1. Utah’s Ines Vieira: Tenacious level guard completed with 16 factors, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
2. Utah’s Alissa Pili: One of many prime scorers within the nation completed with 18 factors and 6 rebounds, in addition to three assists and fueled Utah’s quick begin.
3. CU’s Jaylyn Sherrod: Posted 15 factors, 9 assists and two steals.
Colorado bought nearly all the things it wanted to drag off a miraculous comeback in Salt Lake Metropolis.
The truth that the Buffaloes wanted a livid rally, nonetheless, didn’t sit effectively with head coach JR Payne, particularly after that rally fell brief.
The Utes’ Dasia Younger bounced in a driving layup on the buzzer at hand the CU girls’s basketball workforce a 77-76 defeat on the Jon M. Huntsman Heart on Friday.
“To be trustworthy, I’m pissed,” Payne mentioned. “I’m very annoyed. I believed we performed an amazing second half, clearly, however I’m past annoyed with the primary half.
“I feel it felt like Sunday’s recreation (a 65-59 loss to Oregon State), which is completely … I don’t even know the phrase. I can’t perceive how that’s doable. Very disenchanted within the first half, very pleased with the second half.”
For the primary time this season, the eighth-ranked Buffaloes (20-5, 10-4 Pac-12) have misplaced two in a row. Led by Ines Vieira and Alissa Pili, who mixed for 34 factors and 14 rebounds, the Twenty second-ranked Utes (19-7, 9-5) received for the fourth time in 5 video games.
CU fell two video games behind league-leading Stanford with solely 4 video games to play – two of these on the street towards No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 USC, that are proper with the Buffs and Oregon State within the standings.
After a depressing first half, the Buffs trailed by as a lot as 18 factors Friday earlier than surging again. They took their first lead of the sport, 74-73, on a Frida Formann layup with 19.2 seconds left.
Vieira hit a pair of free throws for Utah regain the lead with 14.2 seconds left, however the Buffs’ Aaronette Vonleh hit a put-back with 9.4 seconds left for a 76-75 lead.
The Utes went proper down the courtroom. Formann ran out to Younger behind the 3-point arc, however Younger blazed previous her and Euro-stepped by the protection by Vonleh and tossed up a shot because the clock hit zero. The ball bounced twice on the rim earlier than rolling in.
Utah ahead Dasia Younger (34) takes the profitable recreation shot as Colorado heart Aaronette Vonleh (21) defends throughout the second half of an NCAA faculty basketball recreation towards Colorado Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Salt Lake Metropolis. (AP Photograph/Rick Bowmer) “We bought blown by and (Younger) bought into the paint and made a extremely robust circus shot,” Payne mentioned.
Formann mentioned she ought to have performed higher protection on that play.
“Clearly lots of issues I’d have finished in a different way now on that play and possibly simply pressured her to take a contested 3,” Formann mentioned. “However, yeah these are issues that make you higher subsequent time we’re in a state of affairs like that.”
It was the primary half that actually price CU on this one, although.
The Buffs had their lowest-scoring half of the season within the first half towards Oregon State (24 factors) on Sunday and matched it within the first half Friday, going into intermission trailing 39-24. The deficit reached 18 factors early within the third quarter.
“One, we simply need to play nice basketball and we didn’t,” Payne mentioned. “Two, we completely didn’t execute the scout, collectively, within the first half. After which third, yeah, I imply, each possession is essential. So I don’t perceive how we will simply not do what we’re purported to do for longer durations of time then possibly only one possession. … It’s simply not ok.”
The Buffs did rally, nonetheless, and pulled inside seven late within the third earlier than Utah used an 8-0 run to construct the lead again to fifteen, 65-50, with 9:23 to play within the fourth quarter.
Formann scored 10 of her 15 factors in final 6:20 to spark a rally that almost made up for the tough begin. Jaylyn Sherrod additionally had 15 factors, whereas Vonleh had 14 (eight within the final three minutes), however it wasn’t sufficient.
“I feel simply we bought extra urgency and we began to get some buckets,” Formann mentioned of the late rally. “I feel we simply dialed up the protection. It was type of do or die at that time. So yeah, I’m proud that we made the comeback after which that we made our method again. And, clearly actually heartbreaking to lose on a buzzer beater like that.”
Younger’s game-winner was Utah’s solely made area objective within the final 5 minutes of the sport, and it’s one the Buffs will bear in mind for some time.
No. 22 Utah 77, No. 8 Colorado 76
COLORADO (20-5, 10-4 Pac-12)
Sherrod 7-15 0-0 15, Formann 5-10 2-2 15, Miller 3-7 1-2 8, Vonleh 7-14 0-0 14, Nolan 2-4 1-1 6, Sadler 2-4 0-0 4, Smith 1-1 0-0 2, Wetta 3-5 2-2 8, McLeod 0-0 0-0 0, Whittaker 2-4 0-1 4. Totals 32-64 6-8 76.
UTAH (19-7, 9-5 Pac-12)
Vieira 6-13 4-4 16, Johnson 5-7 2-4 14, Wilke 2-4 3-4 8, McQueen 3-7 1-1 8, Pili 7-14 2-2 18, Palmer 0-2 0-0 0, White 0-0 0-0 0, Ross 0-0 0-0 0, Younger 6-9 0-1 13, Crispe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-56 12-16 77.
Colorado 14 10 26 26 – 76
Utah 23 16 23 15 – 77
3-point area objectives – Colorado 6-12 (Formann 3-4, Miller 1-3, Nolan 1-3, Sherrod 1-2), Utah 7-19 (Pili 2-5, Johnson 2-3, McQueen 1-4, Wilke 1-3, Younger 1-2, Vieira 0-1, Palmer 0-1). Rebounds – Colorado 28 (Miller, Vonleh 6), Utah 34 (Vieira 8). Assists – Colorado 17 (Sherrod 9), Utah 17 (Vieira 7). Steals – Colorado 10 (Sherrod, Smith 2), Utah 5 (Vieira 2). Turnovers – Colorado 11, Utah 16. Complete fouls – Colorado 20, Utah 14. Fouled out – None. Attendance – 5,999.
