Wright IV electric as strong second half lifts Colorado over GCU, 74-64

Colorado was out-shot (51% to 50%) and out-rebounded (33-20) — not a normal recipe for success — but 21 points from McKinley Wright IV and a strong second half elevated the Buffaloes (6-1) over Grand Canyon, 74-64, in the closing game of the Far West Classic, played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

With Grand Canyon (4-3), coming off two straight losses by a total of four points — one of which came to then-No. 23 Arizona State in 71-70 fashion on Dec. 13 — the Buffaloes expected a challenge.

A challenge was exactly what was in store for the Buffs, courtesy of the Bryce Drew-led Antelopes, who battled closely with Colorado for the vast majority of the game.

The Buffaloes and Antelopes were tied at 27 heading into halftime, while as the second half got underway, GCU battled back from multiple eight-point deficits to stay neck and neck with Colorado.

"Hats off to (GCU)," Evan Battey said after the game. "They play tough, they're big as hell, they have a certain toughness about them that comes from their head coach and I think they're going to win their conference maybe and be a (NCAA) Tournament team. It's a good win, for sure."

Battey scored a season-high 16 points in the win on 4-of-9 shooting and was 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

The Buffs entered Tuesday evening's game as the best free throw shooting team in the nation and after tonight, looked poised to stay in that spot, as CU was 18-of-21 (86%) from the charity stripe.

After Dallas Walton hit an early three-pointer, followed by a pair of Wright IV free throws, the Buffs got off to a 7-2 lead less than three minutes into things.

But as the first half went on, Grand Canyon bigs Alessandro Lever and Asbjorn Midtgaard started to impose their will near the glass, making shots down low and bullying the Buffs for rebounds.

Well before halftime, Colorado had some key players in foul trouble, with Battey, Walton and Jabari Walker all with two.

Boyle cited hie decision to go with a shortened bench as to why Walker saw only five minutes of action in the game, but his foul troubles also may have played a role in his premature exit.

A brief Antelopes scoring drought as the first half wound down allowed the Buffs to take a meager, but at that point game-high, lead of six following a three-pointer via Battey.

But for the final 5:16 before the buzzer, Colorado was held scoreless and GCU clawed its way back into things, tying the game at 27 heading into the second half.

Within about 30 seconds of the final half beginning, a quick layup and three-pointer from Battey and Jeriah Horne prompted a GCU timeout.

After the Antelopes kept hitting baskets and returning the game to a one-possession affair, a layup and jumper from Wright IV and D'Shawn Schwartz gave the Buffs an eight-point advantage, 39-31, with 15:52 to play.

As Colorado would continue to discover as the game went on, there was to be rare a lead safe against Grand Canyon.

The Buffs led by just two, 43-41, two minutes later before a clutch shot from Horne gave CU a bit more breathing room.

Horne, who played 33 minutes off the bench in the win, contributed 12 points on a 5-of-9 night from the floor, all of which came in the second half.

"Jeriah knows how to get his shots, he's a good shooter and and he's kind of what we call a 'gamer,'" Tad Boyle said after the game. "I thought he played especially well on defense tonight. He was overmatched a little bit, size-wise with the (6-foot-11) Lever kid but he was on him the majority of the second half."

Against Washington on Sunday, five Buffaloes scored in the double digits, none of whom were Wright IV.

That was not to be the case Tuesday, as the senior point guard quite literally put the team on his back down the stretch, scoring 10 of Colorado's final 12 points in the final seven minutes of play, hitting jump shot after jump shot and making the best of frequent trips to the charity stripe.

He finished with 21 points, having shot 8-of-14 from the floor with four rebounds and seven assists.

'This kid is special and everybody that plays against him — if you ask coaches in our league, they know how big he is — that's why he gets all-conference honors," Boyle said of him. "...McKinley Wright is in my opinion, the most non-talked about, best player in college basketball."

Largely behind Wright IV's individual efforts, the Buffaloes took a 60-59 lead with just over five minutes to play and turned it into a 66-59 lead with 4:11 to go.

Grand Canyon was held to just five points in the final five minutes and the Buffs sealed the deal with a 12-0 run.

Colorado, now done with non-conference play, will begin a three-game road trip to kick off Pac-12 Conference competition, starting with a game in Tucson vs. Arizona on Monday, Dec. 28.

Tipoff from the McKale Center is at 7:30 p.m. MST and the game will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Network.