Starting in place of the injured Elijah Malone, sophomore Bangot Dak held one of the rowdiest block parties in Colorado men’s basketball history on Wednesday evening.
The sophomore from Nebraska blocked eight Cincinnati shots, giving him the third-most in a single game in program history since the stat became official in the late 1970s.
“Bangot, the way he played, he was terrific,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “He’s coming into his own.”
David Harrison is the only Buff with more than eight blocks in a game. He had 10 against Stetson in 2002 and 11 against Nebraska in 2003.
Unfortunately for Colorado, Dak’s block parade ended in disappointment as the Buffs 9-7 (0-5 Big 12) suffered their fifth straight loss to begin conference play, 68-62.
Along with his stellar defense, Dak was Colorado’s most reliable form of offense, finishing with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Typically strong scorers Julian Hammond III and Andrej Jakimovski combined for only seven. Turnovers remained a major issue for Colorado as it finished with 15.
“It’s a long season, so we can’t hang our heads,” said forward Trevor Baskin, who scored eight points. “We have no time, especially because every game is going to be a dogfight like it’s been so far. You got to find ways to get over that hump. I think we’re a resilient group, and we’ll figure it out.”
Colorado will hit the road next to face Oklahoma State on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
Check out the best photos from Colorado’s loss to the Bearcats: