KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a season marked by far more lowlights than highlights, the Colorado men’s basketball team is putting together a few thrills at the end.
The Buffaloes once again kept their season alive at the Big 12 Conference tournament, ambushing West Virginia in the second half to rally for a 67-60 second-round win Wednesday at the T-Mobile Center.
CU advances to face top-seeded Houston in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
CU trailed by 13 points in the first half and by nine early in the second half, but the Buffs reeled off 15 consecutive points in a 17-1 run in the second half to take a seven-point lead. The Mountaineers got the margin back down to three points, but an inside bucket by Elijah Malone followed by a 3-pointer from RJ Smith gave CU breathing room in the waning minutes.
Malone turned in his biggest effort of the season, going 7-for-10 with a team-leading 14 points. Smith went 3-for-5 from long range, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds.
After shaking off their own turnover issues early, the Buffs forced 11 West Virginia turnovers in the second half.
This story will be updated.
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