After close losses, Arizona and Colorado hook up in Maui

A couple of teams trying to rebound from a loss meet in the consolation round of the Maui Invitational today, as they Colorado Buffaloes challenge the Arizona Wildcats at the Lahaina Civic Center.

The Buffs jumped out to 3-0 to start for the first time since 2001-02, with all three wins coming at home and against inferior opponents. On Monday, Colorado faced its toughest opponent and despite a solid effort, was unable to hang on in a 76-72 setback against Gonzaga in the first round of this event. The Buffs were without head coach Jeff Bzdelik, as he had to return to Chicago on Sunday when his mother took ill.

As for Arizona, it too suffered a four-point loss last night, dropping a 65-61 decision to Wisconsin. The Wildcats had won their first two games under new head coach Sean Miller, who came over to run the program after a successful stint at Xavier. Arizona is now 8-5 all-time in its fifth appearance in the Maui Invitational.

In terms of the all-time series between these two teams, Colorado holds an 8-4 edge, although Arizona has won the last two meetings.

The Buffs used a 7-of-11 effort from long range in the first half to build an 11-point lead at the break. Colorado, however, went 0-of-4 from downtown over the final 20 minutes and Gonzaga rallied for the 76-72 win. The Buffs shot a solid 53.1 percent from the floor in the game, but were outscored 27-13 at the foul line. Cory Higgins guided the team in the loss with an all-around effort of 19 points, six rebounds and three steals. He has clearly been the team's most productive player after four games, averaging a healthy 22.3 ppg.

The Wildcats fell short in a tight game on Monday, as they shot just 36.4 percent from the field, including a poor 3-of-11 effort from long range, in a 65-61 setback to Wisconsin. Arizona kept things interesting with a 26-of-37 performance at the foul line, but committed 14 turnovers and was outrebounded on the offensive glass, 14-5. Derrick Williams made 13-of-21 free throws on his way to a team-high 25 points in the loss, while Nic Wise had 13 points and six boards. Both Wise and Williams are now averaging 14.3 ppg to share high- scoring honors for Arizona.

Arizona has a few more weapons at its disposal than does Colorado, and that should help it rebound with a victory over the Buffs today.