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Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor, CUBuffs.com

BOULDER — Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes made sure their last home game of the year wasn't their final game of the season.

The Buffs built a 20-point first-half lead over Norfolk State on Monday, then withstood a second-half Spartans run before regaining control down the stretch to take a 76-60 second-round NIT victory.

The Buffs, now 23-12, will travel to Texas on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. quarterfinal game against the Longhorns, with the winner heading to Madison Square Garden next week for the NIT Final Four. The Buffs have now won 12 of their last 15 games.

Norfolk State, the regular season MEAC champion, finished its year at 22-13.

The Buffs put four players in double figures, including freshman Evan Battey, who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tyler Bey led Colorado in scoring with 17 points to go with nine rebounds, D'Shawn Schwartz added 11 points and Daylen Kountz chipped in 10.

Mastadi Pitt led Norfolk with 14 points. Colorado held NSU's Derrik Jamerson, the nation's leading 3-point shooter, to just two points, including an 0-6 night from beyond the arc.

Still, the Buffs weren't at their best, allowing Norfolk State to cut a 20-point lead down to nine early in the second half before regaining control. CU committed eight turnovers after half as the Spartans actually outscored Colorado, 37-33, over the final 20 minutes.

"I think it's a good sign for our program hen you win a game by 16 tonight at home and you feel a sense of disappointment," head coach Tad Boyle said. "I felt like we weren't at our best tonight, more so from an emotional standpoint than a physical standpoint or even an execution standpoint. We just weren't sharp offensively."

But, as Boyle noted, the Buffs extended their season by at least another game. CU's 23 wins ties for the third-most in program history, with all four of those seasons coming under Boyle.

"We got the win and we live to see another day," Boyle said. "It's about surviving and advancing this time of year and thank goodness we are."

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado jumped out to an early lead and never trailed, steadily building the margin to take a 20-point lead at the half, 43-23.

But instead of putting the Spartans away after halftime, Colorado allowed the visitors to creep back within striking distance. The Buffs had just one field goal and five turnovers in the first seven minutes of the half, and with 13:36 to play, NSU cut CU's cushion to 48-39.

"We have to play with emotion, starting with me," said CU point guard McKinley Wright IV, who had six points, six assists and five rebounds. "I wasn't fully there tonight. These guys, their actions follow a lot what I do. When I'm not there emotionally, a lot of them follow me."

But the Buffs did have enough in the tank to regain control after the Spartans had closed within nine. Battey hit two free throws to start a 14-3 run that also included a pair of Kountz 3-pointers, and with 8:12 to go, the Buffs' lead was back to 20, 62-42.

The Buffs then kept their edge at a comfortable margin for the rest of the game.

Norfolk head coach Robert Jones said the altitude had an effect on his team, particularly in the first half.

"I was joking with Tad that you guys have the cheat code out here," Jones said. "We got guys like Derrik Jamerson that runs a 4:57 mile and he's gasping after three trips up and down the floor. The altitude definitely plays a part."

Early in the game, the Spartans did manage to stay within striking range, pulling to within 21-17 with 10:52 to go on a Jamerson basket.

But Colorado then reeled off a 16-1 run to take control. Bey had four points in the surge and Shane Gatling, Lucas Siewert and Wright each hit 3-pointers. The Spartans finally ended an eight-minute field goal drought with a 3-pointer at the 2:14 mark, but the Buffs came back with a 6-2 run to close the half, including a Battey basket and free throw at the buzzer to take their 20-point edge at intermission.

BATTEY MOMENT: Battey, a fan favorite, received a rare in-game standing ovation in the first half after he connected on a bucket and was fouled just before the first-half buzzer. As officials reviewed the play to see if it came before the buzzer, Battey stood alone at the free throw line.

Suddenly, the crowd began to clap, then stood and continued the ovation as Battey grinned sheepishly, all alone at the foul line.

"That was one of those kind of goosebump moments," Boyle said. "It gives an indication of what our fans think of Evan and I think they feel that way about our whole team. The starting lineups when McKinley gets introduced you can just feel that little extra juice they've got for him. These guys have earned that with the way they've played and the way they've connected with our fans."

Battey admitted he didn't quite know how to react.

"I was blown away by the fact they were clapping so much," he said. "They were really clapping for a long time. It meant the world to see them clapping throughout the whole stadium."

TURNING POINT: While the Buffs were in control throughout, they put the game away for good with a 14-3 run midway through the second half, turning an 11-point lead into a 20-point cushion.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs' season is extended for at least another game, with a chance to stretch the win total to 24.

KEY STATISTICS: Colorado held the nation's leading 3-point shooter, Derrik Jamerson, to an 0-for-6 night from beyond the arc. … Overall, the Spartans shot just 32.8 percent from the floor (21-for-64) while Colorado was 50 percent from the floor (27-for-54).

QUOTEWORTHY: "I can count one hand how many times our guys have not been emotionally into the game — and I'd have some fingers left. They've done a pretty good job. But tonight was just a little bit of a step back. But we'll learn from it and be ready to go Wednesday in Austin." — CU head coach Tad Boyle

NEXT UP: The Buffs travel to Austin, Texas, on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. quarterfinal NIT game against the 18-16 Longhorns (ESPN2). Texas advanced by beating South Dakota State in the opening round, then knocking off Xavier in overtime, 78-76.