Quick break
Why the Buffs misplaced: Poor taking pictures plagued CU all evening, because it completed 34.4% (22-of-64) from the ground.
Three stars:
1. Utah’s Lani White: Scored a game-high 21 factors, and completed with 4 rebounds.
2. CU’s Desiree Wooten: Completed with 16 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
3. Utah’s Reese Ross: Earlier than fouling out, she had 10 factors and 7 rebounds.
Up subsequent: The Buffs go to BYU in Provo, Utah, on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+) within the common season finale.
Going into Tuesday evening, the Colorado girls’s basketball staff was within the driver’s seat to earn a high 4 seed within the Massive 12 Match.
Now, the Buffs want some assist.
The surging Buffs had been tripped up by Utah, 67-64, on the CU Occasions Heart, placing that top-four seed in jeopardy and denting their resume for the NCAA Match.
“(Utah) deserved to win tonight,” CU head coach JR Payne mentioned. “They performed like their season was on the road and all of that, however I additionally am actually disillusioned within the first little little bit of the sport. We simply felt like we weren’t as prepared as we would have liked to be and never that we didn’t play arduous; we did. We at all times play arduous, however execution perhaps wasn’t nearly as good because it wanted to be. Our tempo wasn’t nearly as good because it wanted to be.”
CU posted its third-worst taking pictures proportion (.344) of the season, together with a dismal 5-for-17 on layups, and by no means may regain its lead after Utah went forward for good with 5 minutes, 17 seconds to play within the third quarter.
“It’s actually irritating,” mentioned guard Desiree Wooten, who led CU with 16 factors, however was simply 5-for-19 from the ground. “It was us; it’s actually no excuse for it. We missed easies, weren’t actually rebounding. I imply it’s us. It’s nothing else to say.”
Regardless of the taking pictures woes, CU had an opportunity late. Thrice within the remaining 2:44, the Buffs pulled inside one, together with with 6.5 seconds when Anaelle Dutat made a pair of free throws to chop the Utah result in 65-64.
Utah’s Maty Wilke made 1-of-2 free throws on the opposite finish, giving CU an opportunity to tie with 5.3 seconds to play, however the Buffs had a turnover on the following inbounds go and by no means tried a shot.
CU restricted its turnovers to 12, however the empty possessions had been pricey all evening. CU missed its first 9 pictures of the sport and went 2-for-9 down the stretch.
“At this level within the season all people’s combating for his or her life, so we have to make it possible for each possession, each time we’re collectively, whether or not it’s in movie or the court docket or no matter, that we’re simply so dialed in, as a result of that’s what it’s this time of yr,” Payne mentioned. “So, actually disillusioned with the loss, however as I mentioned to those guys, so long as we study from it and make it possible for that every part shifting ahead is as dialed in and centered because it must be, because the second deserves, then a loss like this, although it hurts, it’s OK.”
Utah, which had misplaced 4 of 5 coming in, and CU are each on the NCAA Match bubble. The Utes doubtless wanted this another than the Buffs and performed prefer it.
CU led by as many as 10 late within the second quarter, however Utah went on a 17-4 run to take a 40-37 lead halfway by the third. The Utes stretched the result in seven early within the fourth earlier than CU rallied, however Utah held on and snapped the Buffs’ five-game win streak.
The Buffs will shut the common season Saturday at BYU. They’ll nonetheless get the No. 4 seed, and a double-bye for subsequent week’s Massive 12 Match, however will want a win in Provo, as effectively one loss every by Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Notable
The Buffs completed with 19 offensive rebounds, however acquired solely 10 second-chance factors. … Utah was 9-for-18 from 3-point vary, tied for the second-most 3-pointers allowed by CU this season. … This was the third time this season that CU had a double-digit lead and misplaced, with the opposite two video games coming in November.
Utah 67, Colorado 64
UTAH (18-11, 9-8 Massive 12)
White 5-12 8-10 21, Sneed 1-3 2-2 4, Evans 2-5 3-4 7, Ross 3-3 3-3 10, Wilke 3-5 1-3 9, Hjelmstad 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 2-9 0-0 4, Otto 1-2 0-0 2, Foster 1-2 0-0 3, Crispe 2-3 1-2 7. Totals 20-44 18-24 67.
COLORADO (20-9, 11-6 Massive 12)
Walker 5-12 0-0 10, McErlane 0-0 0-0 0, Masogayo 3-12 4-6 10, Dutat 1-3 4-4 6, Betson 1-2 2-2 4, Gooden 0-1 2-2 2, Wooten 5-19 4-4 16, Criminal 4-7 0-2 9, Greer 3-8 0-1 7. Totals 22-64 16-21 64.
Utah 13 13 23 18 – 67
Colorado 14 19 15 16 – 64
3-point objectives – Utah 9-18 (White 3-7, Wilke 2-4, Crispe 2-2, Ross 1-1, Foster 1-1, Evans 0-2, Sneed 0-1), Colorado 4-13 (Wooten 2-6, Greer 1-4, Criminal 1-2, Walker 0-1). Rebounds – Utah 30 (Ross 7), Colorado 36 (Dutat 9). Assists – Utah 12 (Evans 4), Colorado 8 (Wooten, Greer 2). Steals – Utah 7 (Wilke 4), Colorado 9 (Wooten 4). Turnovers – Utah 18, Colorado 12. Whole fouls – Utah 20, Colorado 22. Fouled out – Ross. Attendance – 2,675.