Colorado fends off feisty Yale in 65-62 win

Tristan da Silva scored 20 points and reserve J'Vonne Hadley scored 12 shooting 5 for 6 and Colorado held off Yale in the final seconds for a 65-62 win on Sunday.

John Poulakidas made a 3-pointer, and Bez Mbeng followed with a layup and Yale reduced its deficit to 61-60 with 1:05 left. After Colorado's Jalen Gabbidon — formerly of Yale — missed a short shot with 30 seconds to go, Mbeng threw the ball out of bounds on a miscommunication and the Buffaloes (4-3) took possession.

Following a Yale timeout, Colorado's Julian Hammond III made two foul shots with nine seconds left for a three-point lead. After another Yale (6-1) timeout, Gabbidon stole Mbeng's inbounds pass, got fouled and made two foul shots to seal it with five seconds left.

KJ Simpson scored 10 points for Colorado which led 38-28 at halftime and never trailed. The Buffaloes will play their first Pac-12 conference contest when they host Arizona St. Thursday before traveling to Seattle to play Washington on Dec. 4.

Poulakidas scored 22 points for Yale shooting 6 for 8 from 3-point range and Matt Knowling 16 shooting 8 for 11.

Yale was off to its best start since the 1945-46 season when it won its first seven games on its way to a 14-1 record and a New England championship.