Fast break
Why the Buffs lost: They lost their composure in the fourth quarter, succumbing to BYU’s pressure and struggling to hit shots.
Three stars:
1. BYU’s Delaney Gibb: Scored 26 points and had seven assists and six rebounds.
2. CU’s Desiree Wooten: Finished with a season-high 25 points and added five rebounds and two steals.
3. BYU’s Bolanie Yussuf: Played just 18 minutes, but dominated CU in those minutes with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
Up next: The Buffs will play in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City next week.
PROVO, Utah — Even after losses, Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne is typically complimentary of her team’s effort.
Saturday, not so much.
CU was dominated in the fourth quarter by host BYU, falling at the Marriott Center, 75-62, in the regular season finale.
“I actually thought they played harder than we did, which I don’t think I’ve ever said about our ball club,” Payne said. “I think there were loose balls that they beat us to and things like that. So obviously they played a great game, and congrats to them and that’s awesome, but I definitely am disappointed with our effort in spots, not overall.”
CU would have clinched the No. 4 seed and a double-bye for next week’s Big 12 tournament with a win, but now it has to wait for results around the conference to determine seeding.
Oklahoma State’s 70-56 win against Kansas later Saturday ended CU’s hopes for the No. 4 seed. On Sunday, if Texas Tech beats Arizona State, the Buffs will be No. 6 for the conference tournament. If Tech loses, the Buffs will be No. 5.
“What JR said in the locker room: your biggest regrets are you not being able to control what you could have controlled, and you had full control,” said guard Desiree Wooten, who had a season-high 25 points. “You know you had full control, you could have controlled it, and we didn’t. That’s the hurt right there. We just beat ourselves, man.”
Two weeks after a 30-point win against the Cougars (20-10, 9-9), CU took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter but then got outscored 27-6 during the last 10 minutes.
“I thought we were having a hard time scoring, and they got several transition buckets; and to foul, and-one a 3-point shooter two times (hurt),” Payne said. “I definitely think we lost our composure. Not quite sure why because that’s very uncharacteristic.”
CU had just five turnovers through the first three quarters but had five on its first six possessions of the fourth as BYU sliced the Buffs’ lead to 56-55.
Logyn Greer hit a bucket to end the drought and push the lead to 58-55, but then BYU went on an 18-0 run, which included star Delaney Gibb getting fouled twice while hitting 3-pointers. Overall, it was a 25-2 run during the first 8:50 of the fourth quarter for the Cougars.
The Buffs went 2-for-15 from the floor in the fourth, while BYU was 8-for-12. Gibb had 15 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter.
“I guess we did play differently (in the fourth), because we let the pressure get to us, and we shouldn’t have, honestly,” Wooten said. “Their pressure wasn’t worse than anybody, like Tech or anything. I mean, the pressure was the same as anybody; we know we can handle it, we just didn’t.”
In addition to Wooten’s 25, Zyanna Walker had 13 points and Greer 10, but nobody else had more than five. Starting forwards Tabitha Betson, Anaelle Dutat and Jade Masogayo combined for nine points, and Masogayo didn’t have an official field goal attempt.
CU knew the game would be different than Valentine’s Day in Boulder, for many reasons. CU routed the Cougars 76-46 that day, out-rebounding them 50-26 along the way and scoring 40 points in the paint.
On Saturday, CU got outrebounded 38-35 and had just 20 points in the paint.
“They were coming for us, for sure,” Wooten said. “For them, I think they played harder (than in Boulder); for us, we played softer. I mean, that’s pretty much the only way to put it.”
BYU 75, Colorado 62
COLORADO (20-10, 11-7 Big 12)
Masogayo 0-0 2-2 2, Dutat 2-5 1-2 5, Betson 1-6 0-0 2, Walker 5-10 2-2 13, McErlane 1-4 0-0 3, Wooten 8-16 5-8 25, Greer 5-12 0-0 10, Gooden 1-3 0-0 2, Crook 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 10-14 62.
BYU (20-10, 9-9 Big 12)
Rohkohl 1-1 3-4 5, Benally 1-5 3-4 5, Gibb 6-20 11-14 26, Barber 1-4 0-0 3, Cannon 4-7 1-1 10, Hamlin 5-11 2-3 13, Yussuf 5-7 3-3 13, Hamson 0-0 0-0 0, Gunlock 0-0 0-0 0, Ogden 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 23-55 23-31 75.
Colorado 16 14 26 6 – 62
BYU 20 12 16 27 – 75
3-point goals – Colorado 6-23 (Wooten 4-8, Walker 1-4, McErlane 1-3, Betson 0-4, Greer 0-3, Gooden 0-1), BYU 6-17 (Gibb 3-8, Barber 1-3, Hamlin 1-3, Cannon 1-2, Benally 0-1). Rebounds – Colorado 35 (Greer 8), BYU 38 (Cannon 9). Assists – Colorado 11 (four players with 2), BYU 13 (Gibb 7). Steals – Colorado 2 (Wooten 2), BYU 7 (Benally, Cannon 2). Turnovers – Colorado 11, BYU 8. Total fouls – Colorado 22, BYU 16. Fouled out – Betson, Rohkohl. Attendance – 4,313.
