BOULDER, Colo. — In an exciting season opener on Monday night, the Colorado Buffaloes captured a 76-56 victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles, demonstrating a strong performance in the second half. Reserves Sebastian Rancik led Colorado’s scoring efforts with 13 points, closely followed by Trevor Baskin with 12 points. Javon Ruffin and Andrej Jakimovski contributed to the scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The game began with Eastern Washington taking an early lead, driven by Nic McClain’s 16 points and Vice Zanki’s solid performance, who nailed four 3-pointers for a total of 12 points. At halftime, the Eagles were ahead 31-25, maintaining a narrow advantage over the Buffaloes.

As the second half unfolded, Mason Williams hit a 3-pointer with 13:51 left in the game, extending Eastern Washington’s lead to 42-35. However, the tides quickly turned as Colorado ramped up their performance, launching a decisive 23-5 run over the next eight minutes. This surge was capped off by a layup from Trevor Baskin at the 5:55 mark, pushing Colorado into a commanding 58-47 lead, their first double-digit advantage of the contest.

Initially, the Eagles secured a remarkable 21-6 lead early in the game, thanks to Zanki’s impressive three 3-pointers before the halfway point of the first half. Despite being challenged by a total of 18 turnovers, Colorado effectively rebounded from this setback, dominating the boards with a 43-24 advantage in rebounds, which played a crucial role in their comeback.

With this win, the Buffaloes improved their historical record against the Eagles to a perfect 5-0. The season is just beginning, but the momentum they have built could prove beneficial as they continue to strive for success in upcoming games.