The Colorado Buffaloes lost a tough game to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 62-61, in the final seconds of the game. Alabama's Trevor Releford made a layup with 13 seconds left in the game. Colorado called a timeout and put the ball into the hands of Alec Burks on the inbound pass. He took a final (bad) shot to win the game, but it came up short, putting Alabama into the championship game with Wichita State on Thursday night.
The Buffs held a 17-15 lead midway through the first half, but saw Alabama take a 36-30 lead to end the half. The second half turned into a seesaw game once the Buffs overcame a 10-point deficit. Alec Burks led the team with 20 and six rebounds, while Levi Knutson scored 12 of his 14 points on four three-pointers. Cory Higgins added 13 points and dished the ball out for five assists. The bench had a quiet game with Andre Roberson scoring six points and Nate Tomlinson adding three to the scoreboard. Roberson grabbed four rebounds and made two steals as well.
Alabama's JaMychal Green led the Tide with 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and pulled down six boards. Trevor Releford had the best all-around game with 13 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds.
With Colorado out of the tournament, the question for the Buffs now is whether Alec Burks will return for his junior season or if he will jump ship and declare for the NBA Draft. He could potentially be a lottery pick. But there is still time for Burks to decide.
For now, the Buffs should celebrate a great season (that unfortunately ended in the wrong tournament and a game too early).