Colorado made quick work of Alabama State on Monday night, leading wire-to-wire against the Hornets to stay a perfect 4-0 on the year. The Buffs dominated in nearly all facets of the game, leaving no doubt in their victory over an ASU team that made the NCAA Tournament last season, winning by a margin of 28 points.
CU came out of the gates running, shooting the lights out of the gym. Colorado made each of their first three shots from the floor, along with their first six freebies for good measure.
To complement their stellar shooting, the Buffs also managed to shut down Alabama State defensively. After soaring out to a 15-2 run to take 23-8 lead, Colorado forced the Hornets to shoot a lowly 2-17 from the field midway through the first half, essentially sealing the game before the break.
Much of Colorado’s first-half momentum came via the hands of forward Bangot Dak, who made his presence known early and often on Monday night. Dak got hot to start the game, scoring CU’s first six points, and never slowed, racking up 11 total first-half points, four rebounds, two steals and a block, all in the first frame.
With how dominant the Buffs looked, the Hornets got desperate and resorted to fouling the Buffs at nearly every opportunity they could and hoping that CU floundered at the line. After tallying 12 first-half fouls, the Buffs punished the Hornets, hitting 14 of their 19 free throw attempts. CU headed to halftime with a commanding 46-22 lead over ASU.
After opening the second half by extending their lead to 29, the Buffs began to slow. The Hornets began to get hot from deep, hitting five of their eight three-point attempts to open the period, slowly by surely cutting down at Colorado’s lead. CU followed up ASU’s hot streak with a cold spell, hitting only one shot of their eight shots from the floor over the course of five minutes with around 10 minutes to play.
With CU’s lead cut to only 15 points, the Buffs finally regained their footing. Three consecutive makes from Rancik, Malone and Dak steadied the ship and cleared the way for Colorado’s freshman, who stuck the dagger in it. A beautiful layup from Jalin Holland and five quick points from Isaiah Johnson sealed the deal, as CU walked away with a 28-point win at home.
Dak finished as the clear player of the game, tallying up 16 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist when it was all said and done. Four other Buffs finished with double-digit scoring figures, being Sebastian Rancik (14 pts), Isaiah Johnson (10 pts), Alon Michaeli (10 pts) and Josiah Sanders (10 pts). CU made a clear point to spread out the ball, as they finished with 20 assists and 12 players in the scoring column.
Colorado’s next test will be on Friday night against a UC Davis team that’s poised to take the jump to the Mountain West in 2026. Tipoff will be at 7:00 p.m. at the CU Events Center, while the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
