The Colorado men's basketball team's success at the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Fla., and its undefeated start to the season both came to an end in overtime Tuesday, as the No. 18-ranked Buffs lost 77-71 to Florida State in the tournament championship.
This matchup was defensive battle throughout as both squads battled for each possession and forced a combined 38 turnovers. Shots were not easy to come by as Tristan da Silva, who was averaging 16.5 points per game, was held to just 8 and KJ Simpson hit just 5 of 22 shots from the field.
Even without the production from their stars, the Buffs (4-1) pushed the Seminoles (4-1) to overtime.
Florida State took hold early in overtime, scoring the first 6 points of the extra period and maintaining control from there. Colorado started overtime with 3 turnovers and 3 missed shots and FSU was then up 69-60 with 1:30 left to play.
Cody Williams and Simpson tried to come in and save the game. They allowed Colorado to climb back, getting the Buffs within 4 with 14 seconds left, but it wasn't enough.
Williams and Simpson were the only successful scorers in overtime, while five Seminoles scored points in the decisive period.
The Buffs had the chance to make it a one-possession game in the final minute of overtime as Williams got a steal, J’Vonne Hadley then missed a layup, rebounded it, dished it to Julian Hammond III, who then missed 3-point shot. That sequence was representative of how the game was going for CU.
The Seminoles' length and consistent press allowed them to rack up 17 steals and put Colorado’s 49th-ranked scoring offense in a compromising and frustrating position, making just 34.7 percent of its shots and turning the ball over on 20 occasions.
"We gave one away," head coach Tad Boyle said after the game, per the release. "We were not very good. We knew Florida State was going to pressure, but when you have 20 turnovers against anybody, it's going to be hard to win. … When something like this happens, it's hard to blame anyone but the coach. I've got to do a better job."
Colorado’s offense was unable to slow things down and was often scrambling for better looks. The usual ease and movement of the Buffs' 5-out offense wasn’t present in Daytona Beach.
Nonetheless, Colorado's defense kept the Seminoles working for every look while limiting their 3-point success (4-of-11 at the end of regulation).
Williams (17 points) and Simpson (15 points) led the team in scoring, while Hammond made 3 of Colorado's 5 total 3-pointers.
The Buffs head back to Boulder as the Sunshine Slam runner-up with their first loss of the season. They have until Sunday to shake it off before taking on 2023 NCAA tournament team Iona on Nov. 26.
