Colorado made sure it was a very unwelcome return to the CU Events Center for Nique Clifford.

The Buffaloes quickly turned a highly anticipated rivalry battle into a rout, smothering the visiting Colorado State Rams in the first half before cruising to a 72-55 rivalry victory on Saturday night.

CU (7-2) made five of its first six shots and never trailed after an early 7-0 run. The Buffs took control by scoring 16 consecutive points in a 21-3 run, building a 43-21 lead at the break. CU held CSU to a first-half shooting percentage of .265, and the Rams missed their first six 3-point attempts before finishing 7-for-27 from long range.

CU cooled after shooting .545 in the first half, but the Buffs’ defense was solid throughout, holding CSU to a .313 mark.

The Buffs pushed their lead to 26 points before CSU attempted to rally, using eight consecutive points in an 11-2 run that cut CU’s lead to 16 points with just about six and a half minutes remaining, but the Rams never threatened the rest of the way.

CU sophomore forward Bangot Dak enjoyed the best game of his young career, going 7-for-8 with a career-high 16 points. Buffs guard Julian Hammond III hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points.