One month after getting blown out by Iowa State in the Maui Invitational, Colorado gave those same Cyclones a scare in Monday’s Big 12 men’s basketball opener.
Head coach Tad Boyle’s CU Buffs led No. 3 Iowa State 57-56 midway through the second half before running out of gas. The visiting Cyclones scored the next seven points and ultimately held on for a 79-69 win.
With Andrej Jakimovski out due to illness, Colorado’s upset attempt was fueled by guards Julian Hammond III and RJ Smith, who each connected on three 3-pointers. Hammond led the Buffs with 21 points and Smith scored 14.
Guard Curtis Jones led the Cyclones with 20 points, including eight made free throws.
CU fell to 9-3 with the loss (0-1 Big 12) while Iowa State improved to 11-1 (1-0). On Saturday, the Buffs will face Arizona State in Tempe at 4 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
Check out the best photos from Colorado’s Big 12 opener: