|
 Josh Scott had 14 points while Dustin Thomas (12) and Xavier
Johnson (nine) and combined for 21 of Colorado’s 30 points off the
bench. The Buffaloes (13-15, 6-10 Pac-12) shot 68.2 percent in the
second half and 59.2 percent for the game to end a three-game slide
and win for only the second time in eight contests.
Shaquielle McKissic poured in 18 points for Arizona State (15-14,
7-9), which fell into a seventh-place tie with California with two
home games remaining. Freshman Tra Holder went 12-of-16 from the
foul line to finish with 14 points and added a season-high tying
eight assists while Savon Goodman and Eric Jacobsen each tallied 12
points and seven rebounds for the Sun Devils.
The team traded sizable runs over the final 5 ½ minutes of the
opening half, with Arizona State combating an 11-1 surge with a 12-2
burst, before Booker scored the last four points of the first half
to leave Colorado with a two-point halftime edge. The Buffaloes
matched their biggest advantage of the game at 50-41 early in the
second half and still enjoyed a seven-point edge with eight minutes
to go, but McKissic and Bo Barnes bookended an 11-2 run with
3-pointers to give the Sun Devils a 72-70 lead with 4:46 left.
Scott countered with a three-point play less than a minute later,
Booker answered a go-ahead jumper from Jacobsen with one of his own
and Johnson added a layup with 2:08 remaining to leave Colorado
ahead 77-74. Jacobsen replied with another jumper, but two free
throws from Booker made a five-point game with 36 seconds left,
Tre'Shaun Fletcher hit a free throw and Scott added a tip-in with 17
seconds to go to hold off one final charge by Arizona State.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: The teams combined for 50 made free throws and 56
fouls, with Arizona State going 25-of-39 from the stripe and
Colorado 25-of-33. … Booker, who is one of eight Buffaloes with over
1,600 career points, became only the third player in school history
to play in at least 130 games, joining Austin Dufault (136; 2008-12)
and Cory Higgins (132; 2007-11). … Colorado posted its Pac-12-best
24th consecutive victory when scoring at least 75 points.
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