Buffs take second straight loss, Montana State wins on last-second layup

Buffs forward Jade Masogayo drives to the lane against Montana State. (Photo by Jacob Hock/Sko Buffs Sports)

Off fourth quarter heroics and a game-winning layup, the Montana State Bobcats (5-1) defeated Colorado Buffaloes (5-3) Women’s Basketball 71-70 on Sunday. 

Bobcats guard Taylee Chirrick led all scorers with 21 points on 6-for-15 shooting, including the game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. 

For the Buffaloes, forward Jade Masogayo led with 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting. North Texas transfer guard Desiree Wooten led the bench with 14 points alongside a team-high five assists.

Turnovers plagued the Buffaloes and Bobcats, with 25 each. However, it was second-chance opportunities that aided Montana State in its win. Montana State had 15 second-chance points, with nine in the fourth quarter.

“The areas that we said were critical were defensive rebounding… and we needed to take care of the ball as effectively as possible,” Colorado head coach JR Payne said. “Overall, just lots to learn, in the details of game planning and execution…Still a really young season, but this one stings.” 

The Buffaloes jumped out to an early five-point lead by going on a 6-0 run that forced a Bobcats timeout. However, the Bobcats locked their heels and started running a full-court press, while trapping on the defensive end. This foreshadowed the Buffaloes’ fourth-quarter collapse and tied the game. 

When Colorado finally broke the press, it stopped an 8-0 run that gave the Bobcats their largest lead of the game. Wooten and fellow guard Kennedy Sanders then went back-to-back from beyond the arc to take back the lead, which ignited a 10-0 run to end the first quarter up seven. 

The Buffaloes rode that seven-point lead to halftime, propelled by 63% shooting in the first half. Montana State and Colorado traded buckets in the second quarter before the Buffaloes were forced to take their second timeout of the game while leading by eight. Wooten ended the half with a tough underhand layup to give the Buffaloes a nine-point lead heading into halftime.

However, the Buffaloes’ hot shooting ended in the third quarter. The Buffs went 3-for-10 from the field with nine points coming from the free throw line. The Bobcats didn’t shoot much better, going 3-for-11, also with nine points from the charity stripe. 

Montana State turned it on in the fourth quarter; meanwhile, the Buffaloes could not buy a bucket. After Colorado forward Annelle Dutat opened up scoring in the fourth, the Bobcats went on a 15-0 run over six minutes, taking their first lead since the first quarter.

The Bobcats tied their largest lead of the game off a Colorado turnover. However, the Buffaloes finally ended the run with two minutes left to play off a dime from Wooten to Masogayo.

Colorado had a chance to claim the lead back off a Montana State turnover, but Wooten missed two free throws, allowing Montana State to tie its largest lead off an Addison Harris post-fadeaway. The forward finished with 17 points. 

More Colorado turnovers led to missed free throws from Montana State guard Heidi Smith, allowing Colorado to take its final timeout of the game with 34 seconds left to play, trailing 68-65. 

After deliberation, Dutat knocked down a second-chance floater to cut the Bobcats’ lead to one. The Buffaloes put Smith back at the line with an intentional foul, but she pushed the lead back to two points, knocking down her second free throw. 

Wooten redeemed herself by taking an inbound downcourt for a tough and-one layup to tie the game. She knocked down what seemed to be the game-winning free throw to give Colorado the lead back, 70-69. But Chirrick then cut through the Buffaloes’ defense with a baseline drive and layup to win the game at the buzzer.

The Buffaloes have a quick turnaround and will the Charleston Cougars on Tuesday. Tip-off from the CU Events Center is set for 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+).