There is a firm belief behind the reasons Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle sets the standards for his program.

On a game-by-game basis, Boyle wants his Buffaloes to hold the opposition under 40% from the floor while posting a rebounding advantage of at least plus-eight. The Buffs haven’t hit those two marks together often this season. Just five times in 13 games, to be exact. And it certainly didn’t happen during a loss on Saturday at Arizona State.

CU was outrebounded for the third time in as many games against Big 12 foes, including the nonconference date against Iowa State at the Maui Invitational in November, and the Sun Devils began the game hot and stayed that way against the Buffs’ defense throughout an 81-61 defeat.

Those defensive and rebounding standards are there to compensate for the inevitable off-nights offensively, which CU experienced at ASU as well. It all adds up to a wide mix of problems the Buffs will have to address in a hurry before another tough road date on Wednesday at Central Florida (5 p.m. MT, ESPN+).

“We give ourselves a chance,” Boyle said. “When we hold people under 40% field goal percentage, and we outrebound them by eight or more, we’re not undefeated. It does not guarantee you’re going to win the game. But those games we’ve lost when we’ve done that, we’ve been in them. They’ve been nip-and-tuck down the stretch. There’s no guarantees to win by doing that, because you’ve got to be able to score the ball at some point and make open shots. But you give yourself a chance.”At ASU, a cold night from the perimeter couldn’t offset the Buffs’ porous defense.

CU achieved an unenviable first during the defeat, making a season-low number of 3-pointers (three) while putting up a season-high-tying number of attempts (24). It was a rare off-night for guards Julian Hammond III and RJ Smith, both of whom went 0-for-3 on 3-pointers, but their slumping teammates were unable to pick up the slack.

Javon Ruffin went 1-for-4 from long range, leaving him with a season 3-point percentage of .240 (6-for-25) going into CU’s first conference game against UCF. Graduate transfer Andrej Jakimovski, who returned to the rotation following a one-game absence due to an illness, went 1-for-6 on 3-pointers. After a solid start to the season, Jakimovski has gone just 2-for-21 on 3-pointers in his past four games, dropping his season percentage to .297. Jakimovski owned a .395 mark before the four-game slide.

Boyle expects the occasional sub-par shooting game over the course of 31 regular season games. But CU is nowhere near proficient enough yet defensively or on the glass to make up for those cold snaps.

“I’ve said this a million times — you’re going to have nights like that offensively,” Boyle said. “Where the ball just isn’t going in. You go 3-for-24 from the 3-point line, you’re not going to blow anybody out doing that, that’s for darn sure. I’m not expecting to blow them out. But you’ve got to try to rely on something else, and that something else is defending them and rebounding the ball better, and getting those 50-50 balls and those loose balls.

“That’s the only way you’re going to stay in these games. And if you’re not doing that, and you’re 3-for-24 from three, it’s hard to get back in the game.”