Last season, guard Cory Higgins powers through two Kansas State defenders in a 77-75 overtime loss on Jan. 24. Higgins led CU to victory over the San Francisco Dons in the Coors Events Center on Tuesday, 78-54. (CU Independent file/Molly Maher)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Jeff Bzdelik’s return to the bench seem to give his team an extra boost.
After missing the EA Sports Maui Invitational last week in Hawaii to be with his ill mother in Chicago, Bzdelik watched his CU men’s basketball team run the San Francisco Dons out of the Coors Events Center on Tuesday with a 78-54 victory.
Junior guard Cory Higgins led the Buffs (5-2) with 22 points while freshman guard Alec Burks finished with 11 points. Senior guard Dwight Thorne II and junior forward Marcus Relphorde ended up with 10 points apiece.
The Dons (2-5) were led by Michael Williams’ 12 points while Kwame Vaughn had 11 and Perris Blackwell added 10.
Colorado outshot the Dons, hitting 55.4 percent from the field compared to SFU’s 34 percent.
CU was once again solid from the beyond the arc as they went 9-of-16 from three-point range. San Francisco made five of their 17 three-point attempts.
The Buffs also took advantage of turnovers as they scored 23 points off of 15 giveaways by the Dons. SFU only managed three points as CU turned the ball over just six times.
Colorado will head to Corvallis, Ore. on Friday to face the Oregon State Beavers (2-3) as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series at 9 p.m.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Ron Knabenbauer at Ronald.knabenbauer@colorado.edu.
