Masogayo’s last-second heroics power Colorado to top-15 win over TCU
- Jake Chau
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
A tie game, 2.1 seconds on the clock and a chance to upset No. 14 TCU. Claiming senior forward Jade Masogayo was in a pressure cooker is an understatement.
“This one’s going in right here, right now,” Masogayo said after a game-winning and-one basket.
After six straight misses to ice a battle with Kansas two weeks ago, Masogayo turned it around to help the Colorado Buffaloes (16-8, Big 12 7-5) upset TCU (21-4, Big 12 9-3) on Sunday, 80-79.
Masogayo ended with 23 points and went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Junior guards Desiree Wooten and Zyanna Walker tacked on 19 and 15 points, respectively, while freshman forward Logyn Greer added 17 points and 5 rebounds while hitting both her 3-pointers.
TCU’s defensive presence forces opponents through the mud, limiting opponents to a Big 12-best 54.3 points per game. If the Buffs were to get upset and strengthen their March Madness hopes, they would have to hit their shots.
They did.
Fifty-eight percent from the field and 66-percent perimeter shooting, led by Wooten, helped Colorado to a 28-20 lead after the first frame.
But active hands and a suffocating type of defense went on full display from the Horned Frogs, swiping at balls and bending into passing lanes, as oxygen drained from the Buffs’ offense. Colorado hit just one field goal on 11 attempts through nearly nine minutes of the second quarter.
Despite the scoring drought, the Buffs’ defense bent but didn’t break, holding the Horned Frogs to just two field goals in that span.
Wooten helped facilitate the offense through the drought, putting down a layup and dishing an assist as Colorado waded through the grueling Horned Frogs’ defense, going into the locker room tied, 34-34.
TCU’s size showed in the third quarter, as sophomore forward Clara Silva brought down two offensive boards during the same possession, extending the Horned Frogs’ first lead to eight.
Moments later, a technical foul for taunting on graduate guard Olivia Miles and Greer draining a 3 helped Colorado cut the lead down to just three on a five-point swing.
Masogayo earned trips to the line in a nine-point third quarter, but graduate forward Marta Suarez and Miles took over the Horned Frogs’ offense. They combined for 22 points in the third quarter as TCU took a 67-62 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Whatever gas was used to power both teams’ fast-paced offenses and unrelenting defenses, they found more and kicked into second gear.
While Suarez and Miles dropped shots for TCU, a well-rounded effort from Masagayo, Greer, Walker and Wooten had the Buffs within four with under five minutes remaining.
Suarez picked up her fifth personal foul with four minutes left, leaving TCU without their leading rebounder.
TCU went scoreless for two minutes without Suarez, while its other starting forward, Silva, picked up her fifth foul as Masagayo tied the game from the line.
Junior guard Donovyn Hunter got a go-ahead lay-up for TCU with 5.5 seconds left before Masagayo drew the and-one to put Colorado ahead decisively with 2.1 seconds left.
Miles’ ensuing last-second heave hit the side of the basket as all-around efforts took down No. 14-ranked TCU.
“Lots of different people made winning plays tonight,” head coach JR Payne said. “Just a great team effort.”
Having both of the Horned Frogs’ bigs, Suarez and Silva, foul out for the final two minutes allowed Colorado to do what it’s good at — driving and scoring in the paint.
“That was critical, because those guys are really good defensively and offensively," Payne said. “It felt like we could attack inside a little more effectively.”
“[Having Silva and Suarez foul out] impacted the last couple possession for sure,” TCU head coach Mark Campbell said. “Colorado went at us, and they did a tremendous job.”
Miles matched her career-high with 31 points for TCU but missed what would have been the game-winning shot.
“That tied her season high, 31 points, and both times they lost,” Payne said. “Our goal was just to limit other people.”
Suarez finished with 20 points and Hunter had 17 points for the Horned Frogs, but got little contributions elsewhere.
Colorado will be on the road taking on the Houston Cougars (7-16, Big 12 1-11) as it heads into the final three weeks of the season before the Big 12 Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+).