Boulder, Colo. ? Try as he might, Kansas University guard Keith Langford can’t mask the memory of last year’s loss to Colorado in Boulder.

That’s the game after which CU fans stormed the court celebrating the Buffaloes’ 60-59 victory, which snapped a 27-game losing streak against KU.

It also put an end to KU’s 23-game regular-season Big 12 Conference win streak.

“I’m sure I’ll forget it one of these days,” Langford said, “but it’s one of the main things that sticks out in my mind about the first two years of my career.

“That’s not anything you need for motivation going into the game. Every game is a big game.”

The conference opener between Kansas (8-2) and Colorado (6-3) is 8:05 tonight at Coors Events Center.

Last year’s game in Colorado proved to be big for the Buffs, who looked like they were going to lose after KU’s Michael Lee hit two free throws with 39 seconds left to give the Jayhawks a 59-58 lead.

“I thought they put us over the hump,” Lee said of the free throws. He will not play tonight while he recovers from a broken collarbone. “But we didn’t finish at the end.”

Instead, CU forward Stephane Pelle, who was six inches taller than Lee, answered Lee’s free throws with a 12-foot jumper over Lee, who was substituting for Jeff Graves. Graves had fouled out.

Kansas remembers last year’s setback in Boulder Buffs reeling on home court Woodling: Jayhawks’ Big 12 schedule has quirks Notebook Roster Schedule Live updates via cell phone

“I just remember that last shot Pelle scored. That’s all I remember,” Lee said. “And I remember it wasn’t the best time in the locker room after that.”

KU’s players and coaches expressed frustration after seeing their 23-game regular season conference win streak come to an end.

The Jayhawks played for the last shot, but Kirk Hinrich lost control after getting bumped while driving the lane at :07. He kicked the ball out to Lee in the corner, who missed a jumper at :03. Aaron Miles tapped the rebound to Hinrich, who thought he was hacked putting up a wild shot at the buzzer.

After a no call, the fans erupted in joy as the Jayhawks mourned their first loss to CU in 12 games, since a 79-71 decision Feb. 20, 1991.

Despite KU’s dominance, the Jayhawks agree games against CU have become important.

“It’s pretty big,” Lee said of the rivalry. “We lost a tough one to them last year. It’s a tough place to play. They are not a bad team. They don’t get enough credit. We’ll be ready. It’ll be a good game.”

Added Langford: “I think Colorado has been a rivalry since my freshman year with the whole Harrison thing.”

Langford, of course, was referring to some extracurricular activity with CU junior center David Harrison, who had words with Drew Gooden during Harrison’s freshman season after Gooden refused to shake the 7-footer’s hand during pregame introductions before a Big 12 tourney game at Kemper Arena.

Also, Harrison, who suffered a bruised shoulder in the Buffs’ last game — Wednesday’s 75-62 loss to Richmond — said former KU coach Roy Williams once sent him a letter asking him to attend Vanderbilt or North Carolina, not Colorado.

Williams responded by saying he was 99 percent sure he’d never sent that letter.

“His antics. Watch for the antics,” Langford said about what he would tell the KU freshmen about Harrison. “That’s all. That’s all been discussed, addressed in the past.”

Though the Jayhawks and Buffaloes have had words in recent years — “Definitely there will be some words exchanged. That’s just part of the game,” Langford said — the Jayhawks like playing in the high altitude.

“It’s obviously a big game. We like to go to Boulder. We like the fan support we get there. We’ve got to treat every game like a big game,” Langford said of the 4,000 or so KU fans who annually attend.

CU enters with a 6-3 record and is coming off back-to-back losses at home — to Richmond and Utah. The Utah game was attended by just 2,709 fans.

“Colorado is a tough place to play, but it’s good to see fans from western Kansas support us on the road because they can’t come to the fieldhouse,” KU junior Wayne Simien said.

“It’s funny because I know the Colorado players hate it,” Langford said of the pro-KU crowds in Boulder. “Anytime you see your school color in the stands there, it’s big.”