Colorado Hosts Maine Monday

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is off to a 2-0 start for the sixth-straight season after defeating New Mexico 87-76 on Nov. 13.

Colorado's offense is off to a good start as the Buffaloes are averaging 90.5 points over its first two games while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Colorado's 181 total points are its most in the first two games of the season since the Buffaloes scored 204 Nov. 22 & 24, 2002 in wins over Cal-Poly (97-69) and Stetson (107-74).

Defensively, the Buffaloes have allowed 83.0 points per game while opponents have shot 45 percent. The 166 points given up by the Colorado defense in the first two games is the most since 168 allowed in back-to-back games to Arizona State (W 97-85) and Arizona (L, 67-83) at the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament (March 7-8).

Colorado is 51 of 70 from the line over the first two games (.729). It's the most free throws made in attempted in a two game span since Nov. 14 & 17, 2016 when the Buffaloes were 54 of 76 in games against Seattle U. and ULM.

Freshman guard Keeshawn Barthelemy is averaging 19.5 points and 4.0 assists. He had a career-high 20 points in the win over New Mexico. It was his second-straight, double-figure scoring game - he had two in 30 games last year. He made his first two 3-pointers against UNM, giving him five straight to begin the season before his first miss (midway through the first half) and is 6 of 7 from downtown in two games.

Senior forward Evan Battey is averaging 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting a Pac-12 best 81.3 percent from the field (13  of 16).

Battey had 16 points and six rebounds against New Mexico. He hit both 3-point attempts Ð he had just two 3-pointers on 17 attempts in 32 games last year. It's just his second game with multiple 3-point makes, the other coming as a freshman at San Diego (Nov. 20, 2018); his third career game.

Battey had 16 points on a perfect 6 of 6 from the field in the opener against Montana State; a career best for field goals made without a miss.

Sophomore forward Jabari Walker is averaging 15.5 points and leads the Buffaloes at 9.0 rebounds per game. He recorded his third career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against New Mexico. He was 9 of 12 from the line against the Lobos, setting career highs in both categories.

Senior guard Elijah Parquet is averaging 13.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 50 percent overall. A member of the Pac-12 Conference's All-Defensive Team in 2020-21, he had the game's biggest offensive moment against Montana State. Parquet's 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 80 and sent it to overtime. He finished with 17 points, hitting 5 of 11 from the field and 6 of 9 from the free throw line - all career highs.

Five Colorado players scored in double-figures in the opener - a feat achieved only once in 32 games in 2020-21. Two of those came from sophomores who had break out games after limited action a year ago. Barthelemy had a game and career-high 19 points and dished out five assists. Nique Clifford had 11 points and nine rebounds - both personal highs. Clifford had just 14 points and four rebounds total in 14 games as a freshman.

DEBUTS: Colorado sophomores Jabari Walker and Tristan da Silva made their first career starts against Montana State, while true freshmen K.J. Simpson and Lawson Lovering made their collegiate debuts.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 104-32 (.765) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including a 57-15 mark (.792) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 78-5 (.940) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a perfect 6-0 mark in postseason action.

ABOUT THE BLACK BEARS: Maine is 1-1 on the young season, coming off a 71-52 home win over NCAA Division III Maine-Farmington on Nov. 12. The Black Bears dropped their opener at Virginia Tech, 82-47, on Nov. 9. Maine is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field over its first two games, including 18 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Maine is allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent. The Black Bears are averaging 9.5 steals over the first two.

Junior forward Stephane Ingo leads Maine at 8.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Ingo had a double-double against Maine-Farmington with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Black Bears have a Colorado connection. Junior guard LeChaun Duhart, a graduate of Grandview High School in Aurora, has averaged 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds over the first two games.  Sophomore guard Vukasin Masic leads the Black Bears in assists with five on the season while averaging 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Maine played just nine games in a pandemic-shortened season in 2020-21, finishing 2-7. The Black Bears were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team America East Conference in the 2021-22 Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Maine. It's will be only the fourth time Colorado has faced one of the teams that make up the America East Conference and first since the Buffaloes defeated Hartford, 80-52, on Dec. 29, 2012 at the CU Events Center.