Two takeaways from the Buffs' 68-61 victory over Arizona State

The No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes ended a six-game losing streak in Tempe on Thursday evening as they topped the Arizona State Sun Devils 68-61.

Colorado had some early offensive struggles but made up for it on the defensive side of the court, maintaining a back-and-forth sequence to a 28-28 halftime score. the Buffs found a better rhythm in the second, putting together an 11-0 run that gave them the cushion they needed.

The experience and depth on Colorado’s team were on full display throughout the game, as although they struggled to get buckets early, the team remained calm and collected which allowed them to continue running their offensive and find some success late.

Here’s what we saw on Thursday night:

Defense travels even if the offense struggles

Colorado’s guards had a tough outing in Tempe, as their starting back three — McKinley Wright IV, Shane Gatling and D’Shwan Schwartz — hit just 9-27 from the floor, including 22.2% from deep. Wright and Schwartz had the toughest nights, as Wright hit just four of his 15 shots while Schwartz finished his third-consecutive game without a 3-pointer.

In a game where Tyler Bey dominated the block and Lucas Siewert controlled the three-point game, the team as a whole was not shooting soundly. However, the difference in shooting numbers between CU and ASU was astounding for a variety of reasons.

While the Buffs had their own struggles with their collective 40.4% shooting night, the Sun Devils had a night to truly forget. They made just three more shots than Colorado while having 18 more attempts. Their 24-of-70 night was good enough for a 34.3% mark.

Furthermore, Arizona State had no luck from deep, shooting 26.1% from deep. Although star point guard Remy Martin dropped in 25 points and Romello White added an additional 19, Colorado neutralized the rest of the ASU roster.

Here is where Colorado can make their mark in conference play, as the team is so well-rounded that even when Wright has a mediocre game for his standards (he still had an 11-5-4 stat line), there are essentially two players behind him ready to pick up the slack.

Tyler Bey shined when the team needed a leader

Bey began this season at a historic pace while averaging a double-double through the first 11 games. However, it felt as if Bey regressed a bit going into December, as although his stats were still strong, he lacked the dominating presence that allowed him to feast on opponents in the early season.

Last night, No. 1 dropped in 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, as well as two blocks and two steals to lead the team on both ends of the floor. In a game that saw the majority of the starting five struggle, Bey was clearly the bright spot. While stuffing the stats, he also hit on eight of ten free-throw attempts, giving the Buffs additional support down the line at the charity stripe.

It was refreshing to see Bey get into his groove in the game Thursday, seeing him play confidently within himself. Some of his pull up shots still need work, as he sometimes settles for a contested jumper instead of backing down his opponent. With that being said, Bey’s strong play continues to warrant opposing coaches’ attention.

Looking ahead

Colorado will now head down the road to the University of Arizona for a Saturday afternoon battle that concludes their AZ road trip. Although Arizona recently fell out of the AP Top 25 Poll, it still presents a chance for Colorado to prove its conference strength.

Tip-off is scheduled at 12:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on FOX.