The Colorado Buffaloes (12-6, Big 12 3-4) and Cincinnati Bearcats (11-5, 3-3) faced off on Saturday, and the contest swung back and forth for the majority of the game.
Colorado guard Frida Formann annihilated the 3-point line, shooting 4-of-6 from distance. Junior forward Jade Masogayo was also a massive contributor for the Buffaloes, scoring 16 points and securing seven rebounds. The two performances helped CU to a double-digit lead in the second half
Yet, Cincy guard Tineya Hylton put on a clinic for the Bearcats, putting up a whopping 27 points (8-of-13 FG, 1-of-4 3PT, 10-of-12 FT) Hylton was able to slash to the rim and get to the foul line. Freshman Chloe Mann came away with several clutch triples to help the Bearcats close the gap later in the game, hitting three of her eight attempts from deep. These performances ultimately led to a 65-59 Cincinnati win.
Other key impact players included Colorado’s Kennedy Sanders, who contributed seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sanders doesn’t have an ounce of quit in her, and her all-around game has been a pivotal point of success for the Buffs. Cincy’s Alliance Ndiba also had nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Free throws were one of the main reasons the Bearcats came out on top, as they shot 19-of-26 from the stripe overall and 11-of-15 in the final quarter. This was miles better than Colorado’s measly 2-of-4 from the line.
Rebounding was even, as both teams secured 36 boards each. However, Cincinnati capitalized on second-chance opportunities, bringing home 21 offensive rebounds and scoring 22 second-chance points, while Colorado had 13 offensive rebounds for 10 fewer second-chance points.
Colorado did a solid job distributing the rock, putting up 15 assists. On the other hand, Cincinnati’s defensive scheme proved effective with eight blocks and nine steals, forcing 21 turnovers despite allowing 24-of-54 shooting from the field. The defensive performance made up for the Bearcats’ poor offensive showing, where they shot 21-of-65 from the field and 4-of-23 from deep.
Neither team could implement a substantial scoring deficit early, as the score was 18-16 after the first quarter. As the game closed in on the fourth quarter, Colorado almost pulled away, going up by 12 points late in the third. But, things fell apart for the Buffaloes in the last 12 minutes of the game, and it was a slippery slope the rest of the way. CU committed 12 turnovers in the fourth and Cincy outscored the Buffs 28-14 in the fourth quarter with Hylton scoring 18 of her 27 points.
Despite Hylton’s one-person show, it was a play in the final minute of the game that sealed the deal for Cincinnati. With 35.6 seconds left on the clock, Cincy’s A’riel Jackson dove for the ball to keep the play alive following a loose ball. After Jackson’s effort, the ball ended up in the hands of Mann, who dished the ball over to Ndiba. She knocked down the mid-range shot that bounced around the rim and went in with 31 seconds to play, putting the Bearcats up two possessions. This dynamic play secured the win for the Bearcats, coming out on top 65-59 and marking Cincinnati’s first-ever win against the Buffaloes.
The Buffs look to bounce back against No. 11 Kansas State (18-1, 6-0) at the CU Events Center next Saturday at 1 p.m. MT.
Cover photo by CU Athletics/CUBuffs.com
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