunk from Dak sealed the win for Colorado.
“They're [San Francisco] well-coached and have good players. They have a confidence about them, and that was a good win for us,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “It was hard-fought and not easy. And we can continue to grow, and we can still get better."
The Buffs advance to Friday’s championship game against the Washington Huskies at 2:30 p.m. MT at Acrisure Arena (TruTV).