Quick Breakdown
Reason for Buffs’ Victory: The Buffs outperformed Texas Tech on the boards (34-18) and displayed solid defense in the final quarter to secure the win.
Outstanding Performers:
1. CU’s Desiree Wooten: Impressive performance with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, and a career-high five steals.
2. CU’s Anaelle Dutat: On her senior night, she contributed 11 points, eight rebounds, and a steal.
3. Tech’s Jalynn Bristow: Led Texas Tech with 18 points, including shooting 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, along with five blocked shots and three steals on defense.
Next Game: The Buffs will face Utah at the CU Events Center on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Prior to Saturday night’s game, Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne emphasized the importance to her team without explicitly discussing it.
“Did you guys discuss it?” she inquired from forward Anaelle Dutat and Desiree Wooten, who confirmed it wasn’t a topic of conversation among the players.
“Great. We’re all aligned,” Payne remarked with a grin. “That’s what I like to hear.”
The Buffs were more focused on the task at hand rather than the stakes on Saturday night. With the game in the balance, they elevated their defense and staged a comeback against No. 20 Texas Tech in the final quarter, clinching a 75-68 victory in front of the season’s largest crowd at the CU Events Center.
In front of 4,852 fans, including head football coach Deion Sanders, the Buffs stifled Texas Tech in the fourth quarter, securing their third win of the season against an Associated Press Top 25 team. The victory also secured a top-eight seed and a first-round bye for the Big 12 Tournament while propelling them into fourth place.
“I’m extremely proud of our performance tonight on senior night,” Payne expressed. “We always aim to win and perform well, but doing it on senior night against a ranked team in the manner we did, finishing strong with multiple contributors – we had a well-rounded scoring night with various players contributing in double figures, and our rebounding effort was exceptional.”
Junior Zyanna Walker led the Buffs with 18 points, while Wooten had a stellar performance with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, and five steals.
Post-game, CU paid tribute to seniors Jade Masogayo and Anaelle Dutat, both of whom played pivotal roles in the game.
Trailing by eight late in the third quarter, CU staged a comeback and took a 69-63 lead following a pair of free throws by Masogayo with 2 minutes, 5 seconds remaining.
Texas Tech scored the ensuing five points to close the gap to 69-68, but Wooten and Dutat combined for all six points in a 6-0 run over the final 62 seconds to seal the victory.
“I thrive in these moments,” Wooten stated. “I embrace the challenges and the tough situations, always ready for them.”
Tech (24-5, 11-5) had the second-best field goal percentage against CU all season (.578), but struggled in the fourth quarter, shooting just 2-for-9. CU outscored the Red Raiders 22-9 in the final quarter, with Tech enduring a 6:51 field goal drought at one point.
“It was all about mindset,” Payne commented on the fourth-quarter defense. “We didn’t change the game plan; it was their mindset. I could hear them emphasizing in timeouts, ‘We defend, we guard, this is what we do.’ There was excellent communication on defense, and our defensive effort in the fourth quarter was outstanding.”
With a 71-68 lead, Dutat committed a turnover on an inbounds pass with 46 seconds left. However, she redeemed herself by stealing the ball 13 seconds later, drawing a foul, and sinking both free throws to extend the Buffs’ lead to five with 30.1 seconds remaining.
“I was trying to make up for the inbound turnover,” Dutat admitted. “I might not be in-bounding much after that, but I wanted to make up for it. I got the steal, went for the layup, and that was it.”
Guided by Dutat’s eight rebounds, CU once again dominated the boards, outrebounding Texas Tech 34-18, and went a perfect 10-for-10 on free throws in the fourth quarter, securing their fifth consecutive win. The Buffs showcased remarkable fourth-quarter comebacks in both victories this week.
“It reflects the team’s growth,” Payne remarked. “We have developed strong belief in ourselves during crunch time.”
Key Points
If CU secures victories in the upcoming games against Utah and BYU, they will finish in the top four and earn a double-bye for the Big 12 Tournament. Texas Tech’s 18 rebounds tie for the second-fewest by a CU opponent, with the Buffs limiting Arizona to a record-low 17 rebounds. CU capitalized on 18 Tech turnovers, scoring 27 points off them and outscoring the Red Raiders 17-2 in second-chance points. Additionally, CU has achieved five consecutive 20-win seasons, marking the program’s second-longest streak.
Colorado 75, No. 20 Texas Tech 68
TEXAS TECH (24-5, 11-5 Big 12)
Bristow 5-6 4-4 18, Nunez 2-4 0-0 4, Fritz 1-3 1-1 3, Sanogo 4-6 0-1 8, Maupin 5-11 0-0 12, Collins 4-7 4-4 13, Blacklock 0-0 0-0 0, Love 1-1 0-0 2, Malone 4-7 -0-0 8. Totals 26-45 9-10 68.
COLORADO (20-8, 11-5 Big 12)
Walker 6-10 5-8 18, McErlane 0-2 0-0 0, Masogayo 1-7 5-6 7, Dutat 4-6 3-3 11, Betson 3-6 0-0 7, Gooden 1-2 0-0 3, Wooten 5-11 4-4 16, Crook 0-0 0-0 0, Greer 6-11 0-0 13. Totals 26-55 17-21 75.
Texas Tech 23 14 22 9 – 68
Colorado 19 21 13 22 – 75
3-point goals – TT 7-13 (Bristow 4-5, Maupin 2-5, Collins 1-2, Nunez 0-1), Colorado 6-14 (Wooten 2-4, Walker 1-3, Betson 1-3, Greer 1-2, Gooden 1-1, McErlane). Rebounds – TT 18 (Nunez, Sanogo, Collins 3), Colorado 34 (Dutat 8). Assists – TT 14 (Nunez 5), Colorado 13 (Wooten 6). Steals – TT 9 (Bristow 3), Colorado 13 (Wooten 5). Turnovers – TT 18, Colorado 19. Total fouls – TT 17, Colorado 11. Technical fouls – Bristow. Fouled out – None. Attendance – 4,852.
