The University of Colorado Boulder’s women’s basketball team huddles during a team out at the game against UCLA at the CU Events Center on Friday, January 27, 2023 (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
After facing a tough loss to the University of Southern California Trojans on Jan. 27, the Colorado women’s basketball team redeemed themselves in their matches against the University of Oregon and Oregon State this past weekend. The Buffs defeated the Oregon Ducks 63-53 on Friday, Feb. 3, in a tight game full of aggressive play and high energy. Then, they beat the Oregon State Beavers 67-48 on Sunday, Feb. 5. Now, as the post-season approaches, Colorado boasts 18 wins and only 5 losses.
On Friday night, the Buffs put on a show at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., as they went head-to-head against the Oregon Ducks. Aaronette Vonleh and Tayanna Jones scored early on in the first quarter, driving into the paint and hitting jump shots. In a man-to-man defense, the Buffs caused multiple turnovers, which they converted in fast-break layups. Kindyll Wetta also picked off some of the Duck’s passes and made big plays on the offense.
Leading by only three points going into the second quarter, CU had to work to keep Oregon out of their key by hitting outside shots on the offense. Colorado struggled to prevent Oregon guards from sneaking up behind their defenders for easy backdoor buckets. Meanwhile, on the offense, guard Jaylyn Sherrod remained fearless, taking on multiple Oregon defenders to set up shots. Sherrod had a total of seven assists during the match, which contributed significantly to the team’s victory over the Ducks.
After halftime, the Ducks managed to get back into the game. They scored 12 points, while limiting CU to only seven points. However, Sherrod remained persistent and finally ended up scoring a three-pointer, giving her team some much-needed momentum.
Following a lull in the third quarter, the Buffs hit the gas to close out the match for the fourth quarter. Vonleh scored bucket after bucket, leading to her career high of 22 points. The Buffs shot 69% from field goal range and even snuck in a three-pointer. Center Quay Miller played hard in the Ducks’ key and drew multiple fouls to give her extra points at the free throw line. Though the Ducks continued to penetrate the Buffs’ basket, Colorado’s defense stayed strong. The hard-fought match stayed neck and neck until the very end — with the Buffs finally coming out on top by 10 points, 63-53.
The Buffs continued their winning streak against the Oregon State Beavers on Sunday, Feb 5. CU dominated the game in the first quarter, bringing the score to 21-6. The Buffs shot 67% from the three-point line, their highest percentage all game. This early scoring streak would prove to be essential for the Buffs’ win, as Oregon State played far better in the other quarters.
During the second quarter, Sherrod and Formann worked together brilliantly to penetrate the key and kick out passes for outside shots. However, the Beavers remained persistent, slowly working to reduce their opponent’s significant lead. The Oregon State guards hit a few three-pointers and made it to the foul line for multiple free throws.
After halftime, the Buffs tried to hold onto their lead, as the Beavers continued to fight back. Formann continued to make her three-pointers, and Sherrod played her lock-down defense. Miller received an and-one to add on three more points. Meanwhile, Oregon State executed multiple plays that resulted in critical buckets, closing Colorado’s lead even further. The Beavers outscored the Buffs 16-13 in the third quarter and 16-15 in the fourth quarter. However, Oregon State never quite managed to catch up to Colorado’s lead from the first quarter, and the Buffs still walked away with their victory, 67-48.
As the season winds down, the Buffs are locked in and continue to improve with every match. In their upcoming games, Colorado will face even tougher opponents, who may pose a threat to the team’s impressive winning record.
Colorado will return to the CU Events Center to face Washington State on Friday, Feb. 10, followed by the University of Washington on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sophie McKeown at sophie.mckeown@colorado.edu.
