Colorado shook off its two-game losing streak with a top-10 win at the CU Events Center on Saturday, taking down No. 10 Kansas State, 63-53.
In their second win over a ranked opponent this season, the Buffs played exceptionally well on both ends of the floor as they minimized the conference's highest-scoring team (83.2 points per game) to a season-low 53 points, while CU shot 49.1 percent from the field (27-of-55) on the other end.
After an unfavorable-two loss road trip, Colorado (13-6, 4-4 Big 12) came back in dominant fashion resulting in the Buffs’ seventh top-10 win under coach JR Payne.
“I'm just really proud of our team,” Payne said. “There were a couple things we worked on every day this week, which was limiting turnovers, taking care of the ball and then trying to keep our opponent off the free throw line, like to be able to defend without fouling. And I think those are the two areas that stand out on the stat sheet. Really, really just proud of our team's execution of a scout. … Our team was very well prepared, and then the team really executed it. So big shout-out to everybody.”
During that road trip Colorado frequently sent its opponents (No. 20 West Virginia and Cincinnati) to the line for 30 made free throws and turned the ball over 44 times. Coming into Saturday afternoon committing the most fouls in the conference (20.4 per game) and with the third-most turnovers in the Big 12 (17.3 per game), the Buffs were much more disciplined with 12 turnovers and 8 fouls while Kansas State attempted only 2 free throws all game.
CU only shot 26.3 percent from the field in the first quarter, but in the second quarter Frida Formann, Jade Masogayo and Lior Garzon were knocking down shots to help outscore Kansas State 25-15. As Colorado found its rhythm in the frontcourt, it held a 35-31 lead at the half. Kansas State’s Temira Poindexter led the Wildcats with nine points at the half after draining three 3-pointers. However, Poindexter's hot hand eventually became cold.
What ultimately won Colorado this game was its relentless defensive effort in the second half holding Poindexter scoreless and Masogayo coming up big with four blocks.
On both ends of the floor, Masogayo was too much for Kansas State to manage as she added 13 points.
“We all have been telling Jade that since she got here, I remember [Coach Toriano Towns] telling her in the very beginning, ‘You can be an elite defender,'" Payne said. "… He doesn't pass out those types of strong compliments very easily, because there aren't that many elite defenders. So it's both sides of the floor for Jade which is really remarkable.”
Formann (14 points), Masogayo and Johanna Teder (10 points) all finished in double-digits while the Buffs were able to penetrate the paint very effectively with 40 paint points.
“We've gotta stop the dribble better than we did today,” Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie said. “... They attacked us a couple of ways, they got us off the dribble, they got us off the pass and those things get a lot of room.”
Kansas State was without its leading scorer Ayoka Lee (16.0 points per game) which helped give the Buffs an advantage. Still, Kansas State came into Boulder as 14.5-point favorites over Colorado and the Buffs assembled their best game of the season and their first top-10 win since beating USC last season.
Colorado is heading back out on the road to Provo, Utah, this upcoming week to take on BYU (5-15 overall, 1-6 in the Big 12).
