WATCH: Harrison Simeon breaks down CU's momentum-building win over Washington.
BOULDER – While it took a bit longer than expected for the final buzzer to sound, the 13th-ranked Colorado women's basketball team returned home and into the win column Thursday night against the Washington Huskies (15-13, 5-12 Pac-12) by a score of 68-62.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak, improving the Buffaloes to 11-6 in conference play (21-7 overall). The win also keeps CU in fifth place in the Pac-12, and their chances of hosting the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Boulder remain alive.
"Really happy to be back at home," Colorado head coach JR Payne opened with following the win. "Really happy with how we played in spurts, certainly not 40 minutes, but we played really, really well in some spurts on both sides of the floor."
The Buffs' penultimate matchup of the regular season started a bit slow, but Maddie Nolan triggered an efficient team night of offense through three quarters (50% FG) with a season-high 20 points. The graduate guard shot an impressive 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, making Washington pay for the several wide-open looks she garnered throughout the contest.
"My teammates, as always, do a great job of finding me," Nolan noted. "It's nice to play with people that know where you are on the floor and are always looking for you."
Colorado gradually took control in the middle two periods of play through excellent paint defense, a 10-point second quarter from Frida Formann, and valuable bench contributions from Sara-Rose Smith, Tameiya Sadler, and Kindyll Wetta. Aaronette Vonleh started slow but ultimately added 10 points and seven rebounds.
The black and gold also had one of their best days from the 3-point line all season, shooting 9-for-20, 9-for-19 if not counting a half-court heave from Jaylyn Sherrod at the end of the second quarter.
Thursday was a quintessential night in Sherrod's career, who did not fill up the stat sheet (six points, two assists) but whose fingerprints were felt in every aspect of the game. In the second quarter, the graduate student rose up for an emphatic block of Washington's Ari Long, leading to a Nolan layup and Washington timeout.
Early in the second half, Sherrod went to the locker room after catching a rough elbow to the face. She later returned to the bench at the start of the fourth, sporting a protective mask and holding an icepack against her nose.
In that final period, however, her presence was sorely missed. The Buffs shot an ugly 1-for-10 from the field and turned the ball over six times, with just four points in the contest's closing six minutes.
Senior forward Lauren Schwartz led an admirable Husky effort with 18 points (4-of-4 from three), along with sophomore guard Elle Ladine's 16. Washington inched closer but could not quite take advantage though, as Wetta and Sadler's deterrence in the backcourt kept the contest's momentum from truly swinging.
"I feel like we were turning it over a little bit, and then maybe just some early jumpers," noted Payne on the rough patch. "If you combine that with not getting stops, [the lead] can go from 15 to 10 pretty quick. So, we just have to look at it and make sure we know what we're looking for at the end of the game."
Sherrod then returned in the game's final minute to a nice ovation from the crowd, instantly putting the game on ice with two crucial free throws. Quay Miller also grabbed a massive rebound off of one of Sherrod's misses at the line, leading to a JR Payne timeout and two more freebies from Formann to give Colorado necessary breathing room.
CU's much-needed win now gives the squad some positive momentum as the Pac-12 Tournament rapidly approaches. While the Buffs would need some help in order to gain a first-round bye in the tourney, remaining optimistic and not overreacting to the recent slump has been at peak emphasis throughout the building.
"I just choose to be positive," explained Payne. "We have great women on our team that want to work hard and want to be successful, [that] want to see each other be successful, so when you have that mindset and that collective effort, it's pretty easy to be that way. I think it's the right way to go."
The Buffaloes now prepare for Senior Day on Saturday against Washington State (17-13, 6-11 Pac-12), where several members of Colorado's experienced core will be honored. This game could potentially be the last of the regular season in Boulder, pending a Colorado loss or March Madness seeding outside of the top four. Tipoff from the CUEC is set for 1 p.m. MT.
Cover photo by Leo Boime/Sko Buffs Sports
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