Simpson carries Colorado down the stretch beating Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) K.J. Simpson scored a career-high 31 points including the final 11 for Colorado and the Buffaloes beat Stanford 73-70 on Thursday night for their fifth consecutive win.
It was Simpson's second 30-plus point game of the season. The last Buffs player to do that was Derrick White now of the Boston Celtics.
Simpson's layup with 18 seconds remaining gave Colorado a 71-70 lead and he sealed it with two free throws with three seconds left. Stanford's Micahel Jones missed a late 3-point heave for the chance to tie it.
Simpson made a pair of foul shots with 2:06 left to give Colorado (9-5, 1-2 Pac-12) a 69-68 advantage for its first lead since a little past the midway point of the first half.
Luke O'Brien's three-point play gave Colorado a 17-8 lead with 12:54 before halftime before Jones responded with his own 11-0 run for the Cardinal and a 19-17 lead. Jones made a pair of 3-pointers in three consecutive possessions, a layup off his offensive rebound and another 3.
Stanford (6-7, 1-2 Pac-12) shot 14 for 28 before the break with five 3s and led 37-33 at halftime.
O'Brien, off the bench, scored 12 points and Lawson Lovering scored a career-high 10 on 5-for-6 shooting. Colorado now has won five straight over Stanford.
Spencer Jones scored 25 points for Stanford and Brandon Angel 10.
Colorado plays at Cal on New Year's Eve while Stanford host Utah the same day.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Â | (Buffaloes gains possession) | Â |
| 19:35 |  | +2 | KJ Simpson makes two point jump shot | 2-0 |
| 19:06 | | Â | Michael O'Connell turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 18:43 | | Â | James Keefe personal foul (Buffaloes draws the foul) | Â |
| 18:30 | | +2 | KJ Simpson makes two point jump shot | 4-0 |
| 18:00 | | Â | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 17:58 | | Â | Lawson Lovering defensive rebound | Â |
| 17:44 | | Â | James Keefe blocks KJ Simpson's two point layup | Â |
| 17:42 | | Â | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | Â |
| 17:18 | | +2 | Spencer Jones makes two point jump shot | 4-2 |
| 16:59 | | Â | Tristan da Silva turnover (Brandon Angel steals) | Â |
| 16:31 | | +2 | Brandon Angel makes two point layup | 4-4 |
| 16:14 | | Â | Michael O'Connell personal foul (KJ Simpson draws the foul) | Â |
| 16:05 | | +2 | Lawson Lovering makes two point layup (Nique Clifford assists) | 6-4 |
| 15:49 | | Â | Brandon Angel offensive foul (Buffaloes draws the foul) | Â |
| 15:49 | | Â | Brandon Angel turnover (offensive foul) | Â |
| 15:49 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 15:36 | | +3 | Luke O'Brien makes three point jump shot (Javon Ruffin assists) | 9-4 |
| 15:12 | | Â | Brandon Angel misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:10 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud offensive rebound | Â |
| 14:53 | | +2 | Maxime Raynaud makes two point layup | 9-6 |
| 14:55 | | Â | KJ Simpson turnover (bad pass) (Benny Gealer steals) | Â |
| 14:50 | | Â | Benny Gealer turnover (KJ Simpson steals) | Â |
| 14:44 | | +3 | Tristan da Silva makes three point jump shot (KJ Simpson assists) | 12-6 |
| 14:15 | | Â | Benny Gealer misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 14:13 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud offensive rebound | Â |
| 14:17 | | +2 | Maxime Raynaud makes two point hook shot | 12-8 |
| 13:59 | | Â | Tristan da Silva turnover (Michael Jones steals) | Â |
| 13:57 | | Â | Jalen Gabbidon personal foul (Cardinal draws the foul) | Â |
| 13:40 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud misses two point layup | Â |
| 13:40 | | Â | Jalen Gabbidon defensive rebound | Â |
| 13:26 | | +2 | J'Vonne Hadley makes two point hook shot | 14-8 |
| 13:00 | | Â | Michael Jones turnover (bad pass) (Javon Ruffin steals) | Â |
| 12:54 | | +1 | Luke O'Brien makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-8 |
| 12:54 | | Â | Max Murrell shooting foul (Luke O'Brien draws the foul) | Â |
| 12:33 | | +2 | Luke O'Brien makes two point layup | 17-8 |
| 12:33 | | +3 | Spencer Jones makes three point jump shot (Michael Jones assists) | 17-11 |
| 12:17 | | Â | Julian Hammond III turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 11:50 | | Â | Spencer Jones misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:48 | | Â | Jalen Gabbidon defensive rebound | Â |
| 11:41 | | Â | Jalen Gabbidon misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:39 | | Â | Spencer Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 11:31 | | +3 | Spencer Jones makes three point jump shot (Isa Silva assists) | 17-14 |
| 11:12 | | Â | Julian Hammond III misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 11:10 | | Â | Michael Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:55 | | Â | Michael Jones misses two point layup | Â |
| 10:53 | | Â | Spencer Jones offensive rebound | Â |
| 10:51 | | +2 | Spencer Jones makes two point layup | 17-16 |
