The Colorado Buffaloes (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) have struggled on the road in the Big 12, with their 30-point loss to Iowa State on Saturday being no exception.
Without star guard Frida Formann for the third consecutive game, the offense struggled mightily, but that is not uncommon for the Buffs on the road. On Saturday, they shot only 33.9% from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc. In road games, the Buffs average only 38.5% shooting, with their loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats and win over the Brigham Young Cougars being the only games where they shot over 40%.
If they maintained this 38.5% shooting across all games, it would rank among the worst in the Big 12. Fortunately for Colorado, they don’t.
At home, the Buffs are undefeated in the conference through six games. In the CU Events Center, Colorado shoots an impressive 50.1% from the field. In their two upset wins over the No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers and No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats, the Buffaloes shot 54.3 and 49.1% respectively. If the Buffs maintained their home shooting average, they would lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage.
The Buffs also thrive when multiple players contribute offensively. Based on field goal percentage, CU’s best offensive game this season came in its Big 12 opener, shooting 54.3% from the field. In that contest, they had three players in double digits and a 20-point scorer. This table shows the conference games where the Buffs had three or more players score double figures, along with the game location (home or away) and the result.
Game | Double-Digit Scorers | Result |
Vs. No. 14 West Virginia | Jade Masogayo - 18 points Lior Garzon - 14 points Frida Formann - 22 points | W |
@ TCU | Jade Masogayo - 14 points | L |
@ Baylor | Jade Masogayo - 13 points Frida Formann - 10 points | L |
Vs. UCF | Jade Masogayo -16 points Frida Formann - 22 points Nyamer Diew - 10-points | W |
Vs. Kansas | Jade Masogayo - 20 points Lior Garzon - 15 points Frida Formann - 13 points Nyamer Diew - 11 points | W |
@ No. 20 West Virginia | Frida Formann - 11 points | L |
@ Cincinnati | Jade Masogayo - 16 points Frida Formann - 12 points Lior Garzon - 11 points | L |
Vs. No. 10 Kansas State | Jade Masogayo -13 points Johanna Teder - 10 points Frida Formann - 14 points | W |
@ BYU | Nyamer Diew - 22 points | W |
Vs. Texas Tech | Jade Masogayo - 14 points Lior Garzon - 17 points Tabitha Betson - 11 points | W |
Vs. Arizona | Jade Masogayo - 19 points Lior Garzon - 12 points | W |
@ Iowa State | Johanna Teder - 11 points Nyamer Diew - 15 points | L |
The trends
Colorado has played 12 conference games, with six of them featuring at least three players scoring in double digits, resulting in a 5-1 record in those matchups. Notably, all five wins in these games came on home soil, except for a lone road defeat against Cincinnati.
A key factor in their success has been 20-point performances. In the four games where a Buff has reached the 20-point mark, the team remains undefeated, with three of those victories coming at home.
Bottom line
CU is a good offensive team at home, that is not the problem. In the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, every game is a road game despite a neutral crowd and environment. If the Buffs want to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament and secure a spot in March Madness, they have to win away from Boulder.
The Buffaloes’ dominance with the crowd behind them proves they have the talent to compete with the top of the Big 12. However, struggles away from Boulder could be their downfall in postseason play, where neutral site and road wins are crucial.
“We’re just trying to play great every single day. Honestly, it’s not about being on the road or at home or who it is,” head coach JR Payne mentioned before January’s road trip to WVU and Cincinnati that ended in two defeats. “We’re just trying to be consistently great in our jobs and our roles.”
If the Buffs can translate their home efficiency to road games, they will become a legitimate threat in the Big 12.
The black and gold finish their current road trip against the Utah Utes on Wednesday, where they look to get their second win on the road in the Big 12. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+).