Tristan da Silva scored 26 points to lead four players in double figures as Colorado broke open a close game late to stop Northern Colorado 88-77 on Sunday in Boulder, Colo.

KJ Simpson added 18 points for the Buffaloes (7-5), who won their third straight game for the first time this season. Javon Ruffin hit for 12 and Julian Hammond chipped in 11 points.

Colorado’s offensive efficiency and superior rebounding proved to be too much for its Big Sky Conference opponent. The Buffs sank 56.5 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 57.1 percent in the second half, and owned a 38-28 advantage on the boards.

Dalton Knecht scored 24 points for the Bears (5-6), while Daylen Kountz added 17 but made only 6 of 16 field goal attempts. Matt Johnson contributed 15 points, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors to pull the upset.

Colorado led just 58-53 with 10:41 left after Knecht dunked in transition. But the Buffs went on an 11-1 run over the next 3:19 to get the needed separation. Simpson canned a 3-pointer to cap the burst, making it 69-54.

The margin reached 19 in the last five minutes before Northern Colorado used a 14-4 run to help make the final score more respectable.

Northern Colorado hung with its more prestigious neighbor during a well-played first half. Both teams shot well and kept the turnover count low. At the second TV timeout, the Bears owned a 20-19 edge.

The teams kept swapping the lead until Colorado came up with the first sustained run either way, an 8-2 burst that Javon Ruffin capped with a 3-pointer in transition at the 4:10 mark that gave the Buffs a 35-29 advantage.

Colorado eventually boosted the margin to 10 on a dunk by da Silva off his offensive rebound, but Northern Colorado took a bit of momentum into halftime. It played for the last shot and Kountz drained a 3-pointer as time expired, cutting the deficit to 46-39 at the break.

–Field Level Media