Field Level Media
Feb 7, 2021
Colorado's Evan Battey had a team-high 21 points, including two on free throws with 4.6 seconds left, to lead the Buffaloes to an 82-79 victory Saturday over visiting Arizona in a Pac-12 game in Boulder, Colo.
Battey had 15 points in the second half, making 4 of 6 shots from the field and all seven of his free throw attempts.
Colorado (14-5, 8-4 Pac-12) withstood the charge of Arizona (13-6, 7-6) after the Wildcats rallied from a 19-2 deficit eight minutes into the game.
After Jordan Brown made a shot in the lane with 1:38 remaining to put Arizona ahead 76-73, Colorado's Eli Parquet answered a 3-pointer.
Following Arizona's timeout with 59.5 seconds left, Battey forced a jump ball on James Akinjo's drive. McKinley Wright then made a floater with 36 seconds left to give Colorado a 78-76 lead.
The Wildcats immediately answered with a Christian Koloko dunk to tie the game at 78 with 23 seconds left.
Colorado called a timeout with 15.1 seconds left. Before the Buffaloes could inbound the ball, Bennedict Mathurin fouled Battey, who made both free throws to give Colorado an 80-78 lead.
Arizona's Terrell Brown Jr. drove to the basket and drew the foul from Maddox Daniels with 5.6 seconds left. Brown missed the first free throw and made the second to cut the lead to 80-79.
Battey was fouled by Brown on the inbound pass and came up hobbling. He stayed in the game and made both free throws with 4.6 seconds left to put Colorado ahead 82-79.
Akinjo's desperate 3-pointer banged off the backboard at the buzzer.
Wright had 17 points and six assists. Jeriah Horne added 10 points.
Arizona was led by Mathurin's 22 points. Azuolas Tubelis finished with 18 points and Akinjo had 16 points and seven assists.
Arizona, which trailed 19-2 with 12:00 left in the first half after allowing a 19-0 run, missed its first 10 shots from the field in the game. But the Wildcats cut Colorado's lead to 38-32 with 27 seconds left in the first half and rallied to take a 53-52 lead with 10:48 remaining.
--Field Level Media