Ben Margot / Associated Press)
BERKELEY, Calif. — Playing without two of its most important pieces and trailing by as many as 23 points late in the first half, it would have been easy for the Colorado Buffaloes to count their losses and head home.
Instead the Buffs that were on the floor put up a tremendous fight in order to make it a game, but it wasn't enough for CU to overcome two critical players who weren't on the floor in a 77-66 defeat at Cal Sunday afternoon.
With fifth-year seniors Xavier Johnson and Wesley Gordon spending the day on the bench, the Buffs at times looked shellshocked as a hot-shooting cal team built a 23-point lead late in the first half.