Colorado senior guard Nate Tomlinson sank a crucial free throw down the stretch before intentionally missing the second to secure a 72-71 victory for his Buffaloes over the visiting Oregon Ducks Saturday night in Boulder. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205374539@@
It was a strange end to what was an otherwise highly competitive contest. Oregon senior forward Olu Ashaolu tied the game at 71 with 7.6 seconds remaining, but couldn’t convert the three-point play after missing his fifth free throw of the night. @@https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/822310.pdf?ATCLID=205374539&SPSID=4297&SPID=235&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Andre Roberson quickly scooped up the rebound for the Buffaloes and gave Tomlinson plenty of time to get to the key. Once he got down court, Tomlinson put up an off-balanced shot in the lane, which appeared to be blocked by Ducks junior E.J. Singler, but he was called for a foul with one second left in regulation. @@http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3889&SPID=257&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205374535&DB_OEM_ID=600@@
Tomlinson converted to improve Colorado’s home record to 31-3 over the last two seasons. @@http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=3888&SPID=257&DB_OEM_ID=600&Q_SEASON=2011@@ @@http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=3888&SPID=257&DB_OEM_ID=600&Q_SEASON=2010@@
“The point guard made a good play,” Singler said to The Register-Guard. “Got to the rim, attacked, ref made the call. I felt like I did the right thing and the kid made a good play.”
With the win, Colorado (16-7, 8-3 Pac-12) now sits in a tie for second with California in the conference standings, while Oregon (16-7, 7-4) and Arizona are knotted up in third place. @@http://pac-12.org/SPORTS/BasketballM/Standings.aspx@@
Oregon led throughout most of the first half and took a 37-33 lead into halftime. It took more than six minutes for the Buffs to claim their first lead of the second half when Tomlinson netted a three-pointer to pull ahead, 47-46.
Neither team was able to get much separation over the final few minutes until Colorado’s Spencer Dinwiddie connected from behind the three-point line to go ahead 70-66 with 34 seconds remaining.
Oregon sophomore Johnathan Loyd made a three-pointer of his own 11 seconds later, before Tomlinson sealed the game at the charity stripe down the stretch.
As a team, the Ducks were 10 for 17 at the foul line, while the Buffs made 23 of their 30 attempts on the night.
“We didn’t shoot free throws well,” Oregon coach Dana Altman told The Register-Guard. “They beat us at the free-throw line. That was a big difference.”
Ashaolu got the starting nod in place of 6-foot-11 center Tony Woods and scored 17 points to go along with nine rebounds in 27 minutes of action. However, his 1-for-6 shooting from the free-throw line proved costly as the rest of the team went a combined 9 for 11. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4295@@
Singler tallied his first double-double of the season and fourth of his career with 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. Senior guard Devoe Joseph’s game-high 18 points marked the ninth time he’s led the team in scoring in 16 games played this season.
Askia Booker (17 points, four rebounds), Dinwiddie (16 points) and Carlon Brown (10 points, six rebounds) all scored in double figures for Colorado.
No doubt the late foul call was tough to get past, but Altman was quick to point out that the game could have just as easily gone the other way.
“We didn’t get the stops we needed in the second half,” Altman said to The Register-Guard. “It’s a tough game back and forth. Could’ve went a lot of different ways. Just didn’t get ‘er done.”
Oregon will host the Washington schools this week, beginning with the Huskies Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena. Washington’s two conference losses this year have come against Cal (69-66 on Jan. 19) and at Colorado (87-69 on Jan. 5). @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4294@@ @@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/wash-m-baskbl-sched.html@@
“We haven’t really been using our home court to our advantage, so this is a big weekend for us,” Singler said to The Register-Guard. “We need these two at home.”