(15-1, 5-0 Pac-12) (15-2, 4-1 Pac-12)
The Pac-12 has garnered a ton of attention so far this women’s basketball season, and rightfully so. Everyone was left with one question: what happens when all of these elite teams face off against each other?
The No. 5-ranked Buffs provided a resounding answer in their first matchup against the other three top 10 teams in the conference, swiftly dispatching No. 8 Stanford 71-59 in front of a rowdy CU Events Center Crowd in Boulder on Sunday.
Colorado improved to 15-1 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-12 while sending the Cardinal (15-2, 4-1) its first conference loss.
“Super proud of our team, but also our community,” coach JR Payne said. “They really showed out today and I think it was a great experience. I’m hoping we’ll continue to build on that. So fun to play in front of a crowd like that, and in a game –all of these Pac-12 games it’s gonna be a game of runs – and when we have that type of support and energy in the building, it makes a huge difference during those runs. So, proud of our team. We were totally ready on one day’s notice. We were ready, and I think we came out and really played well today.”
In front of a massive crowd of 9,111, it the Stanford stars came out determined to silence the Colorado fans. Cameron Brink got an easy layup and then drained back-to-back 3s as a part of a 10-2 Stanford run out of the gates. But, as they have all season, the Buffs were ready with a response.
The hosts came right back, getting the score level by the end of the first quarter behind much improved defense and some timely buckets from the Colorado guards. Jaylyn Sherrod finished off the mini comeback by banking in a jumper from the elbow, putting Colorado ahead 18-17 after one period.
The second quarter involved more balanced scoring from the Buffs as foul trouble started to become an issue. Aaronette Vonleh and Jaylyn Sherrod both were troubled with fouls, and Vonleh was limited to just 4 minutes in the first half with a pair of fouls. On the Stanford side, Brink was held to just 7 minutes after picking up a pair.
Regardless, the foul trouble didn’t stop Colorado from taking control. In succession, Charlotte Whittaker, Sherrod and Quay Miller drained back-to-back-to-back 3s to give the Buffs an 8-point lead. After Stanford made a run to tie things back up, the Buffs created some more separation before halftime, as Kindyll Wetta drained an incredible shot from just inside half court to send Colorado to the locker room with a 36-30 advantage.
“To be honest, I usually don’t look at the clock, but I heard it this time,” Wetta said. “I was like OK, I’ve gotta shoot it. It felt good coming off, and it went in.”
After Stanford cut its deficit to just one at the start of the third quarter, the Buffs really gained command and started to pull away. A cold Stanford offense and 3-pointers by Miller, Frida Formann and Maddie Nolan helped the Buffs make a 20-2 run that would give them their biggest lead of the afternoon, 56-37.
“We talked about it at halftime, we talked about it at every single timeout,” Payne said. “These guys say reconnect. We come back together, refocus, just make sure we’re all locked in on the same page, so I thought we did that really well whenever we had an opportunity to come together. I didn’t even know it was that big of a run. You could feel the momentum, but incredible to be able to sustain not just the offensive scoring but actually getting stops like that as well. It’s pretty remarkable.”
The fourth quarter was nearly a formality from there. Stanford made a push, as expected from a top 10 opponent, and cut the lead down as close as 6, but the Buffs stayed calm and continued to make timely buckets to keep the game out of reach. With under 30 seconds to play, Sherrod put the icing on the cake, breaking free for a layup and following it up with Steph Curry’s “night-night” celebration after sinking the final dagger into the Cardinal’s hopes.
Sherrod was one of five Buffs in double figures, finishing with 13 points. Miller came through as well with her third consecutive double-double and sixth on the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Wetta and Nolan were pivotal in the win as well, as Nolan knocked down three 3-pointers on her way to 12 points and five rebounds. Wetta stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
For Stanford, Kiki Iriafen finished the game with a dominant double-double, scoring a game-high 19 points and collecting 17 rebounds. Brink slowed down after her hot start, in part due to the foul trouble that plagued her throughout, but still finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
The Buffs dominated this game with their advantage in the turnover battle and in transition. Colorado was able to turn 18 Cardinal giveaways into 28 points, while Stanford was only able to convert 11 Colorado turnovers into 11 points. Colorado had a huge edge in fast break points as well, with 22 points in transition to just three for the Cardinal.
The Buffs are back in Boulder next weekend for two more top 10 matchups against No. 2 UCLA and No. 9 USC. The Bruins are up first on Friday night. Tip-off from the CU Events Center will be at 6 p.m. MST.
