KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In an electrifying matchup, Andrej Jakimovski spearheaded Colorado with 18 points, while Julian Hammond III contributed 16. Their clutch free-throw shooting in the final 20 seconds clinched a thrilling 69-67 triumph for the Buffaloes, notably the 16th and last seed, against the No. 9 seed TCU during the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday.
The tension peaked as Hammond knocked down two crucial foul shots, giving Colorado (13-19) a narrow 67-65 advantage with 20 seconds remaining. Despite TCU retaliating with a goaltending call that tied the game, Javon Ruffin’s adept free throws, with merely 5.8 seconds on the clock, secured the victory for the Buffaloes.
This victory was particularly satisfying for Colorado, considering they had recently defeated TCU in their regular-season finale. The Buffaloes, who have returned to the Big 12 from the Pac-12 after a long gap since 2011, are set to face eighth-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday, hoping to advance to the quarterfinals.
Noah Reynolds’ 17 points and Trazarien White’s 13 contributed significantly to TCU’s efforts. The Horned Frogs emerged from a 63-50 deficit with five minutes remaining, rallying with a 10-point surge that kept the fans at T-Mobile Center on edge during the last minute.
The takeaways are quite telling—Colorado appears to be hitting its stride late in the season, overcoming an initial 13-game conference losing streak to win three out of their last seven before the tournament. Conversely, TCU’s downfall can be attributed to sluggish beginnings in each half, as the Horned Frogs failed to score a field goal until 12:06 in the first half and only began scoring after 15:09 into the second half.
A pivotal moment came with Bangot Dak’s slam dunk, courtesy of a clever pass from Trevor Baskin, giving TCU a 65-60 lead over Colorado with just over a minute on the clock. Statistical analysis reveals Colorado’s superiority from the charity stripe, converting 18 of 24 attempts, while TCU managed only 10 out of 20.
In the aftermath, the Buffaloes are gearing up for a showdown against the Mountaineers in the tournament’s second round on Wednesday.
