The Buff’s bench erupts as CU closes the gap in order to tie the game during the second half at the CU Events Center. Nov. 9, 2021. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
It was quite the thriller of a season opener for the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team. With over 7,000 fans in attendance, including 1,676 students, the CU Events Center was buzzing from the start as the Buffaloes beat the Montana State Bobcats 94-90 in overtime.
The Buffs looked like a young team, as expected. Flashes of brilliance coupled with quite a few head-scratching mistakes, including eight turnovers in the first half, along with multiple players in early foul trouble.
“I thought turnovers were an issue for us tonight,” said head coach Tad Boyle. “Sixteen turnovers is too much against a high-quality team.”
If not for sophomore guard Nique Clifford, CU might not have had the chance to return from the double-digit deficit they faced in the second half. Clifford fought hard on the defense side of the floor, snagging four first-half rebounds and pushing the pace to try and keep the Buffs close. He would end up one rebound short of a double-double.
Head coach Tad Boyle reacts after the Buffs secured their win during their season opener against Montana State at the CU Events Center. Nov. 9, 2021. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
“Nique Clifford, I thought was terrific tonight,” said Boyle. “The way he rebounded the ball. He is our best rebounder. I said before he is like a sixth starter, and he played starter minutes tonight. So a really, really good effort on his part.”
To make matters worse for the Buffs in the first half, Bobcats sophomore guard Raequan Battle drilled a contested three to beat the first-half buzzer giving Montana State a 38-35 lead going into the locker room.
The first four minutes of the second half were much too similar to the first half for Tad Boyle and company. Senior forward Evan Battey and freshman center Lawson Lovering picked up their third fouls two minutes into the half. With the Buffs down their two biggest front-court threats for an extended period, the Bobcats were able to extend their lead to 51-38 with 16:08 remaining.
The Buffs were able to compose themselves and go on an 8-0 run cutting the MSU lead to 51-46 with just under fifteen minutes to play.
After a three by sophomore guard Keeshawn Barthelemy to trim the lead to 66-58, Colorado went on an 11-2 run which saw their defense make several crucial stops and resulted in the Buffs only trailing by two with 5:51 to play.
“We had to lock in defensively,” said senior guard Elijah Parquet. “We couldn’t keep trading baskets, or this game was going to get out of hand, so we had to get stops in the end, so we just locked in.”
Despite senior forward Evan Battey only playing six first-half minutes because of foul trouble, he was able to provide significant second-half production. He shot a perfect 6-6 from the field and finished with 16 points, including a nifty hook shot in the paint to make the game 73-71 with 4:25 to play in regulation.
A Clifford dunk after the Buffs stopped the Bobcats from capitalizing on two offensive rebounds made the Events Center crowd erupt as Colorado came all the way back to tie it at 73-73.
With the game tied, Montana State guard Xavier Bishop launched an end of the shot clock three from well behind the arc and drained it, giving Montana State a three-point lead with only 1:44 to play.
CU saw themselves down three after Battey made two free throws to make it 80-77 with 44 seconds remaining. Boyle called a timeout, and sophomore guard Jabari Walker, who struggled to hold on to the ball earlier in the game, made the pass of the night. Walker drove hard to the hoop, and once double-teamed, he found a confident Parquet open on the wing, and he sank the three-pointer with just 18 seconds on the clock.
Senior guard Elijah Parquet hits a three pointer as Montana State’s senior forward Abdul Mohamed tries to block it at the CU Events Center. Nov. 9, 2021. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
“The play wasn’t designed, but Jabari (Walker) made a great pass,” said Parquet on his clutch three-pointer. “I was just creating space on the outside. I was open, so I took the shot. I didn’t let my past threes get in my head, and my teammates just told me to keep shooting.”
MSU would be unable to score in the remaining seconds of regulation, leading to overtime. In overtime, the Buffs offense clicked, and they were able to outscore the Bobcats 14-10 in the five-minute period to secure the first overtime win for CU in an opener since 1996.
“Hard-fought win,” said an exhausted Boyle. “I knew it coming in. Montana State is a good basketball team, a veteran team. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I’m really proud of our players and the fight they showed … We weren’t great. It was kind of an ugly win. But they showed a lot of grit down the stretch defensively. A great, hard-fought win against a really good team.”
The gritty performance by Tad Boyle’s crew preserved his undefeated record in home openers as a coach. Parquet, Clifford, and Battey were the three stars of the game, each with a positive plus-minus confirming their considerable impact on the game. Five Buffaloes, Walker, Battey, Barthelemy, Parquet, and Clifford, all scored in double figures, reflecting the depth of this young but talented squad.
The Buffaloes will rest on Wednesday following a late night before preparing for the New Mexico Lobos’ visit to Boulder on Sat. Nov. 13 with tipoff set for 4:30 p.m. MT.
