N Colorado defeats Colorado 81-86

N Colorado Pulls Off Thrilling Upset at CU Events Center

In a back-and-forth contest, Northern Colorado (N Colorado) edged host Colorado 86-81 on the road, handing the Buffaloes their first home loss of the season.

The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage until the final minutes. At halftime, N Colorado led 37-35, but Colorado rebounded in the second half to take a 6-point lead. The visitors responded by outscoring the hosts by 5 points over the last 10 minutes, securing the come-from-behind victory.

Quinn Denker led all scorers with 33 points, hitting 3 of 5 three-point attempts and going 66.7% from the field. He also chipped in with a team-high 8 assists, fueling N Colorado's offense throughout the game. Denker's dominance was matched by his counterpart, Isaiah Johnson, who scored 25 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Colorado.

The game saw both teams struggle with efficiency on offense, but N Colorado edged Colorado in terms of field goal percentage (53.0% vs 39.0%) and true shooting percentage (64.7% vs 49.0%). The visitors also outrebounded the hosts by 2 boards (39-37).

For Colorado, Barrington Hargress had a strong all-around game with 18 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds, but ultimately fell short in his team's upset bid.

The win marks N Colorado's second straight victory to open the season.