The Colorado Buffaloes (16-6, 7-4 Big 12) beat the Arizona Wildcats (14-10, 5-6 Big 12) 56-47 at the CU Events Center on Wednesday night.
Buffs forward Jade Masogayo played her heart out, recording a team-high in points (19) and rebounds (14). The 6-foot-3 junior blocked three shots and shot 7-for-8 from the charity stripe.
The Buffs were without star guard Frida Formann for the second consecutive game due to a foot injury. Colorado has missed her offensive ability, but Masogayo stepped up to fill the void.
“I don’t keep track of stats and stuff like that when it comes to me,” the junior humbly mentioned.
Both teams started the game stagnant. The Buffs started 0-for-7 from the field, while the Wildcats were 1-for-5. Only two players for the Buffs tallied a point in the first 10 minutes. Forward Nyamer Diew led the team in the period with eight points (100% FG), while Masogayo scored six and led the team in rebounds (three).
The Wildcats received scoring from five different players in the first, with forward Isis Beh leading the team in points (five) and rebounds (two).
The black and gold played with more poise in the second quarter, especially on the defensive side. Head coach JR Payne’s squad held Arizona to 1-for-12 in the first six minutes of the second quarter.
Despite the effort on defense, the Buffs only led by eight at half because of untimely turnovers.
Arizona’s full-court press can be credited to the Buffs' back-to-back giveaways late in the second quarter, which turned into two quick layups for the Wildcats. The Buffs committed 10 turnovers in the first half, compared to Arizona’s four.
Colorado maintained its lead throughout the third quarter with the help of guard Kindell Wetta. The 5-foot-9 Colorado native played nearly the entire quarter, putting up two points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Wetta finished the game with six points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Both teams ended the third with scoring droughts of over two minutes. The Wildcats needed a strong fourth-quarter performance to have a chance at heading home with a win.
Unfortunately for Arizona, its formula did not culminate in a win. However, the team stayed within striking range, keeping pressure on the Buffs until the final whistle.
The Wildcats lived and died by the press on Wednesday, leading to many breakaway opportunities for Colorado. Arizona would either force a turnover and a quick layup, or Colorado would create a fast break down the court.
“We were definitely prepared coming in,” Payne said of Arizona’s defensive strategy. “But then when we saw it, we didn’t do the things we had practiced.”
The press challenged the Buffs as they committed a total of 21 turnovers. Colorado was lucky, however, as Arizona only scored 18 points off those miscues.
The black and gold travel to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday at 3 p.m. MT. (ESPN+)
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