Buffs Score Game's Final Nine Points In Win Over Washington
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BOULDER - Highlighted by a 9-0 run to end the game, the Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team beat a solid Washington team to ring in the New Year on a high note, 60-50, Friday afternoon here at the CU Events Center.
On a possession that featured four offensive rebounds, Aubrey Knight grabbed the board, got the lay-up, and was fouled. At the time, CU was up by a single point, 51-50, but after CU took a 54-50 advantage with Knight's free throw, Washington would not score again as the Buffs rattled off the last nine points of the game.
The Buffs improved to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in Pac-12 play while Washington falls to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in league play.
Knight finished as one of two Buffs in double figures with 11 points off a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field. She was joined by Mya Hollingshed's game-high 19 points, scoring her 1,000th career point. Charlotte Whittaker added nine points for the Buffs. While she didn't hit a field goal, Jaylyn Sherrod hit six free throws, including three in the final 9-0 run, and added four steals on defense.
Tameiya Sadler led Washington with 14 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The game was a back-and-forth affair for most of the first two-and-a-half quarters. The first quarter saw four ties and seven lead changes, with the Buffs using a 5-0 run to take a 15-12 lead while Washington scored the last four points of the quarter to take a 19-17 advantage into the second quarter, and then the first points of the second quarter to extend the run to 6-0 and a 21-17 advantage.
CU responded to tie the game at 21-21 after a Hollingshed and-one. Washington then took a 25-21 lead before the Buffs scored the next six points to take a 27-25 advantage. Washington outscored the Buffs 8-1 the remainder of the second quarter to take a 33-28 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
The Buffs came out quickly to bring the game within one point at 33-32 with the first two buckets of the third quarter before a mini-Huskie 7-2 run to take a 40-34 lead four minutes into the quarter. That's when the Buffs began to chip away, going on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 40-40 before Washington scored on consecutive possessions to take a 44-40 lead. CU scored the last five points of the quarter to take a 45-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
Washington scored quickly in the fourth quarter to take its final lead of the game, 46-45, as CU would score six straight to extend its run to 11-2 spanning the third and fourth quarters to lead 51-46. UW responded and made it a one-point game at 51-50, but then wouldn't score again as the Buffs scored the last nine points of the game to win, 60-50.
TURNING POINT: Down 44-40 with 2:18 left in the third quarter, the Buffs scored the last five points of the quarter and then pushed it to an 11-2 run to take a 51-46 lead.
KEY STAT: Colorado scored the game's last nine points and in the game's final 16 minutes, outscored Washington 26-10.
QUOTABLE: "It's always great to hit that milestone [1,000 points]. It's all thanks to my teammates and my coaches for just trusting me to score the ball and get the ball to me. I'm just really proud of where I came [from] and just this whole organization and this whole program." - Mya Hollingshed
NOTES: Hollingshed became the 32nd member of the Colorado 1,000 point club now with 1,008...Raegan Scott's mark of 1,042 career points in the next milestone in line for Hollingshed as she climbs up the CU scoring list...The win is CU first with less than a 27-point margin...The Buffs hit just one 3-pointer on the day, coming from Hollingshed in the second quarter...The two teams combined for 43 total turnovers (CU 21, UW 22)...Washington outscored the Buffs 18-16 off turnovers...CU got the upper hand in the paint, outscoring UW 42-24...CU closed the fourth quarter going 5-for-7 from the free-throw line (71.4 percent), its best quarter with five or more attempts since the fourth quarter at Denver (4-for-5, 80 percent)...Sherrod totaled four steals giving her 24 on the season...Knight's 11 points marked her season-high.
UP NEXT: The Buffs will remain home and face Washington State on Sunday with tipoff scheduled for Noon and the game to be aired on Pac-12 Network.