For Colorado, heading out on the road to face the No. 5 UCLA Bruins, a team stacked with returning upperclassmen and looking in similar form to its Final Four appearance last spring, represented a chance to go toe-to-toe with an elite opponent.

As far as optics go, losing on the road, 73-61, to a top five team, is far from the worst result that could have happened for CU.

However, as the Buffaloes prepare to return to Boulder, players may very well feel like they let a chance to leave Westwood with a highly impressive win slip away.

After all, despite trailing by 16 heading into halftime, the Buffs scored the first six points of the second half, eventually capitalizing on a UCLA offensive cold spell to embark on a 13-1 run that brought them to within six points of the Bruins.

With 10:01 to play, Colorado trailed, 48-42. Twenty-six seconds later, following a pair of free throws by Jabari Walker, the Buffs were within four points, trailing, 48-44, as things got interesting at the Pauley Pavilion in Westwood.

However, a quick ensuing 6-0 UCLA run neutralized the Buffs’ comeback efforts, as from the 6:27 mark of the final half, Colorado’s deficit was at least 10 points.

On an individual level, Walker can rest easy knowing he did just about all in his own power to help out the Buffs, as he contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds, good for his fourth consecutive double-double and his fifth overall on the year through eight games.

Nique Clifford provided some pop off the bench, scoring nine points to go along with five rebounds, while Eli Parquet contributed seven of his 11 points in the second half.

During the Buffs’ major comeback effort down the stretch of the second half, it wound up being the lineup of Tristan da Silva, Luke O’Brien, Nique Clifford, K.J. Simpson and Lawson Lovering that managed to simultaneously keep UCLA at bay offensively as well as hit some consequential baskets to make the game a closer affair.

A three-pointer via Clifford with 11:29 to play got CU to within seven of the Bruins, although they still faced a 48-41 deficit.

But in the end, CU’s efforts to rally in the second half came up short.

Already feeling the pressure from a potent Bruins offensive attack early on, the Buffaloes committed a series of costly turnovers later in the first half — four in just under two minutes, to be exact — that UCLA converted into eight easy points en route to an 11-0 run.

By that time, CU trailed 28-16.

Secondly was the borderline nonexistent contributions by the likes of starters Keeshawn Barthelemy, Evan Battey and da Silva.

Barthelemy finished with just two points on 1-of-5 shooting for the game, while da Silva contributed four.

Battey was in foul trouble from the get-go, heading to the bench with two by the 12:26 mark of the first half.

Tad Boyle, not often known for sending players with two first half fouls back out on the court before halftime, rolled the dice and did so with Battey, but the gamble failed to pay off, as he picked up his third with about five minutes left.

Battey would later foul out late in the second half and scored just four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

For all of Colorado's collective struggles, including three-point shooting (CU went just 5-of-21 from long range Wednesday), there just wasn't an answer for stopping UCLA's Tyger Campbell.

Guarded at different times by a multitude of Colorado players, including Parquet, da Silva and Barthelemy, Campbell finished with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

He was also the Bruins' primary long range threat, hitting 4-of--7 shots from downtown.

UCLA also got 15 points from Johnny Juzang and a double double of 12 points and 10 boards courtesy of Myles Johnson.

By game's end, Colorado and UCLA had somewhat comparable nights of two-point shooting, with the Buffs hitting 43% (23-of-54) of their shots compared to the Bruins' 47% (27-of-58) make rate.

However, an inability to make many three-pointers to further claw their way back into the game hurt the Buffaloes, as did the negligible contributions from the majority of the starting lineup.

Looking down the barrel, things don't exactly get easier for CU, which, for its next games, hosts No. 13/15 Tennessee.

The Buffs and Volunteers tipoff from the CU Events Center at noon Saturday, Dec. 4.