Colorado Buffaloes freshman guard, Isaiah Johnson, playing against Texas Tech at the CU Events Center on Saturday, January 10th, 2026 (Aspen Doust/CU Independent).
Colorado men’s basketball was left wondering what could’ve been on Saturday, Jan. 10, as a late-game comeback fell short in a 73-71 loss to No. 14 Texas Tech (12-4, 2-1 Big 12). The Buffaloes (12-4, 2-1 Big 12) trailed by as much as 24 in the second half but turned what appeared to be a blowout into a thrilling finale.
“It’s about energy and effort for 40 minutes. We have it in stretches. We had to find a way to have it for 40 minutes,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said afterward.
The Buffs struggled to contain the Red Raiders’ firepower from deep, highlighted by an early 12-2 Tech run that gave them the lead for good. Grant McCasland’s squad knocked down eight 3-pointers in the first half alone, led by sharpshooter Donovan Atwell, who had five.
Tech forward J.T. Toppin added to that misery for Colorado and notched a double-double before the break, which created plenty of second-chance opportunities for the Red Raiders. Within a blink, Tech carried a 43-27 lead into the locker room.
“We’re just not tough enough on the glass…It’s frustrating. This year’s Achilles heel is our inability to finish possessions,” Boyle said postgame.
It was more of the same to begin the second half. In a sequence where the Red Raiders grabbed four offensive rebounds in one possession, the energy was sucked out of the CU Events Center. Until it wasn’t.
Colorado freshman guard Isaiah Johnson ignited a charge coming off the bench, aggressively getting downhill to provide the Buffs with some much-needed energy. Johnson scored all 21 of his points in the second half, and went a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line. He added two 3-pointers late that got the crowd to explode and cut the Tech lead to eight with three minutes to play.
Colorado Buffaloes center, Elijah Malone, playing against Texas Tech at the CU Events Center on Saturday, January 10th, 2026 (Aspen Doust/CU Independent).
Toppin halted that momentum, though, and returned to the game for the final stretch after being in foul trouble. The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year slammed down an emphatic dunk in transition that broke the CU press.
However, one Red Raider turnover later led to a 3-pointer from Colorado’s Sebastian Rancik that cut the lead to just two points in the final 60 seconds. Barrington Hargress had a look at the buzzer to complete an improbable turnaround, but it clanked off the rim.
Boyle addressed the crowd postgame with a message of optimism.
“We will be back,” he said. “Don’t give up on this team.”
For Colorado, the challenge now is turning periods of flashes into consistency, and what-could’ve-beens into wins. After losses versus Kansas and UCF, the Buffaloes will face a challenge in Ames, Iowa, against No. 9 Iowa State on Thursday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. MT and will be streamed live on FS1.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Shane Holcombe at shane.holcombe@colorado.edu.
