The Atlantic 10’s UMass Minutemen were the beneficiaries of another disappointing performance from the now 2-2 Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday in the opening round of the Myrtle Beach Invite.
Perhaps most glaring, CU was just 12-of-31 shooting layups and allowed the Minutemen to shoot 47% from the field. The Buffs held a one-point lead late in the first half but never regained control in a 66-63 loss.
Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson scored 17 and 13, respectively, while J’Vonne Hadley pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Buffs. Defensively, Colorado sent UMass’s Noah Fernandes to the line 16 times where he would score nine of his game-high 22. UMass also had two bench players score at least 10: Isaac Kante and RJ Luis.
While it’s still early, Colorado’s upset of ranked Tennessee is now sandwiched between losses to Grambling State and UMass, making for a shaky NCAA Tournament resume.
The Buffs come back Friday at 10 a.m. MT to face the loser of Texas A&M-Murray State.
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