WATCH: Harrison Simeon recaps CU's hard-fought 76-68 loss to No. 5 UCLA.
BOULDER – The CU Events Center hosted the most raucous atmosphere it has had in recent memory Friday night, as 11,338 fans were in attendance to watch the No. 3-ranked Colorado women's basketball team take on the No.5 UCLA Bruins.
The crowd was just another piece of history CU has made this season, as it was not only the team's first sellout since 1995, but it was largest home audience in the program's history. The crowd was also the third-largest in the history of the CUEC, for both men's and women's hoops.
However, the Buffs' championship-level environment was soured by a strong UCLA effort down the stretch, as the Bruins handed CU its second loss of the season, as well as its first in Pac-12 play. The defeat was also the first this season's black and gold has suffered at home. Colorado's record now stands at 15-2, 5-1 in conference play.
"Just two heavyweights, two of the best teams in the country," head coach JR Payne reflected on after the loss. "I thought we competed on every single possession, [but] I think our offense got stagnant, which we haven't seen really at all this year, and then the defensive rebounding just absolutely crushed us."
Bouncing back from their season's first loss on Sunday to USC, the Bruins' record now moves to 15-1, 4-1 in the Pac-12.
Senior guard Charisma Osborne led the way for UCLA, racking up 22 points, four rebounds, and four steals while playing all but three minutes of the contest.
Sophomore center Lauren Betts overcame a shaky start to shine on the interior, scoring 20 and rebounding 13, eight of which boards came on the offensive end.
Junior forward Angela Dugalic was another key cog in the Bruin machine, grabbing 13 more rebounds and scoring 11 points.
For the Buffs, point guard Jaylyn Sherrod led in scoring with 17, albeit on poor efficiency (5-for-16 from the field, 1-for-6 from three). Senior guard Frida Formann had a nice game as well, with 16 points on 3-for-7 shooting from long distance.
Power forward Quay Miller and center Aaronette Vonleh scored 10 points each, with seven and six rebounds, respectively. Miller surpassed 1,300 points for her college career in the contest.
Tameiya Sadler also provided a nice spark off the bench, playing a bit erratically at first but making several key plays in the third quarter that gave CU life amidst a sluggish second half.
The 76-68 final score may not be the perfect indicator of how the game went, as the Bruins went on a 13-3 run from the 4:04 point of the fourth quarter until there were just three seconds left. It was an all-out battle for most of the contest, with 20 lead changes and eight ties throughout, but the Buffs fizzled when a comeback was direly needed.
The biggest difference-maker for a Bruin victory came on the glass. Playing without top rebounder Sara-Rose Smith (concussion) for a third consecutive game, CU was dominated, especially in the second half.
UCLA grabbed 44 rebounds to just 27 by Colorado, with a 27-9 advantage in the final two quarters alone. They also compiled 18 offensive boards translating into 11 second-chance points, compared to just six rebounds on the offensive end by the Buffs.
"They have 100 more offensive rebounds than their opponents for a reason," Payne mentioned. "They're really good at it. And so, if we weren't exceptional in our discipline, boxing out, and things like that, then this is what they do to people."
The discrepancy had a massive ripple effect on the contest, particularly on CU's lethal transition game. The Bruins kept the Buffaloes in the halfcourt for much of the second half, leading to tougher looks and poor possessions. UCLA also played rather clean after the first quarter, allowing just four Buff steals and ultimately just seven fast break points.
"I think we just got away from what works," added Payne. "We've been preaching since last summer, 'Pace, offensive pace, don't let the ball stick anywhere, keep it moving no matter what, keep it moving,' and I think we had a lot of possessions where the ball stuck."
Foul trouble was another huge factor that led to CU's tough loss. Five of the black and gold finished with four or more fouls, including Miller picking up her fifth in the game's final minute. This led to 30 UCLA free throws, of which the Bruins made 24. All of these trips to the charity stripe took place in the contest's final three quarters.
Most importantly, the foul trouble shifted the game's dynamic in terms of physicality.
"At the end of the day, it just goes back to playing smart," said Sherrod of how her play was affected by the whistle. "Me and Kindyll [Wetta] were in foul trouble, but we just tried to play as smart as possible knowing that our team needed us to be on the floor."
The Buffs led for much of the first half, feeding off of the unprecedented energy in the arena to force four Bruin turnovers in the latter half of the first quarter. Betts was rattled by CU traps and double-teams, limited to just 3-for-10 shooting in the first half as the nation's leader in field goal percentage (71.2%) coming into the night.
Contrary to the ball sticking as it did for Colorado in the second half, UCLA struggled to move the ball mightily early on. They relied heavily on Osborne's shot creation and free throw shooting, with just one assist through the first two periods.
The black and gold led by as much as nine four minutes into the second quarter, but little by little, the Bruins braved the hostile crowd and thin air to gain control over the contest. They kept it close, and when the Buffs' offense ground to a halt, they took advantage.
Betts wore down Vonleh in the post and drew mismatches that allowed for a much more efficient 5-for-6 second half from the field. After an impressive performance last season in the same building as a member of the Stanford Cardinal, the sophomore once again had Colorado's number.
"She's one of the best centers in the country," said Payne on the challenge of defending Betts. "She's long, she's got great hands, she can rebound her own shots really effectively, and so it was definitely a problem."
The well finally broke for CU's defense in the fourth, giving up 27 points to help UCLA put the game away. The Buffs kept scratching and clawing, but the combination of foul trouble, rebounding struggles, and a stuck offensive flow ultimately led to their downfall and the loss.
Colorado now has another top-tier challenge just on the horizon, taking on the No. 6 USC Trojans (13-2, 3-2 in conference play) on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT.
However, the historic support shown at the CU Events Center Friday night should carry over well into Sunday. These crowds are truly an incredible sign of the program's progress into one of the nation's top teams, and more importantly, one to be proud of.
"In the huddle with the guards before the game, I said 'Let's give all these people a reason to keep coming back,'" revealed Sherrod. "Even though we didn't come out with the win, I think at the end of the day, we're gonna be better from this."
Cover photo by Wes Barnett/Sko Buffs Sports
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