Buffaloes Fall To No. 3 Iowa State, 79-69

Colorado threw a scare into No. 3 Iowa State on Monday in their Big 12 opener but the Buffaloes couldn't close the deal down the stretch and dropped a 79-69 decision at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle's Buffs fell to 9-3 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play. Iowa State improved to 11-1, 1-0.

Colorado overcame a 12-point deficit early in the second half to take a 53-48 lead with 13 minutes to play. But the Buffs couldn't hold the lead as ISU took advantage of a CU cold streak to regain the edge, then used an 8-0 run in the final three minutes to put the game away.

Julian Hammond III led CU with 21 points on 9-for-17 shooting and also had four rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. RJ Smith added 14 points and Bangot Dak led the Buffs with eight rebounds.