BOULDER, Colo. — The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats went further back in their history books Sunday by losing a seventh straight game, 67-60 to Colorado at the CU Events Center.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ had not previously lost as many as seven games in a row since the Ben Lindsey-coached Wildcats lost 14 straight in 1982-83. The Wildcats went 4-24 that season, after which Lindsey was fired and replaced with Lute Olson.
This time, the Wildcats allowed Colorado to shoot 55.8 percent, the fifth time in their past six games that their opponent has shot better than 50 percent.
The loss dropped ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to 14-12 overall and 5-8 in the Pac-12, with a chance to stop their skid on Thursday at McKale Center against last-place California. Colorado improved to 16-9 and 7-6.
Ryan Luther led UA in scoring with 17 points while Dylan Smith had 16.
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Trailing by six points at halftime, the Wildcats briefly tied it at 36 after Chase Jeter scored three times inside and Luther also scored under the basket with 15:35 to go. But Colorado guard McKinley Wright quickly put the Buffs back up 43-36 by scoring the next seven points all by himself, and the Buffs never trailed again, leading by up to 12 points the rest of the game.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ allowed Colorado to shoot 60 percent from the field in the first half en route to a 34-28 halftime deficit.
The Wildcats fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half while Colorado worked its way inside for 16 points in the paint.
But UA made four straight shots to cut Colorado’s lead to 32-26 with 5:50 left and neither team scored for the next four minutes.
Ryan Luther led ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ offensively in the first half with nine points while hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers but the Wildcats shot only 37.9 percent overall.
The Wildcats lost guard Alex Barcello in the first half with a bruised knee that initially required help getting off the floor. Barcello returned in the second half but did not score and played only seven total minutes.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ was playing for the fifth straight game without guard Brandon Williams, who aggravated his previous right knee injury last month in Los Angeles.