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The Colorado Buffaloes got a wakeup call in the first half of their season opener. They led Towson by just four points at intermission but came out strong in the second half to win by 18.

Now that the early season schedule has its attention, Colorado (1-0) will host Grambling in Boulder on Friday night.

The Buffaloes were led by their veterans, who were somewhat passive in the first half but picked it up after halftime. Tristan da Silva had all 13 of his points in the second half after looking for his shot more.

“I just wasn’t playing like myself. I wasn’t being aggressive out there. I know these guys want me to be out there and take shots and stuff,” he said. “I was really frustrated with myself in the halftime break. But these guys picked me up, talked to me, made me feel like I should go out there and be aggressive. That’s what it’s all about.”

Colorado is trying to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020-21, when it advanced to the second round, and early wins are important. The Buffaloes have only one game against a ranked team before January — against No. 13 Miami on Dec. 10.

Friday’s game is a rematch of the game played in Grambling last season, an 83-74 win by the Tigers. Grambling was poised to reach its first NCAA Tournament last spring when it reached the Southwest Athletic Conference title game as the No. 2 seed.

The Tigers were upset by Texas Southern, which grabbed the automatic bid.

Grambling opened the season with a 15-point win over North Texas-Dallas. Jalen Johnson, a graduate transfer from the University of Milwaukee, scored 18 points and senior Jourdan Smith had 16.

The Tigers’ experience could be a factor in the matchup. Grambling coach Donte’ Jackson goes deep into his bench, which will help in the thin air. Seven players logged at least 15 minutes against North Texas.

–Field Level Media