Three takeaways from the Buffs 71-53 victory over San Diego

BOULDER — The Colorado Buffaloes welcomed its basketball team to a roaring crowd in its opening home game as they rolled to a 71-53 victory over San Diego Toreros.

The Buffs entered the night as 18-point favorites but the Toreros kept the score close in the first half, as Colorado struggled to string together runs and contain San Diego’s deep shooting. However, some second-half adjustments by head coach Tad Boyle allowed Colorado to make an 18-2 run that put the team ahead by a more respectable margin.

Heres what we saw Saturday night:

The 3-point shooting shined

Colorado emphasized its shooting from behind the arc in the offseason and fans were eager to see the results in person. After shooting 40% from deep against ASU (8-20), the Buffs bumped up the numbers with 11 makes at a 46% rate. It was not just the volume and conversions, but it was the variety of shooters that gives fans a reason to be happy. CU had six players hit on a deep ball, with D’Shawn Schwartz, Tyler Bey, Lucas Siewert, and Shane Gatling all hitting multiple attempts.

Bey improved on his stroke from deep, hitting on 2-3 as opposed to his 0-4 showing last week. Evan Battey also came out to hit his first three of the season, forcing defenses to play honestly with the teams’ frontcourt showing they can hit from beyond.

Schwartz continued his strong play, with six of his 15 points coming from deep on a 66% rate. Schwarts has been one of the highlights of this season, as he plays with a combination of strength and finesse. He is as comfortable driving into the post as squaring up in the corner, as his 6’7″ frame gives him the versatility to continue having a strong season.

CU continues to struggle with the basics

Turnovers and free-throw shooting are two things that can sink a team, and through two games Colorado has shown little to be hopeful from these two departments.

The Buffs had 18 turnovers in the game, spread across almost every player with significant minutes, to pair with a 67% free throw percentage (14-21). Bey, although notching his second double-double in as many games, threw the ball away three times, putting his season total to seven. Bey is a presence in the post with an athleticism that is hardly matched, but his tendency to make one play too many could begin to frustrate coaches. His positive offensive contributions makes the turnovers easier to bare, but if his performance drops it will be something to watch.

These stats combine to show missed opportunities across the floor, and in a game against a smaller school like San Diego, it does not show as much. Come Jan. 2, when Oregon comes to town, the Buffs would be leaving seven points off the board as well as however many could come from those empty possessions.

Leadership came from unlikely places

The narrative all offseason is how deep CU is, and that depth proved valuable on Saturday night while McKinley Wright had a surprisingly inefficient night. Schwartz and Bey led the starting unit, with both hitting two 3s with solid outings on the glass and shooting the ball.

Off the bench, the Buffs enjoyed Siewert and Gatling hitting a combined five deep balls, giving the Buffs a strong second-unit performance that was desperately needed.

Starting guard Daylen Kountz had a night to forget, shooting 0-5 with two turnovers. McKinley Wright also struggled from the field, converting only five shots on 13 attempts to pair with missing both shots from deep.

Eight players had at least 16 minutes in the game, with Maddox Daniels and Eli Parquet close behind with 13 minutes apiece. When one player slips, there are two behind him who can come in and play effectively.

Looking forward

The Buffs will host UC-Irvine on Monday at 7 p.m. as they look to continue building upon their strong start to the year.