Colorado’s momentum after Tuesday’s win against No. 2 UConn eventually dissipated as No. 5 Iowa State delivered a 99-71 loss to the Buffs in the fifth-place game at the Maui Invitational.
What started as a back-and-forth battle between the Buffs and Cyclones quickly faded as Colorado (5-2) committed nine turnovers in the first half putting CU in a compromising position that led to 20 points off of turnovers for ISU. The turnovers continued the rest of the day as the Cyclones’ dominant defense held Colorado to 48.1% shooting from the field and accumulated 13 steals against the Buffs.
Colorado’s 18 turnovers and ISU’s 37 points off those turnovers added up to a frustrating performance for a CU team that had just secured a win over the Huskies a day earlier.
"I wasn't a math major but I can add 51 points of their 99 came off of offensive rebounds where we don't box out or we get punked, beat, whatever you want to say, and then the other 37 ... off turnovers and 14 off second-chance points," head coach Tad Boyle said. "So 51 of their 99 that we have a direct result of causing or giving up or whatever you want to say.
"With that being said, our half court defense wasn't very good, either. So you put the combination of the turnovers and not boxing out and not guarding as a team, and this is what you get against a good team. Iowa State is a hell of a program, hell of a team. They're well-coached. We're not. There you have it."
Iowa State’s defense played a significant role in the 28-point victory, but its performance in the front court kept Colorado at a more than safe distance throughout the game. The Cyclones (5-1) finished with six double-digit scorers including Milan Momcilovic, who led the charge with 24 points (9 of 13 from the field, 6 of 9 from 3), and Curtis Jones, who scored 12 points in the second half and 19 total to help increase ISU’s margin in the win.
Colorado wasn’t able to generate stops or get to the free-throw line frequently as ISU shot 60.3% (35 of 58) from the field and 44% (11 of 25)from 3. The second half was when Colorado felt the brunt of the bleeding as ISU outscored the Buffs 54-37 and shot 64% from the field over the final 20 minutes.
"We just couldn't get stops," Andrej Jakimovski said. "For us everything starts on the defensive end and they scored 99 points, so we just couldn't get stops. And like coach said, we didn't take care of the ball, and those are two huge things for us, and we lost that game.
While Colorado was hanging on in the first half with a 22-20 lead and 8:45 to play, four consecutive turnovers with 7 minutes left in the first allowed ISU to go on a 10-0 run to put the Buffs down by 8. Following that run, the Buffs found themselves clawing back, but Momcilovic continued his hot first half dropping 18 points (7 of 9 from the field and four 3-pointers).
The Cyclones did not let up on either end of the floor as the game continued turning their defense into offense. In the first half, ISU shot 57.6% (19 of 33) while Colorado struggled and ended up hitting 42.3% (11 of 26) from the field. CU lacked a presence on the interior Wednesday as it finished with just 10 points in the paint and big man Elijah Malone had just 4 points for the entirety of the game.
The Buffs’ ball security was clean to begin the game and led to seven assists, but Iowa State’s defense eventually generated six steals in the first half.
Much like in Tuesday’s matchup against UConn, Colorado had work to do after trailing 45-34 at halftime.
Against Iowa State’s relentless defense, a second-half comeback just wasn’t feasible for the Buffs on Wednesday. Lengthy scoring droughts ensued as CU shot just 35.3% (6 of 17) from the floor and only had two 3-pointers go down. Every shot the Buffs took against the Cyclones had to be earned and CU connected on 12 field goals in the second half. Iowa State was challenging Colorado on both ends of the floor, which created a situation that the Buffs could not climb out of to close out their Maui trip.
Iowa State completely took Malone out of the game as he has been averaging 14.3 points per game leading into the fifth-place matchup. The 6-foot-10 center couldn’t adjust to the frequent double team Iowa State sent at him throughout the game. He matched his season-low with just 4 points and was unable to draw any fouls with zero trips to the free-throw line.
Despite the Buffs’ offensive deficiencies, Julian Hammond came through for Colorado in the second half scoring 16 points as he recorded a season-high 20 by the end of the contest. Andrej Jakimoviski was also an important contributor against the Cyclones with 12 first-half points. Iowa State effectively adjusted its defense to limit him in the second half with Jakimovski scoring just 6 second-half points to finish with 18 in the game.
Colorado leaves Maui with one massive win against UConn and two steep defeats against Michigan State and Iowa State. Even though CU wasn't able to pull out another upset on Wednesday, head coach Tad Boyle and the Buffs have shown their a new level of toughness that they can carry with them throughout the season following their sixth-place finish this week.
"We've got to bounce back," Jakimovski said. "It's a great experience for us. Three really good games. We got a taste of what Big 12 opponent is doing, and I think we're going to be ready."
