The defensive effort probably still wasn’t as sharp as Colorado coach Tad Boyle would prefer.
But it was more than good enough to come away with a key nonconference victory.
Powered by strong games from point guard Barrington Hargress and freshman forward Alon Michaeli, the CU men’s basketball team defeated Providence 97-88 on Friday night at the CU Events Center.
The Buffs jumped to a quick 9-2 lead out of the gate and never trailed in the first half, but Providence ended the first half on a 10-2 run, cutting CU’s lead to 39-38 at the break. The Friars added the first basket of the second half to take their first lead, but it proved to be Providence’s only lead of the night.
CU (3-0) answered with a 6-0 burst and managed to keep the Friars at arms-length the rest of the way.
Michaeli led the Buffs’ offense with 20 points, adding six rebounds. Elijah Malone went 7-for-10 with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Hargress finished with 15 points and 11 assists. It was the first time a CU player recorded a double-digit assist total since McKinley Wright IV recorded 14 against USC on Feb. 25, 2021.
CU shot at least 50% for the third time in as many games, finishing at .515 with a .600 mark in the second half. Despite the lofty final score, the Buffs still held the Friars 10 points under their scoring average.
This story will be updated.
