CU men's basketball wins against Harvard, remains undefeated

The University of Colorado Boulder men’s basketball team’s Andrej Jakimovski dribbles the ball during their match against the Harvard University Crimson at the CU Event Center on Sunday Nov. 18, 2024. (Scott Tan/CU Independent)

The University of Colorado Boulder men’s basketball team recorded its fourth victory of the season Sunday, defeating Harvard University by 20 points.

The first third of the game was close, but a strong finish from the Buffaloes, who scored 30 points in the final 10 minutes, secured the win. This marks the third game of the season in which Colorado has won by 20 points or more. It is also the third game in they’ve scored 30 points in the final 10 minutes of regulation — all of which have occurred at the CU Events Center.

While the Buffaloes have enjoyed a home-court advantage in their first four games, they will soon participate in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. The squad will hope to continue its strong finishes while also improving its overall game as the competition level increases in the prestigious tournament.

From the early moments, the Buffaloes found themselves in the lead, but they were only ahead by as much as 12 points in the first half. Harvard shot a less-than-ideal 33% from the field and scored only eight points in the paint during the first 20 minutes. The Crimson kept themselves in the game with a 46% shooting performance from three-point range, knocking down six of their 13 attempts. The physicality of the Buffaloes, however, seemed to overwhelm Harvard, as Colorado controlled the paint, scoring 22 points near the basket and out rebounding the Crimson 20-11 in the first half. Elijah Malone and Trevor Baskin, both graduate students new to the team, provided valuable size in the low post.

The Buffaloes struggled with ball security, which allowed the Crimson to stay within reach. Junior Javon Ruffin highlighted ball security and perimeter defense as issues in the first half.

“We really took away the threes. That was a big emphasis of ours. Coming into the game, we knew they shot 31 threes in their last game, which is a lot,” Ruffin said. “We knew they were going to pull a lot, so our goal was to take away as many as possible, and we didn’t really do that. We gave them easy points with turnovers and transition buckets, so I think that’s what changed in the second half.”

The University of Colorado Boulder men’s basketball team’s Javon Ruffin during their match against the Harvard University Crimson at the CU Events Center on Sunday Nov. 18, 2024. (Scott Tan/CU Independent)

The first 10 minutes of the second half were slow for the Buffaloes, but Harvard found new life, closing the gap to within 6 points with 11 minutes remaining. As CU head coach Tad Boyle noted after the Eastern Washington University game earlier this month, perhaps it was the altitude that caught up to the Harvard players, which allowed the Buffaloes to dominate down the stretch. Four three-pointers and two big dunks from Malone, among other key plays, swung the momentum firmly in CU’s favor.

Four Buffaloes scored in double figures. Andrej Jakimovski led the way with 20 points, including 15 in the first half, as the Washington State transfer emerged as Colorado’s leading scorer for the season. Malone added 16 points and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 6 for 6. Ruffin contributed 15 points off the bench, and Baskin chipped in 13 points.

Baskin continues to be a versatile contributor for the Buffaloes this season. He provides length in the paint, grabs rebounds, blocks shots and can even hit jumpers. His stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal demonstrates his all-around value. Look for Baskin to continue providing invaluable production across the board.

The University of Colorado Boulder men’s basketball team’s Trevor Baskin dunking on the opponent during their match against the Harvard University Crimson at the CU Event Center on Sunday Nov. 18, 2024. (Scott Tan/CU Independent)

Jakimovski reflected on the importance of games that challenge the team’s resilience in the second half, adding that the early part of the season has helped prepare them for tougher competition ahead.

“I think we got better today,” Jakimovski said. “Coach is always saying, ‘No matter how many minutes you’re playing, you’ve got to give your everything,’ so I think we got better today. Obviously, the next couple of games the competition is going to be at a high level, but I think we’re going to be ready for sure.”

Though only four games into the season, the Buffaloes are still finding their identity. Aside from a narrow win over the University of Northern Colorado, the Buffs have shown themselves to be a strong second-half team. They will need to find a way to keep up with tougher competition, as Michigan State University awaits Colorado in the first round of the Maui Invitational. The Spartans, who lost to No. 1 University of Kansas by just eight points, have proven they can compete with the best. Colorado will need to play a more complete game than it has in the first four contests, but if they can stay competitive early and finish strong once again, good things could be in store for the Buffaloes.