With Pac-12 tournament seedings on the line and a potential invite to the NCAA Tournament at stake, Colorado earned a rugged 54-46 win over California on Saturday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Colo.

Derrick White scored 17 points, including a fall-away 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down in the final seconds, to lead the Buffaloes (18-13, 8-10 Pac-12). White also had eight rebounds and four assists.

Senior guard Xavier Johnson poured in 19 points, including a pair of free throws to seal the game, for Colorado.

Sophomore forward Ivan Rabb and senior guard Jabari Bird led Cal (19-11, 10-8) with 11 points each. Senior guard Grant Mullins added 10 points and picked up the offensive slack with Rabb and freshman guard Charlie Moore struggling.

Moore came into the game averaging 12.7 points but was held scoreless.

Perhaps the most crucial play for Colorado came from Denver native Dominique Carter. With the shot clock winding down, the junior guard buried a 3-point jumper to put the Buffaloes up 47-43 with 2:37 left in the game.

A pair of free throws from Johnson extended the lead to 49-43 and the Golden Bears were doomed.

Maybe it was the early start. Or maybe it was the altitude in Boulder. But anyone looking to see offenses on display were greatly disappointed on Saturday.

Cal squandered a 23-point lead when the two teams met on Feb. 5 and had to pull away late to notch a 77-66 victory. On Saturday, the two teams might have set the game back a few decades to the pre-time clock era.

The Golden Bears shot 27.3 percent for the game on 15 of 55 field-goal attempts. The Buffaloes connected on 34 percent (16 of 47 field-goal attempts).

Cal didn't score its first point until Rooks hit a free throw at the 17:15 mark. The Golden Bears didn't record a field goal until Rabb sank a jumper a little more than a minute later.

But the Buffaloes were just as inept on the offensive side of the ball. The Buffaloes shot only 25 percent from the field while the Bears were only slightly better at 30 percent.

If not for seven turnovers, which resulted in seven Colorado points, the Buffaloes would have been in a much deeper hole.

Heading into Saturday's game, Cal had lost four of five, Colorado four of six.