Quick break
Why the Buffs received: CU dominated defensively, holding New Mexico to a .344 mark whereas forcing 21 turnovers.
Three stars
1. Anaelle Dutat. The Rhode Island switch loved a memorable CU debut, posting a double-double with 16 factors and 13 rebounds.
2. Jade Criminal. The freshman from Australia recorded 12 factors and 7 rebounds.
3. Desiree Wooten. A switch from North Texas, Wooten crammed up the stat sheet with 13 factors, three assists, three steals and a pair of rebounds.
Up subsequent: CU hits the street for an enormous check at No. 20 Louisville on Wednesday.
The brand new-look rotation for the Colorado girls’s basketball group in all probability will likely be a piece in progress on offense.
Defensively, nevertheless, the Buffaloes already are working at a excessive degree.
CU harassed New Mexico all through the evening and tightened the clamps to a different degree after halftime, because the Buffs regularly pulled away for an 84-59 victory Thursday on the CU Occasions Heart.
It was the primary sport of the tenth season for CU below head coach JR Payne, who improved to 10-0 at CU in season openers.
“Actually pleased with our group and the way we performed and the way we competed,” Payne stated. “You by no means actually count on the start to be stunning, and it wasn’t. However we made some actually, actually nice changes at halftime. Defensively particularly. This stat sheet is sort of a coach’s dream, to have a lot stability and really feel that so many various folks on the group can contribute in a number of other ways. Which, after all, they did. Simply actually, actually pleased with how we’re beginning the season off.”
It was a sport of runs early, as CU answered a 10-0 burst by New Mexico with 12 consecutive factors. The Buffs started the evening 0-for-9 on 3-pointers and by no means really warmed up from lengthy vary, ending simply 4-for-20 from the arc. CU, although, made up floor on protection.
Whereas the Lobos outshot the Buffs within the first half, .444 to .375, CU compelled 12 New Mexico turnovers within the first two quarters and turned the additional possessions right into a 13-3 benefit in factors off turnovers whereas constructing a 33-32 lead at halftime.
The Buffs took that protection to a different degree after the break.
CU outscored the Lobos 33-16 within the third quarter whereas holding New Mexico to a 6-for-18 mark within the body. The Buffs steadily pulled away from there, holding the Lobos to a .265 capturing share (9-for-34) after halftime.
“I believe we’ve an incredible quantity of stability,” Payne stated. “I believe we’re going to see a number of totally different folks within the press convention on the finish of the evening, as a result of any given participant can actually affect the sport.”
A complete of 9 gamers made their CU debuts, with Rhode Island switch Anaelle Dutat main the best way. The senior ahead posted a double-double in her first sport with the Buffs, going 6-for-12 from the ground and 4-for-4 on the free-throw line earlier than ending with 16 factors, 13 rebounds and a team-high 4 steals.
Desiree Wooten, a switch from North Texas, recorded 13 factors, three assists and three steals, whereas Jade Criminal, a freshman middle from Australia, got here off the bench to publish 12 factors and 7 rebounds.
CU completed with 17 assists, 15 steals and solely 10 turnovers. The Buffs dominated all aspects, recording lopsided benefits in factors off turnovers (27-7), factors within the paint (50-24) and fast-break factors (24-2).
“Actually completely satisfied to be right here. Actually completely satisfied that this was my final first sport, I assume. I’m actually completely satisfied to play right here,” stated Dutat, who grabbed 5 offensive rebounds. “I used to be simply making an attempt to be aggressive, and clearly offensive rebounding will get me actually aggressive. I’m simply making an attempt to maintain constructing on it.”
CU Buffs girls’s basketball 84, New Mexico 59
New Mexico 12 20 16 11
Colorado 18 15 33 18
NEW MEXICO (0-1)
Hooks 8-20 3-6 22, Magalhaes 2-5 0-0 4, Hargrove 0-4 0-0 0, Padilla 3-9 0-0 8, Craig 2-5 2-2 7, Abdurraqib 3-6 1-3 9, Foster 1-5 0-0 3, Peixinho 0-0 2-2 2, Jones 1-5 0-0 2, Jordon 0-0 0-0 0, Najjuma 0-0 0-0 0, Joaquim 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 21-61 8-13 59.
COLORADO (1-0)
Sanders 3-8 1-1 9, Wooten 6-13 0-0 13, Greer 2-6 0-0 4, Masogayo 2-6 0-0 4, Dutat 6-12 4-4 16, Gooden 4-8 2-3 10, O’Connor 5-10 0-12-14 0 11, Criminal 4-7 4-4 12, Zadel 0-2 0-0 0, McErlane 1-2 0-0 2, Walker 1-2 1-1 3. Totals 34-75 84.
3-point area objectives: New Mexico 9-25 (Hooks 3-6, Magalhaes 0-2, Hargrove 0-2, Padilla 2-5, Craig 1-1, Abdurraqib 2-4, Foster 1-3, Jones 0-1, Joaquim 0-1); Colorado 4-20 (Sanders 2-4, Wooten 1-4, Greer 0-4, Dutat 0-1, Gooden 0-2, O’Connor 1-3, Criminal 0-1, McErlane 0-1). Rebounds: New Mexico 36 (Hooks 7); Colorado 48 (Dutat 13). Assists: New Mexico 8 (Hargrove 3); Colorado 17 (Gooden 3, O’Connor 3, Wooten 3). Turnovers: New Mexico 21 (Magalhaes 5); Colorado 10 (Sanders 3). A: 1,735.