Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Tristan da Silva scored 17 points, KJ Simpson had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists and No. 18 Colorado beat Iona 85-68 in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday.
J’Vonne Hadley and Cody Williams scored 12 points each and Julian Hammond III contributed 11 for Colorado (5-1), which shot 60.8 percent from the field and remained undefeated in four home games this season.
Greg Gordon scored a game-high 19 points, Idan Tretout finished with 18 points and Jeremiah Quigley added 11 points for the Gaels (2-4).
Hadley had a dunk and a layup and Williams hit two layups to open the second half and give the Buffaloes a 50-41 lead. Wheza Panzo drained a 3-pointer to pull Iona back within six but a layup by Simpson and two Hadley free throws helped put Colorado ahead 57-46 early in the second.
The margin remained 11 when Dylan Saunders hit a 3-pointer, the first field goal for the Gaels in 4:55, to cut the deficit to 59-51. Eddie Lampkin dunked and Hammond split a pair of free throws to restore the 11-point lead with 11:41 left.
The Buffaloes continued to pull away. Luke O’Brien made two free throws and Hammond made two 3-pointers to make it 70-51 with 8:41 remaining.
Jean Aranguren and Gordon hit consecutive jumpers, Saunders drained another 3-pointer and Gordon made a layup to get Iona within 72-60 with 6:10 left.
Assane Diop scored, Simpson dunked and layups by Hadley and Williams sparked an 8-2 Colorado run that pushed the lead to 18 with 4:22 left.
Aranguren split a pair of free throws and da Silva hit another 3-pointer to put the Buffaloes in front by 20 with 3:52 left, and they were able to close it out.
Colorado led by seven early but the Gaels rallied to take a 23-22 lead on Tretout’s 3-pointer midway through the first half. The Buffaloes eventually went back in front and took a 42-37 lead at intermission.
–Field Level Media