PULLMAN, Wash. — About an hour before what became a completely forgettable game at Washington State, Colorado guard senior Elijah Parquet was on the floor at Beasley Coliseum, in uniform and stretching out.

When tipoff arrived, Parquet was in workout clothes on the bench, where he remained for the entire game.

CU's defensive specialist did not play for the third time in five games, though his presence surely would not have been enough to change the fortunes of a Buffs team that suffered a 70-43 defeat on Sunday night. Buffs head coach Tad Boyle said Parquet has been dealing with a foot issue, and that his absence against the Cougars was a late decision.

"He tried to warm up. He's got pain in his foot," Boyle said. "He just couldn't play."

Parquet, who started the first 17 games of the season, missed the Buffs home games against USC and UCLA two weekends ago, but returned to the action while coming off the bench for the Buffs' road trip-opening win at Oregon. Parquet returned to the starting lineup during Thursday's loss at Washington, going 3-for-5 with nine points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots, but he was unable to answer the bell on Sunday.

Asked afterward if Parquet's availability will remain questionable on a game-to-game basis over the final nine games of the regular season, Boyle could offer no definitive answer.

"I have no idea. I guess," Boyle said. "Honest, that I don't have an answer for. I don't think our trainer knows. I don't think our team doctors know. I don't think Eli knows. We'll see."

In Parquet's sudden absence, freshman guard KJ Simpson made the first start of his CU career. Parquet's absence might have helped Washington State sharpshooter Michael Flowers, who went 4-for-7 on 3-pointers. Parquet, a Pac-12 All-Defense selection last season, helped hold Flowers to a 1-for-9 mark from the arc in the teams' previous meeting at CU.

Low lows

The Buffs hit all sorts of historic and season lows on Sunday night.

The 43 points scored was the fewest by a Buffs team since a 56-33 loss at Wyoming Nov. 22, 2014. Their 18 first half points was CU's fewest since another game against Wyoming on Nov. 24, 2019 in Las Vegas, when the Buffs scored 15 first half points before regrouping for a 56-41 win.

CU attempted just seven free throws, its lowest total of the season and the fewest since they attempted only six in two different games last year — a home loss against Utah and a road win against Stanford. The Buffs also finished with season-lows on field goals (16) and assists (eight).

Notable

Recent walk-on-turned-scholarship player Will Loughlin went 1-for-4, notching the first points of his career in the second half on a put-back of his own miss in the second half…Nique Clifford went 2-for-4 on 3-pointers and has gone 6-for-11 from the arc over the past six games.