It was a rollercoaster of an afternoon for Tad Boyle and his team, but Colorado was able to secure their first conference win of the season on the road in Tempe.
Three takeaways from Colorado's first conference game of the season.
Dub in the desert 🏜️ pic.twitter.com/kW6hAGEHpm
— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) January 4, 2026
Moe Odum showed up in the second half.
Colorado did an exceptional job on Maurice Odum in the first half, holding Arizona State's senior guard to just four points.
The second half was a completely different story as he rallied his troops after being down by double-digits.
Odum scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, going 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. He added 12 assists and two steals to his credit, keeping the Sun Devils afloat.
Massamba Diop and Anthony Johnson each scored 20 points, followed by Allen Mukeba with 16.
Sidenote on Diop. The freshman center made life difficult for Colorado in the post as he finished the game with seven blocks.
Young Buffs' let the rowdy environment get to them.
A 14-point lead was squandered as Arizona State's crowd continued to play its part by speeding up the play of the Buffs.
To tie the game at 80 apiece, Arizona State used a 10-0 run that was sparked by a nice find from Odum that hit Massamba Diop for an and-one dunk.
This was a prime example of those classic games where Colorado would lose somehow in the past.
Colorado was able to execute better than Arizona State down the stretch to secure the victory.
Tad Boyle hit the lottery with Isaiah Johnson
Johnson continues to find ways to place himself in these three takeaway recaps because he's just that good.
Johnson was a one of the main reasons Colorado was able to get a road win in Tempe.
The true freshman guard scored a team-high 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting. His aggressive nature was on full display and the broadcast even emphasized it.
His knack to drive to the lane and create contact is one of his strong suits. He was able to seal the game late with his contributions at the free throw line, going 7-of-8 on the afternoon.
Sebastian Rancik, Barrington Hargress, and Bangot Dak all scored in double-figures for the Buffs.