Scott Moore, head coach of Grace College, aimed for his team’s trip to serve as a catalyst for their NAIA powerhouse season. However, he also mentioned that the Lancers hoped to enhance the Colorado Buffaloes’ gameplay.
Only time will reveal whether the preseason exhibition between the teams will benefit the revamped Buffs, but it certainly provided new insights.
CU triumphed in its most recent preseason challenge, distancing itself from the Lancers in the second half for a 92-66 victory on Sunday at the CU Events Center. Grace, a small institution in Northern Indiana and previously home to CU’s center Elijah Malone, held the lead for the last 9 minutes and 52 seconds of the first half and into the early minutes of the second half before the Buffs established dominance.
“This team is learning that defense is where its focus needs to be,” CU head coach Tad Boyle noted. “I told them post-game that if we’re struggling offensively, we better bring energy on defense. They only scored 29 points in the second half. If we had played defensively in the first half, we would have been ahead by five at halftime, despite our poor offense.”
With a mix of seven newcomers, two transfers, and a second-year player returning from a redshirt season, Sunday marked an unofficial debut for many Buffs players. With sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik sidelined by an ankle injury, the newcomers showcased their talents.
Boyle partnered point guards Barrington Hargress, a transfer from UC Riverside, and freshman Isaiah Johnson with CU’s three active returnees—Malone, Bangot Dak, and Felix Kossaras—in the starting lineup. The Buffs initially shot just .378 in the first half but improved significantly after halftime, achieving .679 (19-for-28) to end with a .508 overall shooting percentage. CU out-rebounded Grace 42-31 while recording 15 turnovers and overwhelming the Lancers 58-29 in the second half.
Johnson led the Buffs with 21 points, hitting 4 out of 6 three-pointers and shooting 7 for 10 overall. Freshman guard Jalin Holland contributed 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, along with four assists, four rebounds, three steals, and no turnovers in 15 minutes. Another freshman, Josiah Sanders, added 11 points and a game-high five assists. Malone tallied five points against his former team and shared the rebounding top spot with Grace’s Ian Raasch, each securing nine rebounds.
Noteworthy Observations
Sunday’s attendance was 702, slightly below the turnout for previous small school exhibitions at the Events Center against Pomona Pitzer (950) and Metro State (902). All 14 scholarship players contributed minutes for CU. The Buffs will soon face Marquette in a closed scrimmage next Sunday (Oct. 26).
Final Score: CU Buffs 92, Grace College 66
GRACE
Carpenter 0-1 0-0 0, I. Raasch 5-10 2-2 13, Walston 2-7 1-1 5, G. Sefton 2-7 3-4 9, T. Raasch 1-5 2-2 4, Wellman 5-9 2-2 13, Houser 2-6 0-0 5, Betten 0-2 2-2 2, Bricker 1-5 0-0 3, Hayworth 1-1 2-2 5, Schultz 0-1 2-2 2, Herrold 0-0 0-0 0, B. Sefton 0-1 2-2 2, Martin 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 20-56 18-19 66.
COLORADO
Dak 4-7 2-2 10, Malone 2-4 1-1 5, Johnson 7-10 3-4 21, Kossaras 5-8 0-0 11, Hargress 1-7 3-4 5, Michaeli 5-10 2-3 12, Sanders 3-6 4-7 11, Holland 5-7 2-4 14, Ifaola 0-1 0-0 0, Crawford 1-2 0-0 3, Inman 0-2 0-0 0, Van Elswyk 0-1 0-0, 0, Mani 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 17-25 92.
Halftime: Grace 37-34. Three-point field goals: Grace 8-23; Colorado 9-25. Rebounds: Grace 31; Colorado 42. Assists: Grace 16; Colorado 19. Turnovers: Grace 20; Colorado 15. Attendance: 702.
