Colorado extends Boise State's March Madness misery. Can Buffs go on NCAA Tournament run?
Here come the Buffaloes?
The first round of the NCAA Tournament is officially set after Colorado outlasted Boise State 60-53 in the First Four to set up a matchup with Florida.
Colorado entered the game sixth in the country in 3-point shooting at 39.4%, but it was an off night behind the arc for the Buffaloes as they went 4-for-15 (26.7%). Still, Colorado was able to make shots inside the arc, and clutch shooting helped it pull away from Boise State.
One of the hottest teams the last few weeks, Colorado needed every late-season win to make the tournament. Wednesday's win was Colorado's ninth in its last 10 games. Can the Buffaloes keep it rolling and make a run deep into March Madness?
Colorado takes down Boise State in First Four
It was an ugly first-half performance for both sides, with Colorado shooting 38.5% and Boise State 29%. Combined, the Buffaloes and Broncos were 2-for-18 from the 3-point line and neither side could generate any momentum.
The slow pace continued in the second half in what turned into a slugfest. But the Buffaloes were able to execute late. After Boise State went up by four with four-and-a-half minutes left, Colorado went on an 11-0 run the next four minutes, with Eddie Lampkin Jr. turning an air-ball into a bucket with 33 seconds left that essentially sealed the game. During that stretch, Boise State missed six straight shots.
Head coach Tad Boyle credited his team's defense on getting the win, despite Boise State getting a whopping 19 offensive rebounds.
"We really started playing tougher on the glass. Boise State's a physical team, they keep coming at you, and we made just enough plays down the stretch. I thought our defense was great all night, our guys were locked in," Boyle said.
Boise State is now 0-10 in March Madness play.
Who will Colorado face next in March Madness?
Up next for the Buffaloes are the Florida Gators, the No. 7 seed in the South region. The two sides will play at roughly 4:30 p.m. ET Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The winner of the matchup will face the winner of Marquette-Western Kentucky in the second round on Sunday.
When did Colorado last make NCAA Tournament?
This is Colorado's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 and 16th overall. The Buffaloes had success in the early days of the NCAA Tournament, making the Final Four in 1942 and 1955. However, since the tournament expanded in 1985, Colorado has never advanced past the second round.
First Four success in NCAA Tournament
Colorado will hope it can be the latest team to go on a tournament run after playing in the First Four. Since its inception in 2011, only once (in 2019) did a winning First Four team fail to win a first round game. Here are the teams that had tournament success after a First Four win, and how far they made it:
2011: Virginia Commonwealth - Final Four
2012: South Florida - second round
2013: La Salle - Sweet 16
2014: Tennessee - Sweet 16
2015: Dayton - second round
2016: Wichita State - second round
2017: Southern California - second round
2018: Syracuse - Sweet 16
2021: UCLA - Final Four
2022: Notre Dame - second round
2023: Pittsburgh - second round; Fairleigh Dickinson - second round
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado beats Boise State in First Four: Can Buffaloes go on a run?
