BOULDER, Colo. — The Washington Huskies lost fantastic freshman Markelle Fultz prior to tip-off and had no answer for George King in an 81-66 loss to Colorado on Thursday night.
Fultz, projected as a potential top pick in this year’s NBA draft, sat out with a sore right knee. It wasn’t clear how or when Fultz got hurt. He didn’t suit up after watching his team’s shoot-around from the bench in sweats once the team’s medical staff ruled him out.
Fultz’s 23.2-point average leads all freshmen and he’s the only player in the NCAA averaging 20 points, six assists and six rebounds. He scored a season-high 37 points in an 85-83 overtime win over Colorado on Jan. 18.
King led the Buffaloes (14-11, 4-8 Pac-12) with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Derrick White added 16 points as resurgent Colorado won for the fourth time in five games.
David Crisp’s 17 points led the Huskies (9-15, 2-10), who also got 14 points from Noah Dickerson.
Washington coaches had to restrain the team’s only senior, Malik Dime, who walked up to a student heckler and slapped him in the face after the halftime buzzer sounded. Dime, who’s from Dakar, Senegal, was sitting out his ninth consecutive game with a broken right pinky.
Buffs senior starters Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson were held out for a second consecutive game for unspecified violations of team rules.
Colorado led 42-31 at the half and pushed their lead to 16 points early in the second half but Washington pulled to 68-61 on Matisse Thybulle’s 3-pointer with 5:44 left.
Lucas Siewert swished a 3-pointer coming out of the timeout, sparking an 11-0 run that restored Colorado’s 16-point cushion.
BIG PICTURE
Washington: The Huskies have to hope Fultz’s injury is a blip and not a lingering issue. Their only hope of reaching the postseason is a run behind their fantastic freshman who’s been producing more than half of their points in the second half.
Colorado: The Buffaloes are 1-1 since Gordon and Johnson were suspended. Their return would go a long way toward the Buffs making a successful stretch run. After starting conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, their game Thursday night began a stretch in which they’ll play five of their last seven regular season games at home.
UP NEXT
The Huskies visit Utah on Saturday. They lost 94-72 to the Utes last month in Seattle.
The Buffaloes host Washington State on Sunday night before their final road trip, to Oregon.
