LAHAINA, Hawaii — So the scriptwriters in Maui have been saving up material, huh?
Because that’s the only way to explain this Maui Invitational, which — after Colorado’s shocking 73-72 upset over No. 2 UConn on Tuesday, the Huskies’ second loss in as many days — has now delivered four absolute gems in five contests. The two-time defending national champs arrived at the tournament looking to stake their claim as one of the sport’s elite squads once again. Instead, they will now play in the last-place game, having lost consecutive contests for the first time since January 2023.
So, how did Colorado complete an 11-point comeback, and pull out the victory despite leading for less than a minute total on Tuesday?
Not in any one way, but through so many small, critical details. Start at the end, though, with the game-deciding sequence. UConn led by five with 3:28 to play, after a quick personal 5-0 run by Solo Ball. But coming out of timeout thereafter, Ball missed a free throw that ultimately proved decisive.
Colorado then made a concerted effort — as it did all game — to take advantage of UConn’s precarious frontcourt foul trouble. Some critical context: Both of UConn’s primary bigs, Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr., fouled out on Monday versus Memphis (albeit in overtime). So Colorado willingly went back to that well, feeding its own big man combo of Elijah Malone and Andrej Jakimovski, especially in the second half. Those two drew eight combined fouls and combined for 28 points — including the final six, which gave the Buffs their first signature win this season.
After Ball’s missed free throw, Reed fouled out with 2:04 left trying to defend the 6-foot-10, 268-pound Malone; that left 6-foot-8 wing Alex Karaban — who himself only played eight first-half minutes due to foul trouble — as UConn’s defacto center down the stretch. After Malone made his two free throws, cutting the margin to one, UConn answered with a Jaylin Stewart putback to push its lead back to three. Malone made another layup out of timeout to make it a one-point game, again, with 1:10 to play.
And then, the ultimate irony.
On Monday, when UConn wing Liam McNeeley was called for an over-the-back foul with 40 seconds left, which sent Dan Hurley into a frenzy, earning the coach a technical foul that ultimately cost the Huskies the game. But on Tuesday? Colorado forward Trevor Baskin was not called for an over-the-back foul when he collected a key offensive rebound with 24 seconds left off Javon Ruffin’s missed 3 — although review showed after the game that Baskin did make contact on the play, and should’ve earned a whistle.
Instead, Colorado called timeout, and gathered itself for one final play. Out of timeout, once again, Tad Boyle got his team going downhill, and Jakimovski made a running layup with eight seconds left that sent him careening into the stands.
UConn called timeout with 5.9 to play, but didn’t get off a great look. Hassan Diarra’s 3-point prayer at the buzzer fell incomplete, downing the Huskies with the miss.
Jakimovski’s make was an apt microcosm of the second half, where Colorado shot 62.5 percent overall. And as for that interior muscle? It led directly to 20 paint points, including the game-winner, but also multiple open kickout 3s; the Buffaloes shooting five-of-nine from 3 in the second half was just as pivotal to their upset bid.
Malone and point guard Julian Hammond III — who had four made 3s and three assists — led the way for Colorado. For UConn, McNeeley — who missed much of the second half with an apparent hip injury — still paced the team with 20 points, keyed by making his first four 3-pointers. Ball chipped in 16, while Hassan Diarra — who made his first start this season at point guard — had 11 points and six assists.
Required reading
(Photo: Darryl Oumi / Getty Images)