| 10:51 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 10:37 | | Â | Tristan da Silva misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 10:27 | | Â | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 10:25 | | Â | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:04 | | Â | Tristan da Silva misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 10:02 | | Â | Spencer Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 9:44 | | +3 | Spencer Jones makes three point jump shot (Maxime Raynaud assists) | 17-19 |
| 9:25 | | Â | Lawson Lovering misses two point layup | Â |
| 9:23 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:57 | | Â | Lawson Lovering shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | Â |
| 8:57 | | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 17-20 |
| 8:40 | | +2 | KJ Simpson makes two point jump shot | 19-20 |
| 8:19 | | +3 | Ryan Agarwal makes three point jump shot (Michael Jones assists) | 19-23 |
| 8:03 | | Â | Ethan Wright turnover (lost ball) | Â |
| 7:37 | | Â | Nique Clifford shooting foul (Michael Jones draws the foul) | Â |
| 7:37 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 7:37 | | +1 | Michael Jones makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-24 |
| 7:37 | | +1 | Michael Jones makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-25 |
| 7:26 | | Â | KJ Simpson misses two point layup | Â |
| 7:24 | | Â | KJ Simpson offensive rebound | Â |
| 7:14 | | +2 | KJ Simpson makes two point hook shot | 21-25 |
| 7:07 | | +3 | Ryan Agarwal makes three point jump shot | 21-28 |
| 6:49 | | +2 | KJ Simpson makes two point jump shot | 23-28 |
| 6:25 | | Â | Michael Jones misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 6:23 | | Â | Buffaloes defensive rebound | Â |
| 6:05 | | Â | KJ Simpson misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 6:03 | | Â | James Keefe defensive rebound | Â |
| 5:33 | | Â | Brandon Angel turnover (lost ball) | Â |
| 5:19 | | +2 | Nique Clifford makes two point jump shot | 25-28 |
| 5:06 | | Â | James Keefe turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 5:06 | | Â | Nique Clifford misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 5:04 | | Â | Michael O'Connell defensive rebound | Â |
| 4:35 | | Â | J'Vonne Hadley personal foul (Cardinal draws the foul) | Â |
| 4:27 | | Â | Harrison Ingram turnover (out of bounds) | Â |
| 4:15 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud personal foul (Buffaloes draws the foul) | Â |
| 4:06 | | +3 | KJ Simpson makes three point jump shot | 28-28 |
| 3:44 | | +2 | Spencer Jones makes two point jump shot | 28-30 |
| 3:34 | | Â | Julian Hammond III turnover (lost ball) | Â |
| 3:34 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 3:25 | | Â | Spencer Jones misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:23 | | Â | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | Â |
| 3:23 | | +2 | Spencer Jones makes two point layup (Harrison Ingram assists) | 28-32 |
| 3:10 | | Â | Maxime Raynaud personal foul (Buffaloes draws the foul) | Â |
| 3:00 | | +3 | Julian Hammond III makes three point jump shot (KJ Simpson assists) | 31-32 |
| 2:50 | | Â | Michael O'Connell misses two point layup | Â |
| 2:48 | | Â | Brandon Angel offensive rebound | Â |
| 2:50 | | +2 | Brandon Angel makes two point layup | 31-34 |
| 2:50 | | Â | Tristan da Silva shooting foul (Brandon Angel draws the foul) | Â |
| 2:50 | | +1 | Brandon Angel makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 31-35 |
| 2:34 | | +2 | Tristan da Silva makes two point dunk (J'Vonne Hadley assists) | 33-35 |
| 2:16 | | +2 | Michael O'Connell makes two point layup | 33-37 |
| 2:00 | | Â | Tristan da Silva misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 1:58 | | Â | Spencer Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:51 | | Â | Spencer Jones misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 1:49 | | Â | KJ Simpson defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:43 | | Â | J'Vonne Hadley offensive foul (Cardinal draws the foul) | Â |
| 1:43 | | Â | J'Vonne Hadley turnover (offensive foul) | Â |
| 1:14 | | Â | Nique Clifford blocks Spencer Jones's two point layup | Â |
| 1:14 | | Â | Tristan da Silva defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:14 | | Â | Nique Clifford turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 0:51 | | Â | Michael O'Connell turnover (bad pass) (Tristan da Silva steals) | Â |
| 0:38 | | Â | KJ Simpson misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 0:36 | | Â | Spencer Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:25 | | Â | Michael O'Connell misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 0:23 | | Â | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:17 | | Â | Nique Clifford misses two point layup | Â |
| 0:15 | | Â | Michael Jones defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:13 | | Â | Cardinal 30 second timeout | Â |
| 0:01 | | Â | Spencer Jones misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 0:00 | | Â | KJ Simpson defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:00 | | Â | End of period | Â |