Colorado Puts Up Valiant Effort in Overtime Loss to No. 22 BYU

Buffs bounce back from blowout defeat, but fall short against Cougars

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team put up a strong fight against No. 22 BYU, but ultimately fell 90-86 in overtime. The Buffs were coming off a blowout loss to Texas Tech earlier in the week, but responded with a much-improved effort against the highly-ranked Cougars. BYU suffered a major blow when senior Richie Saunders went down with an injury early in the game, but the Cougars were still able to pull out the victory in the extra period.

Why it matters

This game showcased the resilience of the Colorado team, as they were able to bounce back from a disastrous performance and give a top-25 opponent all they could handle on the road. While they ultimately came up short, the Buffs' ability to compete at a high level against a quality opponent is an encouraging sign for the rest of their season.

The details

Colorado forward Sebastian Rancik had a strong game, recording a career-high six assists and adding 10 rebounds. Buffs guard Barrington Hargress also contributed with a 4-for-6 performance from 3-point range. BYU's Robert Wright III scored a game-high 39 points, the most by a Colorado opponent this season.

  • The game took place on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
  • Richie Saunders went down with an injury on BYU's first possession of the game.

The players

Tad Boyle

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

Richie Saunders

A senior player for the BYU Cougars who suffered an injury early in the game.

Kevin Young

The head coach of the BYU Cougars.

Sebastian Rancik

A Colorado Buffaloes forward who recorded a career-high six assists and 10 rebounds.

Barrington Hargress

A Colorado Buffaloes guard who shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range.

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What they’re saying

“I didn't know, quite frankly. My plan coming back from Texas Tech was we'd do the BYU scouting report, get some shots up, get rested and ready to play today. But we were so bad against Tech, we had to do a film session. We had to do shell drill, we had to do box out and rebounding drills, because that's where we were so outplayed in Lubbock. I couldn't as a coach go light on them. I didn't kill them for two hours, but we got after it.”

— Tad Boyle, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes (timescall.com)

“I hope Richie Saunders is OK. Obviously him going down the second play of the game was big for them. And for us. It was a big part of the game. Hope he's OK.”

— Tad Boyle, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes (timescall.com)

What’s next

BYU coach Kevin Young said there was no immediate update on Richie Saunders' status following the game. The Cougars will need to monitor his injury and provide an update on his availability for future games.

The takeaway

Despite the tough overtime loss, Colorado's ability to bounce back from a blowout defeat and push a top-25 opponent to the brink shows the team's resilience and potential. The Buffs' improved effort and performance against BYU is an encouraging sign for the remainder of their season.