Buffs fall in first round of NCAA Tournament
- Jake Chau
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Music City didn’t quite play the Buffs’ tune.
The No. 10-seed Colorado Buffaloes (22-12) fell to the No. 7-seed Illinois Fighting Illini (22-11) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, 66-57, ending their season.
Colorado stayed within striking distance, but Illinois matched each score, preventing much momentum from building. Colorado led for parts of the first quarter, but didn’t after that frame, lacking an extra offensive gear.
Even though Illinois was out-rebounded, it had more second-chance points than the Buffs, an area that was key to moving on.
“The biggest thing was rebounding,” Illinois head coach Shauna Green said. “I thought if you were right there or won it, you’d have a chance to win this game and that held true.”
Senior forward Jade Masogayo showed a well-rounded effort in her last collegiate game, scoring 15 points and bringing down five boards. Junior guard Desiree Wooten led CU with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Though Colorado had two 15-point scorers, Payne acknowledged the lack of a third, as veteran leadership left plenty to be desired.
Guard Zyanna Walker, in her third NCAA Tournament, had just eight points in over 35 minutes of game time. Senior forward Anaëlle Dutat struggled against the Illini’s mighty frontcourt.
Freshman forward Logyn Greer was another sore spot, only scoring five points on 15 percent shooting.
Colorado’s defense looked to stop the youth of Illinois all night. Sophomore forward Berry Wallace connected for 18 points. Freshman Cearah Parchment shot 80 percent, scoring 21 points, while guard Destiny Jackson was all over the stat sheet, scoring 16 points, finding 11 rebounds and dishing six assists, dismantling the Buffs' defense.
“We were trying all kinds of different things on Parchment and Wallace,” Payne said. “It just didn't seem like anybody could get it done.”
Masogayo got going early, scoring six of Colorado’s first 10 points, while the pace quickened as the teams started capitalizing on each possession. The Buffs and Illini both made at least half their shots in the period.
Wooten was a big part of that stretch, scoring six points off the bench.
Parchment had nine for Illinois before junior guard Maddie Webber banked in a half-court heave to capture the lead after the first 10 minutes, 20-18.
The Illini then used their size to their advantage, rising above any contest from a Buffs defender.
CU looked inconsistent in the second quarter, hitting on just 31 percent of their shots, but held the Illini offense, going into half down just five, 34-29.
Early in the third frame, Dutat hit on a long-range shot before coming up with a steal. Masogayo capitalized with a three-point play on the same possession and pulled the Buffs back within two.
Masogayo caught an elbow in the face from Parchment while going for a rebound. But she returned, making her impact felt.
“I just wanted to do my best and leave it all on the table,” Masogayo said after the game.
While Illinois extended its lead in Masogayo’s absence, Colorado’s defense tightened up soon after, preventing it from scoring for four straight minutes.
The offense slowly brought the deficit back within three, setting up a battle in the final frame.
Turnovers began to catch up to the Buffs, coughing up three possessions in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, slowing down a comeback attempt.
Still, Colorado hung around, making timely stops. But it couldn’t quite match the defensive effort with finding the bottom of the basket, scoring just three points across the final four minutes and spelling its demise.
“They were hard to guard,” Walker said. “We tried to be as disruptive as we could, but it was hard for sure.”
The 2025-26 year experienced many internal seasons, and with spring around the corner, wins and losses came secondary to the bond they created off the court.
“We really built really good relationships with each other off the court,” Walker said. “It became like a friendship – like a family.”
Though it isn’t the only reason they played in late March, when the Buffaloes looked up and down the bench, they saw a herd.
“[It’s] always hard when you lose your last game,” Payne said. “This one is harder than most because of the character, and the relationships, and just the camaraderie of this group is almost unlike anything I've ever seen in my 25 years of coaching.”
Colorado finishes its season with its fifth consecutive 20-win season and fourth tournament appearance in as many years. Only Masogayo and Dutat graduated from the program as seniors, as coach Payne will look to retain seven underclassmen and five juniors.