Buffs Battle, But Fall Short Against No. 20 West Virginia in Defensive Slugfest
BOULDER - In a game defined by grit, hustle, and missed opportunities, Colorado women’s basketball gave No. 20 West Virginia all it could handle but couldn’t close the deal in a 61-55 loss Wednesday night at the CU Events Center.
The Buffs, now 15-8 overall and 6-5 in Big 12 play, showed flashes of what makes them a dangerous team-dominant rebounding, energetic bench play, and stretches of tough defense-but ultimately couldn’t string together enough offensive execution down the stretch to pull off the upset. West Virginia, now 19-5 (9-3 Big 12), leaned on timely shot-making and late-game poise to escape Boulder with the win.
“We had our chances,” head coach JR Payne said after the game. “West Virginia’s a really good team, and they’re ranked for a reason, but we’ll look back at this one and see a lot of missed opportunities-soft passes, breakdowns in execution. Those are the things that sting.”
Despite the loss, Colorado actually held the edge in several key categories: they outrebounded the Mountaineers 39-33, scored more off turnovers (17-13), got a big lift from the bench (25-9), and dished out more assists (9-7). But as Payne pointed out, in a conference this deep, execution in the margins can be the difference between a statement win and a frustrating loss.
First Half: Trading Blows, Finding Rhythm
The Buffs came out with energy, with sophomore forward Tabitha Betson knocking down a jumper to start the scoring. Senior forward Anaëlle Dutat followed with a layup, and freshman forward Logyn Greer added a second-chance bucket to keep Colorado in step with the Mountaineers early.
West Virginia hit a pair of threes to build a lead, but Colorado responded with a flurry late in the first quarter. Greer hit a three, freshman guard Erianna Gooden knocked down two free throws, and Greer added a fast-break layup to give CU a brief 19-18 lead. But back-to-back Mountaineer threes closed the quarter with WVU up 24-19.
The second quarter was more of the same-tight, back-and-forth basketball. Junior guard Desiree Wooten and junior guard Zyanna Walker attacked the rim, and Jade Masogayo converted a three-point play to pull Colorado within one. Wooten then buried a three to give CU a 29-27 lead, but West Virginia answered quickly and closed the half with a slight edge, 37-34.
Third Quarter: Defense Takes Over
If the first half was about trading buckets, the third quarter was a defensive grind. West Virginia opened with four quick points, but Colorado clamped down after that. Walker scored in transition off a steal from Gooden, and Wooten followed with a strong drive to the hoop.
CU kept it close with a pair of buckets from Wooten and Walker, the latter coming on a fast-break layup off a Wooten assist. But the Mountaineers managed to close the quarter with a 47-42 lead, thanks to a couple of timely scores in the final minutes.
Fourth Quarter: A Late Push Falls Short
West Virginia extended its lead early in the fourth, but Colorado refused to go quietly. Greer hit a jumper, Masogayo added free throws, and Betson powered in a layup off a Masogayo assist to cut the deficit to two with under five minutes to play.
Wooten hit a free throw to keep it close, and later scored in the paint to make it 56-53. But the Mountaineers answered with a fast-break layup and a final free throw to seal it.
Masogayo, who went a perfect 9-for-9 from the line, hit two more free throws in the final minute to keep hope alive, but the Buffs couldn’t find another bucket.
“There were bright spots,” Payne added. “Jade was perfect from the line, Tabitha pulled down 10 rebounds.
We did a lot of good things. But in this league, you’ve got to control what you can control-and tonight, we left too much on the table.”
Stat Leaders:
- Jade Masogayo led the Buffs with 13 points, five rebounds, and a block, and was clutch at the free-throw line.
- Desiree Wooten added 12 points, four assists, four boards, and three steals in a well-rounded effort.
- Zyanna Walker chipped in eight points and eight rebounds, continuing to be a force on both ends.
- Tabitha Betson had seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
- Logyn Greer, the freshman, brought a spark off the bench with 11 points, including a big three in the first quarter.
- Erianna Gooden and Anaëlle Dutat added key minutes as well, with Gooden contributing two assists and two steals.
Looking Ahead:
The Buffs won’t have much time to dwell on this one. They stay home to host another ranked opponent-No.
14 TCU-on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. MT at the CU Events Center, with streaming available on ESPN+.
With the Big 12 standings tightening up and March looming, every game feels like a playoff. And if the Buffs can clean up the details, they’ve shown they have the tools to compete with anyone.