Cody Williams’ huge night helped Colorado hand Oregon its first Pac-12 loss
Cody Williams likely won’t be playing college basketball much longer, so Colorado fans better appreciate whatever time he has left in Boulder.
Going up against Oregon on Thursday night, the freshman phenom produced arguably the best performance of his young career, dropping a season-best 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Williams, along with KJ Simpson and his 22 points, was key as the Buffs knocked off the visiting Ducks, 86-70.
“All his (Williams) shots tonight were great shots,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I think people are starting to play him as a driver a little bit because he’s a good driver. Obviously, we want him to drive the ball and be aggressive.”
Oregon entered Thursday undefeated in Pac-12 play and atop the conference standings. While the Ducks remain in first place at 5-1, their loss confirmed the Pac-12 is wide open.
With the win, Colorado improved to 13-5 overall, 4-3 in the Pac-12 and 11-0 at home.
The Buffs led for over 34 minutes and shot over 50% from the field for the 10th time this season. Three other Buffs finished in double-figures scoring: J’Vonne Hadley (11), Tristan da Silva (13) and Luke O’Brien (10).
After the game, Boyle shared his appreciation for Hadley, who also contributed six rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
“People don’t talk about him enough in terms of the little things that he does for our team: moving the ball, sharing the ball,” Boyle said. “He made some really nice plays tonight and got to the foul line. He guards every single night and leads every single night. I can’t say enough about that kid.”
Colorado will next host Oregon State on Saturday at 5 p.m. MT.
Check out some of the best pictures from Thursday night:
