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MEN’S BASKETBALL MAKES LATE RUN 

A seesaw season for ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ men’s basketball (23-13 overall) ended with a strong March run in the National Invitation Tournament, with wins over Dayton and Norfolk State and a quarterfinals matchup with Texas.

But fatigue caught up there with the fourth-seeded Buffs, who fell to the Longhorns 68-55, despite outplaying them in the second half.

The Buffs have played in 11 NITs and two in three years.

The young ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ squad had opened the season 9-1 in nonconference games but struggled early in Pac12 play. Season-ending injuries to Namon Wright (Soc’19) and Dallas Walton (StComm’21) hurt.

After falling to 2-6 in conference play, ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ won 10 of 12. Tyler Bey (Ethn’21) and McKinley Wright IV (Ethn’21) led the Buffs’ resurgence, earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors. ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ lost to Washington in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals.

Projected to finish No. 2 next season by Pac-12 Hotline, coach Tad Boyle is optimistic: “Every one of these guys in uniform are coming back next year.”

Women’s basketball got off to a 10-1 start but were outmatched in the Pac-12, winning two games and losing 16.

BUFFS BITS 

Golfer Victor Bjorlow (Bus’20) rallied to win the ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Mines Bob Writz Invitational in March. … Carol Callan (MPE’77; MBA’87), longtime women’s basketball radio analyst, was named the 2019 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball. … Joe Klecker (IntPhys’19) scored 14 combined points at the NCAA indoor track-and-field championships, the most ever by a Buff at nationals. … Alpine skier Isabelle Fidjeland (StComm’20) and football lineman Lyle Tuiloma (Ethn’20) each won the year-end Clancy A. Herbst Jr. Student-Athlete Achievement Award. … Anne Kelly completed her 22nd year as Women’s Golf head coach, tying her with Ceal Barry as the longest-tenured women’s coach in Buffs history. … Lisa Van Goor (EPOBio’86), the first and only player in ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ history to score 2,000 career points and grab 1,000 rebounds, was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor. … Lacrosse celebrated its 100th game by avenging its 2018 season-ending loss to Stanford with a 20-11 victory. … ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ skiers finished 3rd at NCAA championships, where Erik Dengerud (Math’22) won the Nordic freestyle title.