WATCH: Harrison Simeon recaps CU's hard-fought win over Oklahoma State. (Video by Lily Ezrow/Sko Buffs Sports)
BOULDER– The No. 20-ranked Colorado women's basketball team passed another tough early-season test Sunday evening, coming back to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at the CU Events Center, 86-75.
Junior center Aaronette Vonleh led the Buffs in scoring with 18, while point guard Jaylyn Sherrod added 16, power forward Quay Miller put up 13, and senior guard Frida Formann had 11.
However, the most important scoring of the night came from junior guard Kindyll Wetta, who tied a career-high with 15 points. Eight of those came in a decisive fourth quarter that helped CU pull ahead for the win. She also added five rebounds, two of which were offensive. To cap the performance off, she rattled home a three-pointer immediately followed by a steal-and-score that put the Buffs up 10 with 1:55 left, sealing the victory.
Sherrod had a special night of her own, racking up nine assists and five steals to generate buckets for the Buffaloes on fast breaks. She looked especially potent alongside Wetta in the backcourt as CU took the lead in the fourth quarter.
"They both are totally trustworthy to do what they're supposed to do," said head coach JR Payne on the Sherrod-Wetta tandem that played the entire final period. "And that, historically down the stretch of games, has been a really good lineup for us."
The game started in the Buffs' control, as Sherrod and Maddie Nolan led the team with six points each. CU's defense forced ten Cowgirl turnovers, including three steals each by Sherrod and Tameiya Sadler that had the black and gold offense rolling. They finished the period with an eight-point lead, 24-16.
In the second quarter, however, the momentum shifted. Oklahoma State caught fire from the field, disallowing CU's transition game and stagnating their halfcourt offense through a more physical defensive style, thereby forcing six turnovers.
While the Buffs scored just 11 points in the period, freshman Cowgirl guard Stailee Heard had 11 in the quarter alone. She also shot a perfect 3-for-3 from long distance. Vonleh and Wetta added seven combined points from free throws, but Colorado made just two shots from the field the entire period.
Trailing 39-35 at the half, the Buffs needed a spark. The answer?
"Just basic, good ball movement," according to coach Payne.
Although Oklahoma State's blazing-hot shooting continued in the third quarter, this time led by guard Anna Gret Asi and forward Lior Garzon, CU spread the scoring wealth to keep the Cowgirl lead within arm's reach. They set up constant screens and cuts to the basket en route to 16 points in the paint.
While the Buffs struggled from three-point land the entire contest (6-for-24), they used their interior presence and ball movement to buck back against the Cowgirls' physicality. A perfectly-ran play for a then ice-cold Frida Formann (0-for-7 from three, 1-for-8 overall) to close out the quarter cut the deficit to 59-56, with some momentum heading into the final period.
In the fourth, CU promptly took over. Wetta's eight points led an astounding rally on both ends by the black and gold, with two early baskets from Miller opening a period in which the Buffs would shoot 10-for-14 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line. After seven much-needed points from Formann, six points and three assists from Sherrod, and five Oklahoma State turnovers, Colorado had flipped the script to outscore the Cowgirls 30-16 in the final quarter to run away with the win.
"Everyone stuck together, everyone was just focused on doing what we needed to do to be successful," said Payne. "Very proud of our team today."
A huge difference-maker in how CU overcame what was at one point a seven-point deficit (their largest of the season thus far) late in the third quarter was dominating the free throw line. Time and time again, the Buffs drew contact and avoided fouling on defense en route to a 16-point difference in terms of free throw makes. Colorado shot 20-for-25 at the stripe for the game, while the Cowgirls went just 4-for-6.
Another key component of the Colorado victory was rebounding, as they used their size advantage over a smaller Oklahoma State frontcourt to dominate the glass. Miller led the Buffaloes with 10 boards, and forward Sara-Rose Smith added nine more. Three of both players' rebounds were on the offensive end, leading to 12 second-chance points compared to zero by the Cowgirls. In total, CU outrebounded OSU 38-to-24, along with leading 13-to-5 in offensive rebounds.
The crowd at the CU Events Center was also as energetic and passionate for the Buffs as it had been in years, with it being the most highly-attended home game since 2017. It was also the largest Boulder crowd at a non-conference game since 2012.
The crowd of 3,931 fed into the win, erupting at several points in the comeback, particularly after a vehement Sherrod and-one basket that put CU ahead by five with 3:53 remaining in the game.
"I will look into the camera and say, 'Buff Nation, come to our games,'" said Payne in a message to the fans. "It is really good basketball. We have a great team, and we compete. We are a group that you should be proud of."
"The energy when we made a run, was...unlike anything we've ever experienced here at CU. We need to keep it going and grow it even more."
The Buffs improve to 3-and-0 on the young, exciting season, and continue it on Saturday in Dallas against the SMU Mustangs, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. MST.
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