0-for-2 in Paris

Game two in Paris started much better for the Buffs.  A quick 11-2 lead gave Buff Nation hope of revenge against the AMW France Elite ''Pro A'' All-Stars.  It was not to be, however, as the French side would play +18 ball the rest of the first half, before putting the pedal down in the third quarter via 11-14 shooting.  Honestly, after that strong start, the Buffs were never really in the game as the French side poured on 58% shooting from the field.  The final read 91-74, making it back-to-back double-digit losses in the City of Light.

(Please remember that this trip is more about the extra practice time and in-game experience (and sightseeing!) than the final outcomes.  The individual box scores are not all that meaningful.)

Highlighting the performance for CU was freshman Josh Scott (nicknamed the "World's Only Chocolate Jellyfish" by the French radio crew) who notched his first double-double in a CU uniform with a 13/10 effort.  Andre Roberson barely missed his second double-double in as many nights, as he finished with 13/9.  Fueled by the pair of big men, the Buffs actually out-rebounded AMW 41-27.

Also for the Buffs, freshman Xavier Johnson chipped in 12 points.  XJ will come away from Paris having learned a painful lesson, however, as he watched a weak lay-up attempt get rocketed out of the arena by an AMW defender:

This was the final game in Paris, and only three games remain on the season-opening exhibition trip.  Leaving Paris behind is actually a sad moment, as it forces all of us in Buff Nation to say au revoir to the fantastic crew at 7pm Production who brought us the action from the Stade Pierre de Coubertin.  Nicolas and Francois followed up their strong Wednesday performance with even more nicknames, jokes, and brutally honest commentary during the second game.  They even did Buff Nation the honor of singing the fight song.

Nicolas (left) and Francois (right) were a lifeline of awesome during the Paris leg of the trip.

Buff Nation wasn't the only group impressed, either.  Virginia, who played in Paris Monday and Tuesday, also got the 7pm treatment, and Cavalier fans were equally happy with the crew's efforts.  A big thank you to both Nicolas and Francois for making the two CU games of the EuroJam the most entertaining games of basketball I've never seen.

From Paris, the team now travels to Belgium for a pair of games with local pro squads. The next game is scheduled for Saturday at noon MT against Optima Ghent.  Unfortunately, I don't think there will be any streaming coverage of the games, be it video or audio, the rest of the trip, so it's all on Andy Green and the CU SID office to relay information to those of us back home.  Get to it, Andy!

Go Buffs!  Beat Optima Ghent!