Norman Powell scored 22 points in UCLA's loss at Colorado on Friday (file photo by Don Liebig)
Courtesy: Associated Press
BOULDER, Colo. - Norman Powell scored a game-high 22 points as the UCLA basketball team lost its Pac-12 opener, 62-56, at Colorado on Friday night at the Coors Events Center.
Powell, a senior from San Diego, Calif., scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half and crossed the 1,000 point mark on a two-pointer with 1:44 remaining in regulation.
UCLA (8-6, 0-1) suffered its first loss in its conference opener since Dec. 2011.
Colorado (8-5, 1-0) received a team-leading 20 points from Askia Booker, who made 6 of 15 shots from the field and 4 of 6 three-point field goals. Welsey Gordon logged a double-double, totaling 11 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
Isaac Hamilton finished with 16 points for the Bruins as the team's only other player to score in double figures.
Friday night’s game was a back-and-forth affair, featuring nine lead changes and five ties. Colorado maintained a 28-27 advantage at halftime before the visiting Bruins used a 7-0 scoring run to open the second half and secure a 34-28 cushion.
Neither team led by more than seven points in the second half. UCLA took a 49-48 lead after Bryce Alford made a pair of free throws with 5:47 to play. Colorado answered by taking the lead for good at the five-minute mark on a three-pointer by Booker. Gordon made a pair of free throws with 4:36 left to put Colorado ahead, 53-49.
After a layup by Powell at the 4:06 mark, cutting the Buffaloes’ margin to 53-51, Colorado used a 5-0 scoring run to capture a 58-51 lead. Gordon capped the scoring run by blocking a shot and finding an open Jaron Hopkins who finished with a dunk.
UCLA cut Colorado’s lead to 60-56 in the final minute but was unable to convert in the final 30 seconds.
Colorado limited UCLA to 31.4 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from three-point range (6 for 26).
The Bruins return to action at No. 10 Utah on Sunday afternoon. Game time from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City is slated for 1 p.m. (PT)/2 p.m. (MT). UCLA’s game will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
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