CU Buffs advance to second round of Pac-12 Tourney, face Oregon Ducks tonight

Ah, Las Vegas. It’s always a fun getaway, but if you’re a lover of basketball, this is the time to visit Sin City.

Currently, the Pac-12, the Mountain West and the WAC are all holding their conference tournaments in Vegas, with three of our Centennial State schools taking part in the action. In the MW, it’s Colorado State and Air Force, with CU putting on a show in the Pac-12 on Wednesday night.

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team faced Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tourney on Wednesday, with CU coming from behind to win and advance. Askia Booker was big for the Buffs against the Oregon State Beavers, especially in the second half, when he scored 11 points as part of a 13-2 run that helped the black and gold to a 78-71 victory. Booker, a senior guard, couldn’t score in the first half but finished with a game-high 20 points by coming alive in crunch time. Also impressive was Josh Scott’s 16-point, 14-rebound double-double in the win as the Buffs dominated the glass 39-26.

Tonight, the 10^th seeded Buffaloes play the No. 2 seed Oregon Ducks in the Tournament’s second round. The two teams last met on Feb. 18 in Eugene, Oregon, with the Ducks flying high to a 73-60 victory. In that game, Oregon enjoyed four double-digit scorers, led by Joseph Young’s 23 points, while Scott’s superb 17 rebounds and 10 points weren’t enough to lift the Buffs.

Colorado needs to push the pace – something both teams enjoy to do – to increase their chances of winning tonight. Of course, Booker and Scott will be important, but the Buffaloes will need multiple more young men to step up, just like last night. Will it be Tre’Shaun Fletcher and Dustin Thomas again or will someone like Wesley Gordon get it done? The Ducks averaged 76 points per game in the regular season, eight more than the Buffs, so CU will have to light it up from the floor to give themselves a chance.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. MT and can be seen via the Pac-12 website. A win tonight would mean advancing to the semifinals – which take place on Friday – against the winner of Stanford – Utah.