Charles Langston:Colorado spoils Bronny James' first start with fierce comeback against USC

BOULDER,Charles Langston Colo. — After playing at less than full strength for more than a month, Colorado men's basketball finally wasn't the shorthanded team on Saturday night.

And a halftime adjustment helped the Buffaloes hold the Trojans to just 21 second-half points and storm back to snap a three-game losing streak, spoiling Bronny James' first college start.

"We switched all ball screens in the second half and we doubled the post if it was coming in the post against our guards," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said after the Buffs' 68-58 win over USC. "That's basically it, we just changed our ball-screen coverage.

"For me, it was a last resort − it was like a frustration. We had to move because our ball screen coverages were so bad, our ability to guard was so bad, but in the second half our guys did a great job with the switches and our communication."

Scouts from at least 10 NBA teams were at the CU Events Center to watch projected 2024 first-round draft picks in Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva play in front of 10,005 fans.

The extra attention from NBA scouts might've also been due to USC freshman Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, who made his first college start Saturday night for a shorthanded Trojans squad.

Bronny finished the night with zero points on 0-for-7 shooting in 25 minutes.

USC was without its top two guards − Boogie Ellis, (hamstring) and Isaiah Collier (hand) − as well as the Pac-12's leader in blocks (Joshua Morgan, illness). Meanwhile, the Buffaloes had each of their top seven rotation players healthy for the first time since Dec. 3 vs. Pepperdine

Colorado, however, still found itself down 13 points at the break (37-24) after trailing by as many as 16.

The Buffs began a dominant second half on a 10-2 run. Colorado forced 10 USC turnovers in the second half alone, holding the Trojans to just 36.1% shooting from the field on the night.

J'Vonne Hadley led the Buffs with a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds to go along with three assists.

"It was pretty positive, actually, at halftime," Hadley said postgame. "A lot of our open shots weren't falling and stuff like that so we knew it just comes down to defense. We usually try to pride ourselves on defense and our defense wasn't there in the first half, so that's a key point that he (Boyle) mentioned at half.

"Another thing he mentioned was that we're usually a first-half team and in that second half, we kind of fall off a little bit. And he said it's going to be the opposite tonight so that's what he left halftime with and it boosted us to that win."

Not only did the Buffs beat USC (8-9, 2-4 Pac-12) for the first time since the 2020-21 season during the Pac-12 Tournament, but Colorado men's basketball earned its 500th win in the CU Events Center, which opened for the 1979-80 season (500-190, .724).

Star freshman Cody Williams scored 13 points and had two blocks in just his second game back since Dec. 3 (wrist). Tristan da Silva and Eddie Lampkin Jr., who finished with a game-high plus-minus of plus-21, had 12 points apiece. KJ Simpson scored nine points, including a dagger 3-pointer with 1:13

Colorado (12-5, 3-3 Pac-12) picked up its first win of the new year and will be back at the CU Events Center on Thursday night for a matchup with Pac-12-leading Oregon (13-3, 5-0 Pac-12).

"I told our guys after the game, the thing that makes this team so good, in my opinion, and so dangerous, is we've got multiple guys that on any given night can score the ball," Boyle said. "Against Cal, Eddie (Lampkin Jr.) had 22. Against Arizona State, J'Vonne (Hadley) had 19, a career high.

"Our balance is so good and that's what we need to understand. We just have to rely on each other offensively and not have an agenda. Make the right play."

Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on Twitter.