Colorado beat KenPom No. 3 Tennessee and Associated Press No. 24 Texas A&M earlier this month by a combined 40 points.
But it took the Buffaloes – including Yale graduate transfer and defensive stalwart Jalen Gabbidon – all they could muster to hold off Yale Sunday in Boulder.
The Bulldogs fell, 65-62, to Colorado, their first loss of the season.
Colorado (4-3) opened the game on a 7-0 run. Yale (6-1) cut the deficit to 21-17 at the 7:57 mark on three consecutive treys by John Poulakidas. A steal and lay-in by Princeton transfer Ethan Wright put the home team up 30-20 at the 3:45 mark. The Buffaloes maintained that advantage to lead 38-28 at the half.
Poulakidas finished the half with 11 points and Matt Knowling added eight on 4-for-5 shooting. Knowling entered the game shooting 71% from the field. In the first stanza, Yale was outrebounded 22-20 and only shot 36% from the field. They did not attempt a free throw. Colorado shot 44% from the field and led by as many as 13.
Yale cut the deficit to 46-44 at 12:58 on a Knowling lay-in. Colorado went on a run during which Yale was 0-for-6 from the field, leading 56-46 at the 7:08 mark.
Poulakidas hit his sixth triple to make it 61-58 Buffaloes with 1:49 left. A Bez Mbeng shot made it 61-60 with 1:05 left. Two Mbeng turnovers in the final 12 seconds and two free throws from Gabbidon sealed the deal.
Colorado was 11-for-16 from the free throw line and Yale a mere 1-for-1 in a game which was unevenly called. Junior forward and Munich native Tristan da Silva led Colorado with 20 points.
Poulakidas had a career-high with 22 points on 6-for-8 shooting from three-point range. Knowling pitched in 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
“John was terrific today,” Yale coach James Jones said. “He was fearless and hungry. I’m just sad his effort came in a loss.”
Yale next plays at John J. Lee Amphitheater on Wednesday against Howard.