Colorado holds off Florida in high-scoring NCAA Tournament game

Colorado appeared on track to win comfortably earlier in the game as its second-half lead swelled to 13 points with five minutes to play. But No. 7 seed Florida fought back, eventually tying the game at 100-100 before Simpson's game-winning shot. 

And with a missed full-court heave, Colorado held on to advance to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2021, when the Buffaloes knocked out Georgetown before losing to Florida State.

Unlike Wednesday's rock fight with Boise State, Colorado's offense controlled the game, while its defense failed to make crucial stops. 

That means the Buffaloes have now shown the country that they can win in both shootouts and defensive slugfests, a valuable attribute in a tournament that requires beating a handful of different teams that often feature varying styles and approaches.

Colorado will look for its NCAA Tournament run to continue on Sunday when it takes on No. 2 seed Marquette, which took down Western Kentucky earlier in the day. A TV network and tipoff time for the game has not yet been announced.