Nashville, TN – A second-half surge of 46 points for Colorado was the difference Sunday afternoon as the 11th-ranked Tennessee Vols basketball team fell to the Buffaloes, 78-66, at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville.
KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva combined for 24 second-half points as Colorado (2-1) shot 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) from the floor and converted 10-of-11 (90.9) tries from the free-throw line in a half that saw CU overtake the Vols and never look back.
Tyreke Key and Josiah-Jordan James tied for the team lead in points scored with 15. James shot 4-of-8 on 3-pointers, while Key did most of his damage from the foul line, going 9-of-11. Olivier Nkamhoua grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, finishing with double-digit boards for the fourth time in his career. Santiago Vescovi also finished with double-figure scoring, recording 11 points. The guard also tallied a career-best five steals.
The UT Vols finished with 11 steals as James complemented Vescovi with three of his own. Key also swiped a pair.
Simpson finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Buffs, securing his first career double-double.
Next Up For UT Men’s Basketball
The Tennessee Vols basketball team is back in action Wednesday when they return to Rocky Top to host Florida Gulf Coast at 6:00pm CT at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tickets are still available at AllVols.com, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.