Colorado's Julian Hammond III, left, controls the ball as TCU's Vasean Allette (3) and Jace Posey (41) defend during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski had 18 points, Julian Hammond III added 16 and Colorado was perfect at the foul line in the final 20 seconds, allowing the 16th and last seed in the Big 12 Tournament to hold on for a 69-67 victory over No. 9 seed TCU on Tuesday.
Hammond made a pair of foul shots for the Buffaloes (13-19) with 20 seconds left for a 67-65 lead, and after TCU answered with a goal-tending call at the other end, Javon Ruffin made two more free throws with 5.8 seconds left to put the game away.
TCU (16-16) also lost to Colorado last Saturday in the teams' regular-season finale.
The Buffaloes, who returned to the Big 12 from the Pac-12 and are playing in the league's tournament for the first time since the 2011 season, will play eighth-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday for a spot in the quarterfinal round.
Noah Reynolds had 17 points and Trazarien White scored 13 for the Horned Frogs, who trailed 63-50 with 5 minutes to go before scoring the next 10 points, making it a tense final minute for a small but loud crowd inside T-Mobile Center.
Takeaways
Colorado is undisputedly playing its best basketball of the season. It dropped its first 13 conference games before winning three of its final seven entering the tournament.
TCU can point to slow starts to each half as the biggest reasons for the loss. The Horned Frogs didn't make a field goal until there was 12:06 left in the first half, and they did not hit a field goal until the 15:09 mark of the second.
Key moment
Bangot Dak dunked off a nifty feed from Trevor Baskin to give TCU a 65-60 lead with just over a minute to go.
Key stats
Colorado went 18 of 24 from the foul line. TCU was just 10 of 20.
Up next
The Buffaloes will play the Mountaineers in the second round Wednesday.
TCU's Ernest Udeh Jr. and Colorado's Julian Hammond III (3) reach for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
TCU's Vasean Allette, right, passes around Colorado's Bangot Dak (8) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado's Trevor Baskin (6) looks to the basket as TCU's Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado center Elijah Malone (50) beats TCU forward David Punch (15) to a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Big 12 men's tournament Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado's Trevor Baskin (6) drives to the basket past TCU's Vasean Allette (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado's Julian Hammond III (3) drives to the basket past TCU's Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado's Javon Ruffin (11) and TCU's Trazarien White (13) look to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
TCU's Noah Reynolds, left, and Colorado's Felix Kossaras (15) chase a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle is seen on the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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