Top-seeded Colorado to face Gonzaga in WBIT second round

Colorado head coach JR Payne started her coaching career at Gonzaga from 2000-2005 as an assistant. (Photo by Cristian Blanco/Sko Buffs Sports)

No. 1-seeded Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball (21-12) continues its postseason run against the No. 4-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs (23-10) in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) on Sunday. 

The top-seeded Buffaloes advanced by taming the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions 73-41 on Thursday. Colorado held Southeastern to 26.7% shooting while making 56.8% of its field goals. 

Gonzaga reached the second round with a 67-51 win over UTSA. The Zags won the West Coast Conference regular-season title, led by WCC Player of the Year Yvonne Ejim, who averages 20.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

“Two very good teams. Very different style than the team we played tonight,” head coach JR Payne said after Colorado’s win Thursday. “They're really big. They've got a couple of very dominant players: One multi-time All-American, multi-time Player of the Year in the conference, and one of the best freshmen point guards in the country. It's going to be a really good game.

Colorado has been dominant at home this season with a 15-2 record at the CU Events Center. However, Gonzaga has been strong on the road, going 10-3 away from home. The Bulldogs also went undefeated in conference play on the road. 

Turnovers have been a concern all season for CU, as the Lady Lions turned the Buffs over 19 times. Colorado averaged 18 per game entering the matchup, while Southeastern averaged 19.8 turnovers against opponents. Gonzaga forces an average of 13 turnovers a game, making ball control a key factor to victory against the Bulldogs. 

Colorado fights to continue its postseason against Gonzaga in round two of WBIT, where the victor would play either the Missouri State Bears or Minnesota Golden Gophers. Tip-off from the CU Events Center is set for 1 p.m. MT (ESPN+).