BOULDER, Colo. — In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, Trevor Baskin secured victory for Colorado with two crucial free throws in the final minute of the second overtime, leading the Buffaloes to a narrow 90-88 triumph over their in-state rival, Northern Colorado.

Colorado’s offense was heavily reliant on free throws, capitalizing on 31 of their 41 attempts, which accounted for a significant portion of their scoring.

The contest saw momentum shifts throughout, especially in the closing moments of regulation. Julian Hammond III made two free throws with 25 seconds left on the clock, putting Colorado ahead 67-62. However, Northern Colorado’s Isaiah Hawthorne quickly responded with a layup, followed by Marcel McCreary who secured a long rebound and hit a three-pointer with just eight seconds remaining, which knotted the score at 67 and forced the game into overtime.

In the first overtime, Elijah Malone’s free throw with 49 seconds remaining leveled the score again at 76, necessitating a second extra period. The second overtime featured back-and-forth scoring, with Luca Colceag draining a three-pointer at the 2:42 mark that briefly put Northern Colorado ahead 84-83. Javon Ruffin countered with a jumper, but Hawthorne responded with his own three-pointer, extending the Bears’ lead to 87-85. Unfortunately for Northern Colorado, Jaron Rillie’s free throw with 1:30 left was their last contribution to the scoreboard.

Malone was especially impressive for Colorado, going 10 for 12 from the free throw line and finishing the game with 27 points. Ruffin and Hammond were also crucial contributors, each scoring 12 points, while Baskin rounded out the performance with nine points and nine rebounds.

On the other side, Hawthorne led Northern Colorado with 19 points, while Jaron Rillie added 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Zach Bloch contributed 14 points, and both McCreary and Langston Reynolds contributed 13 points to the team’s effort.