16 extra possessions.
That was the main reason Colorado (2-2) lost 67-53 to Providence on the road. The Friars (3-1) pressured the Buffs and pushed the pace on Saturday night. And after entering the contest averaging 21 forced turnovers per game, PC forced one more against CU. It also grabbed eight more offensive boards.
The Black-and-Gold committed 15 turnovers in the first half, sparking a 23-4 Friars’ explosion. The run lasted for 10 minutes, and Providence led by 16 points with under four minutes before halftime. Guard Miles Byrd led the charge, tying his school’s single-game steals record with 10.
“Maybe he's just that much better than we are,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said on the school’s radio broadcast. “And he was tonight.”
CU fifth-year Barrington Hargress and sophomore Jalin Holland did their best to keep the Buffs afloat. They combined for 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting. They went on two runs in both halves, cutting the 16-point Providence lead to eight by halftime. Then, they slimmed a 12-point lead to six with four minutes remaining.
However, the rest of the team scored 19 points on 6-of-34 shooting, and CU had just 10 assists. And while the defense played well, forcing 39 3-point attempts and keeping Providence to 36.4% shooting overall, it allowed eight more offensive rebounds. Two offensive rebounds led to a game-sealing 3-pointer by freshman Clyde Walters with two minutes left.
“Our team has fight. There's a difference between fight and toughness,” Boyle said. “That's what I want our players to understand, and our fans to understand is we are not a tough team. We're not. We're soft. We showed that against San Diego State. We showed that tonight.”
Three Friars, including two guards, grabbed three offensive rebounds.
Providence also went without Devin Vanterpool’s 16 points per game because of a shoulder injury. Yet Arrinten Page returned from a knee sprain, scoring 17 points and nabbing seven rebounds. The 6-foot-11 big man laced three 3-pointers in his return.
“It's like you're a kid on the playground,” Boyle said. “It used to be if you were a weakling on the playground, you got your lunch money taken from you. Guess what? Providence took our lunch money tonight, and we got to live with that. And it's really, really difficult for me, the way I'm built. I can't stand that.”
Starters
CU: Barrington Hargress, Alex Dickeson, Ian Inman, Josiah Sanders, Noah Feddersen
PC: Malik Mack, Ryan Mela, Miles Byrd, Jacob Bannarbie, Leonardo Marangon
Head-to-head
CU: 53 points, 19-55 FG, 5-17 3PT, 10-13 FT, 39 rebounds (11 offensive), 10 assists (22 turnovers), 4 blocks, 7 steals, 17 fouls
PC: 67 points, 24-66 FG, 9-39 3PT, 10-16 FT, 44 rebounds (19 offensive), 15 assists (13 turnovers), 4 blocks, 18 steals, 15 fouls
Top performers
CU: Barrington Hargress and Jalin Holland were more than half of CU’s offense; they were 64.2% of it. Hargress hit several tough baskets going to the rim and nailed two 3-pointers. Holland’s finishes were impressive, and he added two 3-pointers. Hargress also posted four rebounds and four assists, along with four turnovers. Big man Noah Feddersen scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds.
PC: Miles Byrd was in the middle of everything – the man tied a school-record 10 steals. He sparked PC’s forceful defensive night. Byrd shot just 6-of-19, but he hit two 3-pointers and led the team with 17 points and seven rebounds. Guard Gavin Hightower added energy with two steals and three offensive rebounds in a plus-18 effort. Arrinten Page provided an offensive spark, scoring 13 points on three 3-pointers in his return from injury.
How it happened
1st half, PC, 34-26
- U16: CU 8, PC 5 - Inman got things going with a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock on CU’s first possession. Providence, with no paint touches, shot eight 3-pointers to start the game and made one. Yet it grabbed three offensive boards and forced two turnovers. Hargress buried his first 3 to keep an early lead.
- U12: CU 16, PC 18 - CU traded baskets with Providence. The Buffs’ frontcourt scored a few baskets, but the Friars pushed the pace after each score. Meanwhile, Page hit two 3s and made a nice pass to Mela, leading a 7-0 run. A Malual swat almost ended the run – it led to a Hargress layup that was goaltended. However, Hodgson reviewed the call, and the run continued.
- CU TO (8:49): CU 14, PC 25 - Friars continue the run after the review, opening up a 14-0 run. CU had six turnovers and five straight misses in 11 possessions. It had eight turnovers, leading to a Boyle timeout.
- U8: CU 16, PC 27: Another Friars' steal leads to a score. Hargress ends the 16-0 run with a layup. 4 steals for Miles Byrd and 2 for Gavin Hightower.
- U4: CU 18, PC 34 - The Friars started another 7-2 run out of the under-eight break. The Buffs had more turnovers, leading to fast-break points. Providence scored 16 points off of turnovers in the opening 16 minutes. Holland had a nice drive in between the chaos. The Buffs couldn’t move the ball, only having four assists.
- HALF: CU 26, PC 34 - Colorado held Providence scoreless for the final four minutes and cut the lead to single digits. It stopped turning the ball over, and the Friars finished the half 12-of-34 from the field. Hargress and Holland got going with multiple and-ones and a fast-break layup.
2nd half, PC, 67-53 (PC, 33-27)
- U16: CU 32, PC 43 - CU forced three turnovers to start the second half, scoring off two. Inman also hit a jumper. The Buffs continued to play decent half-court defense as the Friars missed six of their first seven 3-point attempts in the second half. But Providence grabbed three offensive rebounds and scored off two CU giveaways.
- U12: CU 37, PC 47 - Hargress hit a 3, gave it back with a pick-six turnover and then nailed a tough mid-range jumper. Providence, which had 14 offensive boards through the first three quarters, grabbed three before the timeout and Bannarbie headed to the line. Both teams were shooting under 40% to start the half.
- U8: CU 44, PC 55 - CU played a much cleaner half through 12 minutes. Holland kept scoring, with a spin for a layup and a second-chance 3 after Feddersen and Malual grabbed two offensive rebounds. Byrd and Page hit two big 3-pointers, though, pushing the Friars’ lead back out to double digits. The Buffs got within seven and eight points but ultimately made up no ground.
- U4: CU 53, PC 59 - The Buffs went on a 6-0 run, led by Holland. He got to the line and nailed his second 3-pointer. CU got more to the rim, earning 11 free throws in the second half compared to just two in the first; the Friars' backcourt got into foul trouble. Colorado kept the ball more secure.
- CU TO (1:46): CU 53, PC 62: The freshman, Walters, laced a 3 after CU fumbled a rebound out of bounds. It was the first score by anyone since the under-four timeout. The Buffs botched their chance coming out of the break, as Byrd picked up his ninth steal. Hargess also missed a deep, open 3-pointer a few possessions later.
- FINAL: CU 53, PC 67 - Colorado ultimately never scored after pulling within six points on a 6-0 run entering the final media break. Holland missed a 3-pointer, then Page scored a put-back layup to seal the game. The Buffs shot 26.7% from the field in the second half and committed seven turnovers.
What’s next
Colorado returns home Wednesday against the Portland Pilots (3-2) at 7 p.m. MT. ESPN+ will broadcast the contest. CU heads to Palm Desert the week after for the Acrisure Series, where it’ll tip off against Stanford.
Coaches Mentioned
