SALT LAKE CITY – Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball was down three starters on Wednesday night against the Utah Utes. Sara-Rose Smith, Kindyll Wetta, and leading scorer Frida Formann were all sidelined with injuries. CU (16-8, 7-6 Big 12) struggled to make up for the lack of leadership and offensive productivity these three typically bring to the table and fell on the road to Utah (19-5, 10-3 Big 12) by a final score of 60-77.
After Colorado scored the first bucket of the game, Utah scored 17 straight to force a timeout after just two and a half minutes of action. The home team put up 29 points in the first quarter, and from there, the Buffs played from behind. Shorthanded to begin with, CU was unable to keep pace with the Utes.
Colorado was able to go on a few runs thanks to three players who scored double-digits: Tabitha Betson (15), Lior Garzon (13), and Jade Masogayo (11). After cutting a once-20-point lead to four, the Buffaloes lost momentum via a 7-0 run by the Utes to close out the first half.
Betson showed her ability to perform and execute as a starter, recording 15 points. A bright spot for the Buffs, the Australia native surpassed her previous career high after building on 10 quick first-quarter points. The freshman made 3-of-4 shots from long range and boasted eight rebounds.
Colorado led for only 20 seconds throughout the contest. Although the Buffs were able to keep it close in the first half, an 11-0 run put them down 23 in the third.
CU was never able to establish a presence in the paint and was outrebounded by a margin of 13, conceding 13 second-chance points and 18 points off turnovers.
Garzon found her shot when given the opportunity and ultimately shot 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Shooting 50% from the floor, Garzon also added five rebounds and three assists.
Junior guard Gianna Kneepkens led the Utes and all scorers with 16 points (6-for-11 shooting), while senior forward Maye Toure added 15.
This Utah team has proven its ability to compete with high-powered teams after a statement win over the No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in November. With only three conference losses, the Utes improved to fifth in the Big 12 standings – tied with Oklahoma State – and extended their win streak to six.
“They definitely beat us tonight. Utah is a really good team, and I don’t think we did what we needed to for the first three quarters,” head coach Payne noted.
The Buffs return to the CU Events Center on Saturday, February 16th at 6 p.m. MT. Taking on the Houston Cougars (5-19, 1-12 Big 12) in another conference matchup, Colorado will hope to return at least one starter from the injury report. This game can be watched on ESPN+.