Boulder, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Askia Booker's 3-pointer as time expired gave Colorado its first win over Kansas in 10 years, a 75-72 decision over the sixth-ranked Jayhawks at Coors Events Center.
Booker finished with 15 points and Spencer Dinwiddie also had 15 along with seven assists for Colorado (9-1), which had dropped 19 straight meetings to its former Big 12 rival since a 60-59 victory in Boulder on Jan. 22, 2003.
"I have great respect for [Kansas head coach] Bill Self, their program and the history they represent in college basketball, so that's what makes it so sweet," said Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle, a Kansas graduate. "Deep, deep down I have some Jayhawk in me, but I am 100 percent Buff down to the core when push comes to shove."
Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson both added 14 points in the triumph, the ninth in a row for the Buffaloes since a season-opening setback at Baylor.
Kansas (6-2), playing its first true road test of the season, received 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting from freshman sensation Andrew Wiggins, but committed 14 turnovers to be dealt a second setback in its last three games.
"We're not playing good at all." said Self. "The pieces just aren't quite fitting yet and we're trying to find ourselves. We're not a real good shooting team yet, we're not a real good passing team, and we're not a real physical team. Those are things that we have to improve on big time."
After trailing for nearly the entire second half, the Jayhawks forged a 72-72 tie on Perry Ellis' inside bucket with four seconds remaining. Colorado head coach Tad Boyle promptly called time out and the Buffaloes were able to get in the hands of Booker, who launched a desperation 30-footer that swished through and sent off a court-storming celebration from the home faithful.
"That play was initially for Spencer," Booker remarked. "I think that [Kansas] expected that so they left me open. I was wide open and it let me make the play."
Colorado, which left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 prior to the 2012-13 academic year, had lost 46 of its last 47 matchups with Kansas dating back to 1991.
The teams were deadlocked at 55-55 with seven minutes left, before Jaron Hopkins and Booker each buried treys as part of an 8-2 Colorado run. The Buffaloes' lead reached six down the stretch, when Dinwiddie followed a Scott jumper by hitting two free throws with 1:44 to go to put the score at 68-62.
Kansas responded with consecutive buckets from Naadir Tharpe and Wiggins to pull within two, and was down by three when Wiggins was fouled by Dinwiddie on a 3-point attempt with 12.8 seconds showing. The talented youngster made two of the three bonus shots to cut the deficit to 71-70.
Dinwiddie was then immediately fouled and missed the initial attempt before sinking the second, setting the stage for Ellis' game-tying layup and Booker's heroics.
Kansas began the contest on a 7-0 run and owned an 18-9 advantage following a Tharpe 3-pointer seven minutes in, but the Buffaloes dominated the latter portion of the opening half to forge ahead at the break.
Colorado scored seven straight points, capped by Ben Mills' layup off a Hopkins steal, to claim a 26-25 edge with 4:21 remaining in the period. After the lead traded hands twice more during the final stages of the frame, Booker drained a trey just prior to the buzzer to send the Buffaloes into the locker room up 33-30.
The Buffaloes held their largest lead of the day at 53-44 with 11 1/2 minutes left, before Kansas put forth a 9-0 spurt to draw even.
Game Notes
Colorado improved to 6-0 at home this season and 51-7 all-time at the Coors Center under Boyle, who played for the Jayhawks from 1982-85 ... Kansas had been 18-0 against the Buffaloes under Self, including a 90-54 trouncing in Lawrence last December ... Colorado's last win over a top 10 foe came against No. 9 Arizona on Valentine's Day of last season ... The Buffaloes finished 22-of-37 from the free-throw line, while the Jayhawks went just 13-of-20 ... Kansas stays on the road with a tough matchup at No. 15 Florida on Tuesday.
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