Buffaloes stumble, lose to Utah in final home game

The Colorado Buffaloes fell to Utah on Tuesday for their second conference home loss. (Photo by Jacob Hock/Sko Buffs Sports)

The Colorado Buffaloes were in control of their destiny in the Big 12. 

Standing in their way? The Utah Utes. 

Utah snapped the Buffaloes’ five-game win streak with a 67-64 victory on Tuesday. The Utes held Colorado to just 34.4% shooting while they struggled to make open looks. The Buffaloes went 5-for-17 on layups and converted only 10 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds.

Utah’s Lani White paced all scorers with 21 points, while Colorado guard Desiree Wooten led the Buffaloes with 16 points despite 5-for-19 shooting alongside four steals. The loss dropped Colorado from fourth to fifth in the Big 12 standings after upsetting No. 20 Texas Tech on Saturday. 

“It’s really frustrating,” Wooten said. “It was us, there's really no excuse for it. We missed easy [shots], weren’t really rebounding, it’s [on] us.” 

A sluggish start was just the beginning for Colorado. The Utes jumped out to a quick six-point lead, sparked by an uncontested White 3-pointer before an and-one on their next possession.

Meanwhile, the Buffaloes started 0-for-9 from the field, with their first points coming from a pair of Wooten free throws four minutes into the first quarter. Colorado made its first basket on the next possession from a Wooten steal and layup on the other end. 

Colorado made just four shots in the first quarter, missing two from deep and having six points from the charity stripe. However, Utah failed to capitalize, turning the ball over eight times, which the Buffaloes scored six points off of. 

Four of those six came in the final two minutes of the first, giving Colorado a four-point lead. A Utah 3-pointer trimmed the Buffaloes’ advantage to one by the end of the period.

The Utes continued that momentum, scoring on their first possession of the second quarter, before freshman forward Jade Crook heated up. The Aussie scored seven points on 100% shooting with a 3-pointer, giving Colorado a five-point lead. 

Utah followed with a layup by White, but wouldn’t score again for four minutes. Over that stretch, Colorado scored six points to push its lead to nine. The Buffaloes kept their foot on the gas, pushing their lead to 10, but Utah answered with a 3 on the final possession of the half, cutting its deficit to seven. 

Colorado stumbled out of the locker room as Utah retook the lead and didn’t give it back. The Utes went on a 12-4 run over the first five minutes of the third quarter, with nine coming from Buffalo turnovers. 

Utah pushed its lead to as many as six late in the third quarter, but Colorado answered. Wooten's 3-pointer and a Tabitha Betson jumper to cut the deficit to one entering the fourth.

Utah opened the fourth by extending its lead to a game-high seven with back-to-back 3-pointers off turnovers, forcing a Colorado timeout. The Buffaloes responded with a quick five points, but Utah continued to respond, not allowing a Colorado run. 

The Buffaloes got back within one after a signature Wooten pull-up 3-pointer with 2:45 to play. Both teams went scoreless until 33 seconds left, resulting in a free-throw game after Utah failed to convert an and-one to go up four.

After trading free throws, Colorado’s final possession down two went to senior forward Jade Masogayo. But she turned the ball over, sealing the loss.

“At this point in the season, everyone is fighting for their life,” head coach JR Payne said. “We need to make sure that every possession … that we’re just so dialed in, because that’s what it is that time of year.”

Colorado heads to Provo to face the BYU Cougars in their final regular-season game. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. MT (ESPN+).