Colorado strengthens NCAA Tournament résumé against BYU

Guards Desiree Wooten and Erianna Gooden have brought intensity in relief amid the Colorado Buffaloes NCAA Tournament push. (Photo by Kellen McFarland/Sko Buffs Sports)

With Colorado projected as the first team out in the latest NCAA women’s basketball bracketology, Saturday’s matchup against BYU carried weight beyond the standings. The Buffaloes responded with more than just a win. 

They overwhelmed the Cougars, 76-46, in a performance that head coach JR Payne admitted even she didn’t fully anticipate. 

“I knew we were gonna play well,” Payne said. We were very focused and knew this was a really important game for us, but I did not necessarily see that coming. Our effort on the glass, our effort in transition, our defensive effort was absolutely unbelievable.”

Colorado led for 36 minutes and 59 seconds and pushed the margin to 32 at its peak, but the dominance started on the glass. The Buffs out-rebounded the Cougars by 24 rebounds and hauled down 17 offensive boards. 

Payne emphasized that the rebounding wasn’t carried by one player. 

“The coolest thing about it is that it wasn't just AD (Anaëlle Dutat),” she said. “Everyone was on the glass the way they needed to be.” That collective effort translated into a 40-30 advantage in the paint and helped Colorado maintain its lead from the opening quarter.

Defensively, the Buffs suffocated BYU, holding the Cougars to just 30.9% shooting and 2-of-17 from beyond the arc. After weeks of single-digit games, Colorado avoided any late-game tension by sustaining its intensity for all four quarters. 

“I think today was a huge growth for us,” Payne said. “We didn’t play down to who we were playing. We stepped on the gas and kept playing like that the whole time.”

For a team sitting on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament, style and consistency matter. Colorado didn’t look like a team failing under bubble pressure. 

Instead, they played balanced, physical and composed. It was the kind of performance that strengthens a resume for March. If the Buffs intend to move from first team out to firmly inside the bracket, they now have a blueprint to follow.