Fast break

Why the Buffs won: CU shot .514 in the second half while tigtening the defensive pressure, limiting San Francisco to a .441 mark after halftime.

Three stars

1. Isaiah Johnson. The freshman guard went 7-for-10 and scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half.

2. Barrington Hargress. The Buffs’ point guard was efficient, going 6-for-11 overall and 2-for-3 on 3-pointers before finishign with 15 points and three assists.

3. Bangot Dak. The junior forward did a little big of everything, recording 13 points, five rebounds and a career-high six assists.

Up next: CU will complete the Acrisure Holiday Classic on Friday against either Nevada or Washington (2:30 p.m. MT, truTV).

PALM DESERT, Calif. — Thanks to a plane trip and a couple nights at a resort hotel, Colorado Buffaloes already were well aware they were on the road.

Yet once the ball was tipped off, the realities of life on the road soon smacked the Buffaloes in the face. The thin and scattered crowd at Acrisure Arena forced both teams to generate their own energy. The wealth of free throws CU enjoyed at home mostly disappeared. And the shots that fell at such a torrid pace through the season-opening run of five home games cooled appreciably.

At least until the second half.

The CU men’s basketball team tightened the defensive pressure to unleash a second-half surge, sending the Buffaloes to a 79-69 win against San Francisco in the first game of the Acrisure Holiday Classic.

CU (6-0) will play in the second game on Friday afternoon against the winner between Nevada and Washington (2:30 p.m. MT, truTV).

“We’re making progress. There’s no question we are,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I thought we were a little undisciplined in the first half. But the second half we were better. Our guys, you can see it in practice. (Wednesday) we didn’t go very long, but the defensive segment was spirited. Our guys were dialed-in. So I see it in practice, and then I do see improvement in the game.

“We’re still not where we want to be or need to be. But we’re getting there. Our guys are starting to play a little more connected defensively.”

San Francisco led 37-35 at halftime and still led 51-49 early in the second half when the Buffs slowly took command, piecing together a 22-10 stretch that turned that two-point deficit into a 71-61 lead with 5 minutes, 24 seconds remaining.

After allowing three of its first five opponents to shoot at least 51%, the Buffs held San Francisco to a .441 mark, with a .433 percentage after halftime. CU, which shot at least 50% in each of the first five games, shot .441 in the first half but turned it on after the break, putting up a .514 mark after halftime that included a 4-for-9 effort on 3-pointers.

CU also finished with a season-low seven turnovers, which was the Buffs’ lowest total since recording seven in consecutive games late in the 2023-24 season. The Buffs entered the game averaging 32.4 free throw attempts per game but still scratched out a win while going just 5-for-8 at the line.

“Finding out different ways you can win is a big thing to do,” CU point guard Barrington Hargress said. “It’s good that it’s early in the season and we’re finding different ways to win. All that is good preparation for the Big 12.”

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson powered the second-half surge, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points after halftime. The Buffs continued their streak of having at least four players score in double-figures in every game this year, with Hargress recording 15 points with three assists, while Bangot Dak compiled another strong all-around game with 13 points, five rebounds and a career-high six assists.

“We strung together stops, and the big emphasis we made at halftime was to rebound the ball,” Johnson said. “I just think we played together as a team. We moved the ball, and I think the big thing was our (seven) turnovers to their 13. We took care of the ball.”

Colorado 79, San Francisco 69

COLORADO (6-0)

Dak 6-14 0-1 13, Rancik 2-9 1-3 7, Malone 6-6 1-1 13, Hargress 6-11 1-1 15, Kossaras 2-6 0-0 6, Johnson 7-10 2-2 17, Sanders 2-3 0-0 4, Michaeli 1-4 0-0 2, Holland 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 33-68 5-8 79.

SAN FRANCISCO (5-2)

Diaz Graham 4-5 0-1 10, Wang 4-12 2-2 13, Beasley 5-11 2-2 13, Masic 1-4 0-0 2, Riley 5-8 0-0 12, Cook 1-4 2-4 4, Fuchs 2-6 1-2 5, Smiley 1-5 0-0 3, Abosi 2-3 0-0 5, Gigiberia 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 26-59 7-13 69.

Halftime: San Francisco 37-35; 3-point field goals: Colorado 8-20 (Hargress 2-3, Kossaras 2-4, Rancik 2-4, Dak 1-2, Johnson 1-2, Michaeli 0-1, Sanders 0-1, Holland 0-3); San Francisco 10-27 (Wang 3-6, Diaz Graham 2-3, Riley 2-4, Abosi 1-2, Smiley 1-3, Beasley 1-4, Cook 0-2, Masic 0-3). Rebounds: Colorado 35 (Rancik 9); San Francisco 35 (Beasley, Cook, Fuchs 5). Assists: Colorado 19 (Dak 6); San Francisco 11 (Fuchs 4). Turnovers: Colorado 7 (Rancik 2); San Francisco 13 (Riley 5). Total fouls: Colorado 16, San Francisco 16.