Buffaloes debut against Highlanders, 82-66

Nov 8, 2022 - 4:33 PM

It was a chilly Monday night, and a sparse crowd showed up to watch a consistently successful CU program, despite strong showings for a football team that is currently 1-9. IT’S NOVEMBER, BABY. The Colorado Buffaloes started the basketball season, the best season, against UC Riverside on November 7. It went well.

The Buffs are debuting a smaller team in 2022, after the departure of mainstay Jabari Walker and GOAT Evan Battey. That means that this team is going to run and score when they can, and that’s what we saw against UC Riverside. KJ Simpson and Julian Hammond pushed the pace when they could, as well as new transfer Jalen Gabbidon, who had a big night off the bench. Tristan Da Silva, the lone all-conference selection in the preseason, had a steady night. The Buffs used their newfound agility to get into passing lanes and deflect balls, combining for 9 steals as a team. One of the more active members on defense was new transfer J’vonne Hadley, who led the team with 16 points. He is obviously a Tad favorite with his defense, but he quickly became a fan favorite with his intensity and effort throughout his 29 minutes.

CU had a long scoring drought in the second half that let UC Riverside get a little close, but they pulled away and covered in the end. CU now goes on the road to play Grambling State and Tennessee.