On the back end of a two-game road trip, the Arizona men’s basketball team lost to the University of Colorado Boulder 79-63. In the first half, Arizona had a 4 point lead while shooting 13 of 14 from the line.

The outcome looked positive for Arizona, finishing the game 18-22 from the free throw line. However, defensively the Wildcats struggled tremendously.

There seemed to be a lack of energy in the half-court all night long. The Buffaloes excelled at getting into the lane, running simple action, beating the Wildcats off the dribble.

The Wildcats looked out of sorts on the offensive end, not relying on their identity. The crowd seemed to have taken the Wildcats out of rhythm, speeding them up and resulting in ill-advised turnovers and poor shot selection throughout the second half.

Azuolas Tubelis and the rest of the front-court struggled to guard opposing guards in the pick and roll, leading to many point-blank makes for Colorado.

The Buffaloes dominated the game, having a large edge in points scored in the paint. Former Arizona commit K.J. Simpson was a key difference-maker, having 13 points and playing a pivotal role off the bench.

Head coach Tommy Lloyd seemed to run out of options late as the offense became stagnant, relying on isolation from the perimeter.

Arizona was not able to get any touches in the paint for their big men, which is the main focal point of their offense. Arizona will look to rebound from the loss on Tuesday vs. USC.

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