Although it was a lead the Colorado men's basketball team ultimately wasted, it was an interesting cast of characters that momentarily put the Buffaloes in control.
With starters like D'Shawn Schwartz and Tyler Bey once again struggling, and point guard McKinley Wright getting an extended break after picking up his second foul with 8 minutes, 12 seconds left in the opening half, the Buffs' depleted bench came up big in the first half of what became a 76-74 defeat against Oregon State Thursday night.
A patchwork unit highlighted by reserves Evan Battey, Daylen Kountz, and Alex Strating took center stage in a 17-5 first-half run by the Buffs that ended in the team's biggest lead of the night at 34-25 with 2 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the first half.