Braxton Meah collected 16 points and seven rebounds and Cole Bajema added 16 and six, respectively, to lift host Washington to a 73-63 victory over Colorado on Sunday in a Pac-12 Conference game in Seattle.
Meah added three blocks in his return from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury. The sight of the 7-foot-1 transfer from Fresno State was a welcome one considering fellow center Franck Kepnang sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Huskies’ 66-65 loss to Oregon State on Thursday.
Keion Brooks recorded 14 points and seven rebounds and Jamal Bey added 12 points and five steals for the Huskies (7-2, 1-1 Pac-12).
Washington has won seven straight home games against the Buffaloes dating back to the 2016 season. The Huskies have emerged victorious in 14 of 16 encounters with Colorado in Seattle.
J’Vonne Hadley made 7 of 10 shots from the floor to finish with 15 points for the Buffaloes (4-5, 0-2), who have lost two in a row. KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva each added 13 points in a losing effort.
Brooks’ layup extended Washington’s lead to 64-59 with 1:19 remaining in the second half before Meah converted a three-point play. Hadley and Simpson each made a layup to cut into the deficit, but an emphatic dunk by PJ Fuller II effectively put the game on ice.
Brooks’ layup gave Washington a 54-40 advantage midway into the second half before Colorado ignited a 14-2 run. da Silva made three jumpers to highlight that run.
da Silva’s layup gave Colorado a 24-23 lead with 4:06 remaining in the first half before Washington answered by scoring 10 of the final 12 points before intermission. Meah scored four points and Bey and Koren Johnson each made a 3-pointer in that sequence.
Bajema converted a four-point play and Meah added a pair of interior baskets as the Huskies began the second half on a 10-3 run. Washington kept the pressure on as Bey sank a jumper and a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 50-34 with 13:20 to play.
–Field Level Media