LAS VEGAS >> The Colorado men’s basketball team put together a clutch late-season run to play its way into the NCAA Tournament.

The Buffaloes, however, couldn’t quite finish the job in their final appearance at the Pac-12 Conference tournament.

CU fell short in its goal of bookending its tenure in the Pac-12 Conference with a second tournament championship, falling to Oregon 75-68 in the championship game on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Oregon, which upset top-seeded Arizona in Friday’s semifinals, officially steals a bid for next week’s NCAA Tournament, while the Buffs will wait for Selection Sunday to learn their postseason fate. The Buffs had no answer for the Oregon big man N’Faly Dante, who followed his 10-for-10 performance against CU last week in Eugene by going 12-for-12 with 25 points and nine rebounds.

CU (24-10) led 62-61 after a Luke O’Brien 3-pointer, but Oregon responded with a 10-2 run as a slew of Buffs turnovers down the stretch proved critical.

KJ Simpson led the Buffs with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while O’Brien hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.