Cowgirls keep it close, but CU prevails at home
- Mia Driscoll
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball team took on the Wyoming Cowgirls (3-7) on Sunday afternoon, picking up another win at the CU Events Center. With a final score of 58-46, the Buffs secured their second victory in a row and improved to 7-3 on the season.
Led by Zyanna Walker with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting, CU’s advantage was its ability to beat any Cowgirl one-on-one. With a roster full of playmakers, the Buffs took Wyoming off-the-dribble on virtually every possession. But as a whole, CU’s offense looked out of sorts. Slow to initiate powerful offensive looks, a lack of urgency was tangible throughout.
Against an undersized Cowgirls team, CU utilized a different starting lineup than it had used for much of the season. Freshmen forwards Jade Crook and Sophia Zadel got their first career starts with the Buffs.
Nine members of CU’s roster got in the scoring column – three finishing with double-digits. On yet another occasion, CU proved the versatility of its roster, with evenly distributed scoring no matter the lineup.
Notably, star CU forward Jade Masogayo did not play on Sunday, despite being suited up. Coach JR Payne emphasized the need for rest at such a pivotal time in the season.
“She’s totally fine… We just thought if we could get her three more days of rest… that would be a good thing,” Payne said.
Making her first appearance yet this season for the Buffs, JoJo Nworie checked in at the beginning of the second quarter. After missing an extended portion of her career at CU due to injuries, Nworie contributed solid minutes and six rebounds.
The Buffs forced a shot-clock violation on the Cowgirls’ first offensive possession, indicative of the defensive pressure they imposed on Sunday.
CU’s sheer size and length proved to be too much for Wyoming’s slight personnel to handle.
Wyoming's leading scorer, Malene Pedersen, was held to 11 points – seven under her season average of 18 per game. Rotating between zone, man and an aggressive full-court press, CU limited the Cowgirls to 44 shot attempts.
Shortly after checking into the game, Desiree Wooten pushed pace and went coast-to-coast, finishing nicely at the rim and ensuring her presence was felt.
“We’ve always wanted one of our weapons or someone who can elevate the pace of things. We’ve always wanted to have that type of player off of the bench,” Payne said. “Once she got over the surprise of, ‘Oh, wait, I’m not starting’... I think she’s done really, really well with that role.”
Splashing a 3 shortly after, Wooten emphasized her lethal shooting and defenders’ need to put a hand in her face.
While CU’s confident approach to the matchup came out on top, Wyoming challenged CU’s effort throughout.
After an up-and-down first quarter, the Cowgirls led 15-13.
Logyn Greer was a bright spot for CU, hitting from beyond the arc and bailing the Buffs out several times late in the shot clock, despite missing several practices due to illness.
Despite solid defensive possessions and significant ball pressure from CU, Wyoming’s ability to pull from deep kept the game close. After yet another stagnant possession from the Buffs, Greer’s hit from downtown gave CU some much-needed breathing room.
“I was very happy when she hit those [threes]. Like very happy. Because it opened it up just a little bit more and made it a little more comfortable,” Payne said.
CU held the Cowgirls to just four points in the second quarter, putting the Buffs up 30-19 at the half, carried by nine points from Greer.
In the third, CU’s defense switched to a zone look and effectively slowed Wyoming’s proficiency for much of the quarter.
Although lacking in several areas, CU tallied its lowest turnover margin of the season, giving up just eight while forcing 17 on the Cowgirls.
However, after two quick triples contributed to a spurt of scoring near the end of the third quarter, the Buffs' once 20-point lead diminished to 13.
Crook was a consistent body in the paint for the Buffs, but two points on 1-9 shooting saw her miss more than a few opportunities. Despite getting many good looks, the forward needs time to transform her attempts into buckets.
Intensity seemed to strike the Buffs with one period left to play, perhaps realizing the game was suddenly in the balance.
And despite a strong start to the fourth, CU was barely able to keep the Cowgirls at bay. This lackluster performance led to Wyoming outscoring CU in the final 10 minutes.
The Buffs won by 13, but this difference was smaller in the heat of the moment.
The Buffs will need to get on the same page into conference play in a few weeks, as individual performances will not be enough to secure wins in those more challenging matchups.
Payne said that this year has been “trickier than most,” regarding personnel, injuries and managing playing time.
“We’re very beat up and banged up right now. We had people playing tonight that haven’t played much in several years and people who hadn’t practiced all week,” Payne said. “But I feel by the end of this week we’ll be really good physically.”
CU will be back in action at home on Sunday, Dec 14th, taking on Miami of Ohio at 1 p.m. MT. Watch the Buffs on ESPN+.