LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Colorado Buffaloes (1-0) could not have started their past two seasons any differently, though the result was ultimately the same.
While 2023-24 began on cloud nine with the upset of No. 1 LSU, the black and gold had to squeeze every last drop out of its completely made-over roster on Monday night.
After an ugly, scrappy affair, the Buffs found a way over the Wyoming Cowgirls (0-1) 56-50. The win was Colorado's 25th in a row in a season opener.
Leading the charge on an evening where the lid was nearly impossible to come off the basket was fifth-year forward Lior Garzon. The Oklahoma State transfer scored 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, swiped three steals and hit a dagger from mid-range to give CU a 52-48 lead that would not shrink with 44 seconds left.
"The great thing about Lior is she's totally unafraid of it," head coach JR Payne mentioned. "She wants the ball when the game's on the line. She wants the ball when we need a bucket."
Sara Rose-Smith had a game-high 11 rebounds, but she and Garzon were the only two Buffs in double figures in any major category.
The Buffaloes came out very much like a team with 10 new players, significantly disjointed on offense (1-for-9 from the field) and sluggish in controlling the interior. After a five-minute scoreless streak to end the first half, Colorado trailed 24-18 and had shot a measly 8-for-32 (25%) from the field, with just four points outside of the paint.
"It just felt like we couldn't throw the ball in the ocean," Payne described. "But some nights are like that. With all of these new players, this is what we need. We have to figure out who are we when we're down? Who are we when our backs are against the wall? How will we respond? This actually provided us a really incredible opportunity."
Minnesota transfer Ayianna Johnson was the only source of life in the frontcourt throughout the first half (six points, two offensive rebounds), but even she couldn’t slow down Wyoming’s Allyson Fertig, the Mountain West Preseason Co-Player of the Year. The senior had 10 of her 18 points in the first 20 minutes.
Tabitha Betson became the first freshman for the program since Annika Jank in 2017 to start a season opener, but struggled to deal with the Cowgirls' muscle inside. The Aussie forward scored Colorado's first points of the season but shot just 1-for-9 (0-for-4 from 3) in her collegiate debut.
Out of the break, the Buffaloes decided to roll with a much more aggressive approach and did so effectively. After two fouls kept her on the bench for much of the first half, Missouri State transfer Jade Masogayo made up for CU’s size disadvantage with unfiltered tenacity, setting the tone for a quarter in which the Buffs outscored the Cowgirls 20-10.
This mentality also applied to returning point guard Kindyll Wetta, who spearheaded 19 takeaways by the Buffaloes to force Wyoming’s offense out of rhythm in key spots.
After picking up a third foul midway through the third quarter, Payne took a chance by leaving the senior playing her 100th career game in, and it paid off. Wetta did what she does best, the little things, and assisted Smith on a lay-in after an offensive board that gave the Buffs a 31-30 lead with 3:25 left in the third. This advantage held for the rest of the night, despite Wetta fouling out and a late comeback effort from the Pokes.
"This is a very tough environment ... Not a lot of teams will come here and win this year because of [Wyoming's] veterans," Payne mentioned. "They are very well-coached and play unbelievably hard."
Both sides struggled mightily all evening at the charity stripe (22-for-39 combined) and from the 3-point line (4-for-25). The Buffs sank just one triple all night and failed to generate many open looks.
However, murky waters cleared while Fertig got in foul trouble, as the Buffs shot a much more efficient 44% from the field and outrebounded the Cowgirls 24-11 in the second half. Nyamer Diew and Masogayo used their length and quickness to make valuable plays in crunch time, including a block with 36 seconds left from Diew that kept the Colorado in the driver's seat.
As much as CU overcame to emerge victorious, a disadvantage in continuity may have been the most staggering. Wyoming returned all five of their starters from last season, while the Buffaloes were without any of their five. Frida Formann remains sidelined with a foot injury.
The Buffs escaped from Laramie with the program’s 900th win and now prepare for their home opener on Thursday. Tip-off against the Northern Colorado Bears (1-0) from the CU Events Center is set for 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
Cover photo via CUBuffsWBB/X
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