Just like it was against UCLA, turnovers doomed the University of Colorado women’s basketball team in their game against USC. The Buffaloes dropped both games in their SoCal road trip; they fell to the Trojans by a score of 66-51.
Colorado committed 22 turnovers during the game– 11 in the first half–despite leading at the break, 23-21. But those very same turnovers haunted the Buffs as both teams returned to the court. USC opened the half on a 23-6 run, during which CU committed numerous turnovers, from backcourt violations to inbounds plays. That hole never closed for the Buffaloes, who trailed for the rest of the game, shooting 32 percent from three-point range on the day.
Sophomore forward Jamee Swan had yet another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Buffs in both categories. Senior guard Lexy Kresl also scored 14 points, which put her over the 1,000 point career mark. USC was led by Kaneisha Horn with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
The Trojans were able to take advantage of the Buffs’ mishaps, shooting 44 percent from the three-point arc in the second half. They finished the game shooting 35 percent from the field, and outscored CU 45-28 in the second half after trailing early. The most galling stat of all was points off of turnovers. USC outscored the Buffs 22-2, most of which came during that run in the last 20 minutes of play.
Colorado doesn’t play again until Friday, when they host Washington State University and The University of Washington. Both teams have beaten the Buffs in close games this year. Those match-ups will be on Friday (7:00 pm) and Sunday (5:30 pm) at the Coors Event Center, and will appear on the Pac-12 Networks.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Andrew Haubner at Andrew.Haubner@colorado.edu.