Quick break
Why the Buffs received: Protection was stellar all night time, holding Iowa State to its lowest level complete of the yr and 24.8 factors under its common. The Buffs additionally dominated in rebounds (46-33) and hit clutch pictures.
Three stars:
1. Desiree Wooten: Scored a season-high 24 factors, 5 of them within the final 46 seconds to place the sport away.
2. Jade Masogayo: Possibly her greatest all-around recreation of the season, with 15 factors, 5 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
3. Tabitha Betson: Got here off the bench to attain eight factors, together with two enormous 3-pointers. She additionally stepped up defensively.
Up subsequent: The Buffs hit the highway and go to Central Florida in Orlando on Sunday (12 p.m. MT, ESPN+).
Final week, the Colorado ladies’s basketball staff discovered itself in two tight video games on the highway towards two of the very best groups within the Massive 12 Convention.
The Buffaloes misplaced each video games.
In one other battle towards a high staff on Wednesday night time, the Buffs got here via.
Desiree Wooten scored a season-high 24 factors, Tabitha Betson hit a pair of large 3-pointers late within the fourth quarter and CU upset No. 19 Iowa State 68-60 on the CU Occasions Heart.
“I believe our staff did an important job of actually listening to these issues all through these final losses and internalized the place can we be higher, how can I be higher?” CU head coach JR Payne stated. “And I noticed that; like, we noticed the maturation of that down the stretch of this recreation, and any coach would simply be so pleased with that progress from one weekend to the following weekend.”
That is the seventh consecutive season the Buffs (12-6, 3-3 Massive 12) have defeated no less than one Related Press High 25 opponent, they usually did it by developing with key performs down the stretch in entrance of a season-best crowd of 4,183 on the Occasions Heart.
Maybe no performs have been greater than Betson’s back-to-back 3-pointers late within the fourth quarter.
CU held a 54-53 lead earlier than Betson drained a 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 7 seconds to go. With 1:29 to play, she hit one other, giving the Buffs a 60-53 lead.
“It was positively huge,” stated Betson, who completed with eight factors, two rebounds and two steals. “After all I used to be tremendous comfortable to see them go down, however I believe a variety of it simply comes right down to the belief that the staff has in me and the belief the coaches have in me to shoot that shot.”
CU didn’t get the clutch pictures final week in losses at Baylor and Oklahoma State, however Betson and Wooten got here via this time. Wooten hit a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left and the Buffs went 5-of-8 on the free throw line within the final 31 seconds to safe the win.
Wooten’s night time included a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on the finish of the primary quarter, seven straight factors to shut the primary half and pull CU inside 29-25, three 3-pointers, and stingy protection that helped drive Iowa State guard Jada Williams into six turnovers.
“I imply, it’s actually significant,” Wooten stated of her efficiency. “I’m proud at this time however again to work tomorrow. There’s a variety of holes in my recreation. I can nonetheless develop.”
Whereas Betson and Wooten hit huge pictures, the Buffs as a unit performed distinctive protection towards an Iowa State (14-4, 3-3) staff that has now misplaced 4 in a row. The Cyclones are lacking two two-year starters, however nonetheless have star Audi Crooks.
A 6-foot-3 junior heart who got here in main the nation with 28.3 factors per recreation, Crooks scored a season-low 17 factors.
Along with Betson and Wooten, the Buffs obtained clutch performances from others, as Jade Masogayo had 15 factors and 5 rebounds, Anaelle Dutat practically had one other double-double (9 factors, 12 rebounds) and Zyanna Walker crammed up the stat sheet with 10 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists and three steals.
All of them, and others, delivered when it mattered most.
“Simply staying locked in, like ending all 4 quarters,” Wooten stated. “Like (Payne) stated, we simply got here off two powerful losses that got here right down to little issues, so I believe we executed all of the little issues in that fourth quarter stretch.”
In doing so, the Buffs snapped a two-game skid and evened up their convention file.
“That was superior. I’m so proud,” Payne stated. “I’ve advised everyone that’ll pay attention, we now have such an important group of younger ladies in our program they usually’re so coachable and really resilient and wish to achieve success and wish to see one another achieve success.”
Colorado 68, No. 19 Iowa State 62
IOWA STATE (14-4, 2-4 Massive 12)
J. Williams 3-9 1-2 9, Hare 2-9 1-3 7, Wilson 0-2 0-0 0, Harris 5-11 2-4 16, Crooks 7-14 3-5 17, Beaty 3-7 0-0 8, A. Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Paulk 0-1 0-0 0, Taulelei 1-1 0-0 2, Tanke 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 22-57 7-14 62.
COLORADO (12-6, 3-3 Massive 12)
Greer 0-4 0-0 0, Masogayo 6-12 3-5 15, Dutat 3-11 2-2 9, Walker 4-8 2-2 10, McErlane 0-2 0-0 0, Gooden 0-3 0-0 0, Wooten 8-18 5-7 24, Criminal 0-2 0-0 0, Betson 2-4 2-2 8, Nworie 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 24-66 14-18 68.
Iowa State 16 13 13 20 – 62
Colorado 13 12 17 26 – 68
3-point objectives – ISU 11-27 (Harris 4-8, Hare 2-7, J. Williams 2-4, Beaty 2-4, Tanke 1-1, Wilson 0-2, Paulk 0-1), Colorado 6-16 (Wooten 3-6, Betson 2-3, Dutat 1-3, Walker 0-2, Greer 0-1, Criminal 0-1). Rebounds – ISU 33 (Crooks 15), Colorado 46 (Dutat 12). Assists – ISU 15 (J. Williams 5), Colorado 11 (Walker 4). Steals – ISU 12 (Beaty 3), Colorado 9 (Walker 3). Turnovers – ISU 17, Colorado 17. Complete fouls – ISU 17, Colorado 15. Fouled out – None. Attendance – 4,183.