The WSU men’s basketball team fell to the No. 23 University of Colorado Buffaloes 78-56 after a dominating second half performance from Colorado (15-4, 4-2).

This is WSU ‘s ninth straight loss in Boulder, Colorado. WSU (12-8, 3-4) still has never won in Boulder. 

Four Colorado players scored double-digit points, three of which recorded double-doubles. One of Colorado’s double-doubles came from junior guard McKinley Wright IV who recorded 10 assists. This marks a new opponent season-high in individual assists allowed for WSU.

Sophomore forward CJ Elleby led the Cougars in scoring with 15 points on 50 percent shooting. Junior forward Daron Henson made his third appearance this season and scored a career high 13 points off the bench.

Unlike his career game against Oregon State last Saturday, junior guard Isaac Bonton finished the game with 10 points and seven assists while shooting four of 16 from the field.

Henson entered the game about 10 minutes into the first half and made a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Cougars a 22-20 lead with eight and a half minutes left in the half.

Colorado took a 28-26 lead with four and a half minutes left in the first half. The Buffaloes held this lead up until halftime. Freshman guard Noah Williams finished the Cougars’ half with a transition euro-step layup and the foul to make a 3-point play. The Buffaloes led 38-33 at halftime, and Elleby led the Cougars with nine points.

Henson finished the half with seven points; these were the only points from the Cougars’ bench thus far. 

After shooting 25 for 27 from the free throw line against Oregon State last Saturday, the Cougars shot and made one free throw in the first half. Colorado ended the half with 10 made free throws; the most allowed from WSU in a first half all season.

In the beginning minutes of the second half, senior forward Jeff Pollard went down with a leg injury after a Colorado player landed wrong on Pollard. He was helped off the court, and returned with under 11 minutes left in the game.

Colorado took its first double-digit lead a little about four minutes into the second half. Elleby then responded with five points in the preceding minute. The Buffaloes extended the lead to double-digits again with 9:37 left on the clock.

Colorado outscored WSU 19-5 in the final 10 minutes of the game and cruised to victory as the clock hit zero. Nine Colorado 3-pointers matches the season-high for a WSU opponent, and 45 Colorado rebounds is one shy of the season-high for a WSU opponent.

WSU faces the University of Utah Utes at 4 p.m. PST on Saturday in the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will air on the Pac-12 Networks.