Buffs rally from 16 points down to beat USC in double-OT thriller

Colorado won a double-OT thriller in Los Angeles

Of Colorado men’s basketball’s seven losses to Pac-12 opponents this season, four have been by five points or fewer. On Saturday night, the Buffs finally secured a close win by beating USC in two overtime periods, 92-89.

The win wasn’t all too pretty, as the Buffs trailed by 16 points with under 10 minutes left to play in the second half. They turned the ball over 21 times in the close affair while allowing the Trojans to shoot 46.6% from the field and 9-of-21 from beyond the arc.

USC’s Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier, who both didn’t play against CU last month in Boulder, also combined for 55 points.

However, the Buffs rallied behind a KJ Simpson who decided he couldn’t lose twice in his hometown of Los Angeles. Simpson notched his third 30-point performance of the year, pouring in 24 after halftime while playing a career-high 48 minutes.

The Buffs’ starting point guard didn’t do it alone, as Cody Williams (14 points), J’Vonne Hadley (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Luke O’Brien (nine points) also did their fair share of heavy lifting.

The unsung hero of the contest, though, was Tristan da Silva, who finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Amid Simpson’s huge performance, the struggling senior put himself together for the final minutes of regulation and in overtime. Da Silva’s most notable moment came when he knocked down an overtime triple to put CU up four, a clutch basket that probably felt great after he botched the Buffs’ final possession against UCLA just days before.

While the win doesn’t prove much with USC being one of the Pac-12’s worst teams, it does keep Colorado’s chances at an NCAA Tournament berth alive.

The Buffs will continue their push to the Big Dance on Saturday with Utah coming to Boulder.

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