Font Resize"They`re good," is the early scouting report. "Everybody`s good. Chaminade is good."
And for the first time since arriving in Boulder, the third-year head coach feels the same way about his Buffs.
"Yeah, we`re good," Bzdelik said.
The Colorado men`s basketball program is off to a 3-0 start for the first time in eight years after an 88-77 victory over Texas Southern on Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center.
Cory Higgins and Alec Burks each scored 23 points, including some clutch baskets down the stretch after a 16-point second-half lead was cut to two points by the pesky visitors.
Bzdelik sounded like he was tempted to pay the way for the vocal students section to join the team at the EA Sports Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving break.
"Our students are awesome. They really are," said Bzdelik, whose team is actually enjoying a home-court advantage so far this season, despite being picked to finish last in the Big 12 by the coaches. "We need them and they`re a big part of our basketball team. We`re just going to play hard and with enthusiasm and passion. I`m not going to promise anything beyond that. But we appreciate our students and our fans."
The feeling was mutual when CU went on an 11-0 run that Higgins began with a baseline jumper and ended with a 3-pointer to make the score 13-6.
Then the talented Tigers (1-2) grabbed seven offensive rebounds and scored nine second-chance points in the first half. A 3-pointer by Travele Jones -- who carried the scoring load for the visitors with 31 points on 10-for-14 shooting -- cut the Buffs` lead to 26-25.
CU led by nine points (41-32) after an 8-0 run and took a 43-26 advantage into halftime when Keegan Hornbuckle grabbed an offensive rebound and calmly splashed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer.
"I thought Keegan gave us some good minutes," Bzdelik said. "He`s active and he`s long and he`s athletic. Again, you look at this team with one senior, as it gets stronger we`re going to be pretty good."
A 3-pointer by Nate Tomlinson, who has played well in his new role as the sixth man, gave the Buffs their largest lead (59-43) with 14:28 remaining.
Texas Southern, despite playing without leading scorer Whitworth Treasure (24.0 ppg), made things uncomfortable for the loyal customers at the Coors Events Center.
After a 3-pointer by Justin Ray, back-to-back buckets by DeAndre Hall, and a nice post move by Aaron Clayborn, the visitors were suddenly within 71-69 with 4:52 left.
"I was nervous," Burks admitted. "I`ve never been in that situation."
It didn`t show. The true freshman`s 3-pointer with 3:41 opened the game at 76-69. Higgins, of course, had just buried a shot to end the Tigers` run and get the crowd back into the game after the lead was sliced to two points.
"It was good for us," Higgins said of being tested after opening the season with blowout wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Coppin State. "We know we`re going to be battling every minute of every game in Maui."
The Buffs play Gonzaga in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday (1 p.m., ESPN2). The Bulldogs are going to be looking to win the prestigious tournament after letting a victory over the Spartans slip away in East Lansing.
Is CU ready for the challenge?
"Yeah," Bzdelik said. "Let`s go play."
CU 88, Texas Southern 77
TEXAS SOUTHERN
FG FT Reb
Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
Boyles 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Jones 35 10-14 8-11 2-9 3 5 31
Hall 40 6-14 4-4 5-7 6 4 16
Ray 40 4-11 1-2 1-3 1 4 12
West 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ellis 6 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Johnson 12 2-2 1-2 0-0 2 0 5
Burrell 17 0-2 0-1 1-1 2 1 0
Clayborn 13 1-5 0-0 4-7 0 3 2
TePrice 3 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 0 0
Abiakam 28 3-5 3-4 1-3 1 4 9
Totals 200 27-54 17-24 16-32 15 21 77
Percentages: FG .500, FT .708.
3-Point Goals: 6-15, .400 (Jones 3-5, Ray 3-9, Burrell 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 1.
Blocked Shots: 4 (Abiakam 4).
Turnovers: 16 (Jones 5, Hall 5, Johnson, Ray, West, Abiakam, Burrell).
Steals: 6 (Burrell 2, Ray, Jones, Abiakam, Hall).
Technical Fouls: None.
COLORADO
FG FT Reb
Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
Dufault 31 2-5 3-4 2-3 2 2 7
Rlphrde 30 4-9 3-4 0-2 4 2 11
Burks 31 6-9 10-13 2-4 2 2 23
CHiggins 33 9-12 4-6 1-6 3 3 23
Thorne II 23 4-7 0-0 0-2 2 2 10
Tmlnsn 24 3-3 0-0 0-1 2 1 8
Hrs-Tnks 9 1-1 0-0 0-2 0 4 2
Crawford 5 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 2 0
Hrnbckle 14 2-4 0-0 2-2 0 2 4
Totals 200 31-51 20-27 8-25 15 20 88
Percentages: FG .608, FT .741.
3-Point Goals: 6-11, .545 (Tomlinson 2-2, Thorne II 2-3, Burks 1-2, C.Higgins 1-2, Crawford 0-1, Relphorde 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 2.
Blocked Shots: 0.
Turnovers: 9 (Relphorde 3, C.Higgins 2, Tomlinson 2, Dufault, Crawford).
Steals: 7 (Relphorde 2, Tomlinson 2, Dufault 2, C.Higgins).
Technical Fouls: None.
Texas Southern 36 41--77
Colorado 43 45--88
A -- 4,678.
Officials -- Scott Thornley, Randy Heimerman, Tom O`Neil.
