Colorado Buffaloes Men's Basketball Snaps Losing Streak With Dominant Win Over TCU

Freshmen Josiah Sanders and Jalin Holland lead the way as Colorado bounces back from recent struggles.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 4:47pm

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The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team snapped its six-game losing streak with an 87-61 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs. The Buffaloes' starting lineup featured four true freshmen, including Josiah Sanders who scored a career-high 12 points, and Jalin Holland who played strong defense. Colorado's defense held TCU to just 33% shooting, a season-low for the Horned Frogs.

Why it matters

This win is a much-needed confidence boost for the Buffaloes, who had struggled mightily in recent weeks. The youth-infused lineup change sparked Colorado's best performance of the season, raising hopes that the team can turn things around and make a push in the Big 12 conference.

The details

Colorado's starting lineup featured four true freshmen who combined for 39 points. Josiah Sanders scored a career-high 12 points, while Jalin Holland contributed 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The Buffaloes' defense was stifling, holding TCU to just 33% shooting, the Horned Frogs' lowest mark of the season.

  • Colorado improved to 13-9 (3-6 Big 12) with the win on February 1, 2026.
  • The Buffaloes will next visit the Baylor Bears on Wednesday, February 5, 2026 (6 p.m. MT, Peacock).

The players

Josiah Sanders

A true freshman guard for the Colorado Buffaloes who scored a career-high 12 points in the win over TCU.

Jalin Holland

A true freshman guard for the Colorado Buffaloes who contributed 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and strong defense in the win over TCU.

Tad Boyle

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team.

Sebastian Rancik

A sophomore forward for the Colorado Buffaloes who came off the bench to lead the team with 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaola

The starting center for the Colorado Buffaloes who tied for the team lead in rebounding with 6.

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What they’re saying

“We hadn't seen that Colorado Buffalo team in November, December or January. We finally saw it on February 1, so I told our team, 'Better late than never on that.' I was really, really proud of the response that we got from everybody involved tonight. It just shows how good this team could be.”

— Tad Boyle, Head Coach (si.com)

“Jalin Holland's been really playing his tail off. One thing we know he's going to do is compete, rebound and defend. His job on (Brock) Harding tonight, their point guard who's a good player, was phenomenal. His stat line does not show the effect that he had on the game.”

— Tad Boyle, Head Coach (si.com)

“It wasn't just one guy, it was all five who were on board and the energy from the bench as well. We've been talking about that a lot in practice, so it was really good to come out here and see we can really do that.”

— Josiah Sanders, Freshman Guard (si.com)

“It doesn't matter if I agree or disagree with his (Boyle's) decisions, my job is to come out and perform. He wanted to see a response from me, and I think I did that today.”

— Sebastian Rancik, Sophomore Forward (si.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This win shows that Colorado's young team has the potential to turn things around this season. The defensive effort and balanced scoring attack are promising signs that the Buffaloes can build on this performance and make a push in the Big 12 conference.