Nothing came easy for either squad as their play on the defensive end of the floor ultimately led to a close game. Seton Hall matched Colorado’s defense in the game and both teams finished shooting less than 40% from the field in what ended up as a 65-64 win for the Buffs in the opening round of the NIT.
In the final five minutes, the Pirates (17-16) and the Buffs (18-16) were fighting for quality looks. KC Ndefo led Seton Hall’s offensive efforts and eventually tied up the game flying to the rim for a dunk and an and-1.
With 32 seconds left in regulation and the game tied 63-63, Boyle had to draw up something quick during the timeout. The product: a Julian Hammond III layup.
“We said in the timeout give Julian a look, if he’s open give it to him because he’ll have a layup because the weak side won’t be there,” Boyle said. “Jalen made a gutsy play and a gutsy pass and Julian made a good catch and a good finish.”
Hammond’s layup would be the last score of the game as Femi Odukale missed Seton Hall’s last chance.
Hammond had the last say Tuesday, but Ethan Wright carried Colorado all the way to the end. It could have been his last collegiate basketball game, but Wright went on a mission and scored a season-high 18 points. The last time he scored 18 points was in his last game at Princeton. Four of his five shots connected from three and the 3-point efficiency stuck throughout the evening as Wright finished 5 of 9 from the field in the win.
Not to be blinded by the flashy 3-pointers, the Buffs’ offense overall had some miscues against Seton Hall’s defense. CU's staff only had about two days to scout with the NIT bracket being announced on Sunday, but head coach Tad Boyle was preparing for a gritty defense, similar to what his team faced against one opponent during conference play.
“They don’t give anything easy, you have to earn everything,” Boyle said. “We talked before this game. From an offensive standpoint, going against Seton Hall’s defense, it’s much like UCLA. They’re physical, they’re going to reach, they’re going to grab and nothing comes easy.”
While the defensive grind helped both sides, each team maintained its edge through free throws. Seton Hall made 16 of 18 and Colorado was 13 of 16 from the line. The Buffs averaged 69.3% from the line this season, but on Tuesday, they were hit 88.9% of their free throws.
As the close game transpired, Lawson Lovering found himself in foul trouble with 12:26 left in the game. Boyle put Luke O’Brien at the five spot and he held up at the big man position posting eight points in the second half and 14 rebounds throughout the game.
“We did that (created a double team) a couple of times down the stretch and forced one turnover and forced a couple missed shots,” Boyle said. “Luke was critical in those sequences so I got a lot of confidence in him. He’s a battler, he just battles.”
Tristan da Silva’s 15-point contribution and Hammond’s 10 points and five assists also helped CU squeeze out a win. A win is a win in March regardless of how it looks.
“We did not play our best basketball,” Boyle said. “We found a way to win, but what I liked is our guys were encouraging each other, they were supporting each other, they were playing for each other. We made enough plays down the stretch to win that game. When your team does that, your players do that, it makes you feel good as a coach. The difference between winning and losing is a very, very fine line, but the way we feel versus the way Seton Hall feels, it might as well be like the Grand Canyon.”
The Buffs live to see another day as they wait to see if they’ll take on No. 2 seed New Mexico or Utah Valley. If Utah Valley wins, the Buffs will have another chance at home. If New Mexico wins, they’ll be traveling to Albuquerque to play on March 18 or 19.
