Colorado’s drive to another NCAA Tournament bid is looking stronger after beating Oregon on the road Thursday night.
The Buffaloes (21-9, 12-7 Pac-12) can’t afford to let any wins slip away, especially when they wrap up the regular season and conference play at last-place Oregon State on Saturday afternoon.
Colorado clinched third place in the standings and a first-round bye in the conference tournament next week with its 79-75 win over Oregon. The Buffaloes did it without star freshman Cody Williams (ankle) and reserve Julian Hammond III (knee), and their statuses for Saturday have not been announced.
“It’s a testament to how hard we work and how deep we really are,” guard J’Vonne Hadley said after posting 20 points and 12 rebounds in Colorado’s fifth straight win. “We battled injuries all season. Different guys coming out, but we also have a bunch of guys stepping up.”
The Buffaloes have a chance to sweep both Oregon schools if they can beat the Beavers. It would also give them three straight conference road wins.
Oregon State (13-17, 5-14) lost seven straight games after beating then-No. 9 Arizona and Arizona State in January. The Beavers have won two of their last three games, including a 92-85 win over Utah on Thursday night.
The 83-80 win over the Wildcats, which came on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Jordan Pope, shows that Oregon State can get quality wins despite its record — something Colorado needs to respect.
“I know the progress has not shown in the win-loss record, but our guys are getting better,” Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle said after the win over the Utes. “I’m really proud of the way they came out and got one for us here.”
To get a key road win, the Buffaloes will have to contain Pope, who has scored 23 or more points in the last four games. He managed just 10 points in a 90-57 loss at Colorado on Jan. 20, but has been held under double digits in scoring once in 32 games this season.
–Field Level Media