Scott, Gordon lead Colorado to 71-54 win over Oregon State
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) Josh Scott feeds off Wesley Gordon's energy. Ditto for Gordon with Scott.
''He's my twin,'' Scott said. ''If he does well, I'm probably going to do well.''
And this game was a prime example: Scott and Gordon combined for 37 points, 26 rebounds and nine blocked shots to help Colorado withstand a career night from Gary Payton II in a 71-54 win over Oregon State on Wednesday.
Scott finished with a season-high 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end. Fellow big man Gordon was just as effective as he contributed 12 points and 14 boards, with seven being on the offensive glass.
''Wesley Gordon's offensive rebounds combined with Josh Scott's defensive rebounds were the difference in the game,'' Colorado coach Tad Boyle said.
Their effort allowed the Buffaloes (13-4, 2-2 Pac-12) to bounce back from a demoralizing 56-54 loss to Utah last week on a last-second layup.
''We never lost confidence,'' Boyle said. ''We just didn't finish the Utah game.''
The Buffaloes made sure the Beavers (11-4, 2-2) weren't close enough to squeak out a win. Payton clearly had different intentions, though it didn't work out. He scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed a season-best 15 rebounds to keep the Beavers in a game where not much else was working.
''He's a facilitator but tonight nobody else was helping him out and he had to try to put us on his shoulders and that's not a good thing for us,'' Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said.
The Buffaloes had a 35-29 lead with 15:33 remaining, but that's when Payton went to work. He outscored Colorado 9-2 during a 2:33 that gave Oregon State a 38-37 advantage.
Colorado stormed back, though, by becoming assertive and attacking the rim. Gordon energized the crowd when he slammed home a rebound and Josh Fortune was later fouled after making a layup.
A 3-pointer by Thomas Akyazili and a pair of free throws from Dominique Collier made it 56-45 with 5:48 left and the Buffaloes cruised to the finish.
''In this league, every game is pressure,'' Scott said. ''You can't drop games at home.''
Payton is in the midst of a stellar season. He leads Oregon State in points, rebounds, assists and steals as he attempts to become just the second player at Oregon State to accomplish the feat. Lester Conner led the Beavers in all four categories in 1981-82, when he averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.0 steals.
In between making shots and grabbing rebounds, Payton received some good-natured ribbing from the student section, which chanted ''Daddy's Shadow'' when he stepped to the free throw line. Payton's father, Gary, is regarded as one of the top point guards in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
''The vets couldn't get it going and I think that carried over to young guys, their first road conference game,'' Payton said. ''I don't think they knew how to react. They didn't get what they usually get in the paint, so they had to change their game and I don't think they knew how to react.''
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TIP INS
Oregon State: Olaf Schaftenaar of was 0 for 2 from 3-point range, ending a string of 13 straight games with at least one. ... Stephen Thompson Jr. had 10 points.
Colorado: Fortune added 12 for the Buffaloes, who out-rebounded Oregon State by a 48-33 margin. ... Colorado shot 42.3 percent from the floor.
A CUT & KUDOS
Akyazili had a cut on his lip courtesy of an elbow late in the game. He also received some kudos for covering Payton down the stretch.
''After the game, (Payton) gave me props, so that was good,'' Akyazili said.
TAPE THE BRONCOS
Boyle implored fans to show up Sunday, even though the Denver Broncos are hosting the Pittsburg Steelers in an AFC playoff game.
''We'll give updates on scores,'' Boyle said. ''You can come and check out the Broncos and cheer on the Buffs.''
UP NEXT
Oregon State plays at Utah on Sunday.
Colorado hosts Oregon on Sunday.
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