Colorado escapes double-digit hole, tops Pacific

Andrej Jakimovski scored 17 points, Trevor Baskin had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Colorado rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Pacific 75-66 on Monday in Boulder, Colo.

Bangot Dak had seven points and four blocked shots for the Buffaloes (6-2), who remained perfect in five home games.

Elias Ralph scored a game-high 24 points, Elijah Fisher contributed 17 points and Petar Krivokapic scored 10 points for Pacific. The Tigers (5-5) had their two-game winning streak end.

Colorado led by four early in the game but then missed 10 consecutive field-goal attempts just as Pacific heated up. The Tigers made six in a row, two from 3-point range, during a 15-0 run that gave them a 19-8 lead.

Sebastian Rancik hit a 3-pointer to end Colorado's scoring drought that lasted 5:41.

Ralph's three-point play restored the Tigers' 11-point lead before Baskin had a tip-in, sank a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and split a pair of free throws, and Julian Hammond III made two foul shots to pull the Buffaloes within 26-21 with 6:11 left in the half.

Jakimovski's 3-pointer cut the gap to 33-29 with 3:01 to go before intermission, but Pacific scored the last five points of the half to lead 38-29 at the break.

The Tigers quickly extended the lead to 10 early in the second half, but the Buffaloes clawed within 43-38 before Krivokapic hit a 3-pointer and Washington sank two free throws to make it 48-38.

RJ Smith scored eight points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers, to spark a 17-4 run that gave Colorado a 55-52 lead with 9:30 left.

The Buffaloes stretched the advantage to 64-56 after three free throws by Baskin during a stretch in which Pacific missed eight straight shots and committed three turnovers.

Dak dunked and soon after knocked down 1 of 2 free throws to make it 67-56 with 2:57 left. The Tigers could never get closer than seven the rest of the way.

--Field Level Media