Rough final possessions sour Buffs’ chance at beating No. 16 USC

Colorado couldn’t execute late vs. No. 16 USC

It was there for the taking, that’s for sure.

After tying No. 16 USC at 53 with just 2:43 to go, Colorado hit a horrid rough stretch at the wrong time. Four missed shots and a turnover later to boot, the Buffs were staring at a 61-58 loss and an opportunity squandered.

But as Tad Boyle explained afterward, it was nothing short of impressive that the Buffs even had a chance late in this one. Colorado, which has typically fared well rebounding this season, watched USC grab 47 boards, including 18 on the offensive end.

Boyle was willing to take the blame for the loss as a whole, but not for the poor effort on the boards.

“(When) you don’t get a shot there at the end when you need to get a good shot, that’s on the coach; I’ll take the blame for that,” Boyle said. “I will not take the blame for getting outrebounded by 15. That’s on the players.”

Fair enough.

Colorado shooting a season-low 31% also didn’t hurt the Trojans’ quest for rebounds because there were plenty available. No Buff made more than three shots from the field.

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What made the Buffs’ downfall even more disappointing was that they had so much momentum going into the final few minutes. Nique Clifford’s poster dunk sparked a 13-2 run that gave CU a five-point lead with under seven minutes. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the turnover parade hit hard.

“If you turn the ball over the last three or four possessions, you’re really shooting yourself in the foot,” Evan Battey said. “I don’t even know how you can fix turnovers. We’re tried everything, really. But we’ll keep on trying.

As it stands, the Buffs have just two regular season games remaining against currently ranked opponents: No. 9 UCLA on Saturday and No. 3 Arizona in February.

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