CU Shocks No. 15 Kentucky With Balanced Effort

BOULDER - The Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team upset No. 15 Kentucky tonight at the Coors Event Center 79-69. It was the first time since 2012 that the Buffs upset a top-25 ranked opponent at home.

The Buffs had four players score in the double digits tonight. Sophomore Alexis Robinson led the charge with 19 points, followed by senior Haley Smith with 18, sophomore Kennedy Leonard with 14 and junior Zoe Correal with a career-high 10. Zoe Beard-Fails added eight points off the bench.

Next up for the Buffs is North Dakota State on the road on Tuesday. Then they head back home to kick off the Omni Classic on Friday.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Unlike the quick start the Buffs took last Sunday against Air Force, they were scrambling to find rhythm within their high tempo offense. They got into a scoring drought in the first period allowing eight unanswered points.

But it was the defensive efforts led by Correal and Beard-Fails that gave the Buffs the opportunities they needed offensively to find momentum in the second period. It was a hard-fought game which the Buffs prevailed in physically.

"I thought our effort was awesome tonight to compete on the glass," Coach Payne said. "I'm really proud of us individually and as a team."

A lack of shooting efficiency hurt the Buffs in the first period, only shooting 26.7 percent from the field. But their physical, defensive efforts is what kept them in the game. They were able to find momentum in the second period, tying it up 15-15 in the eighth minute. By the end of the first half, they found a 37-35 lead going into the locker room and never let it slip.

"We always want to offensively, and defensively, dictate tempo," Coach Payne said. "Initially we'd thought we might sag off some of their more penetrating type players, but we did a better job pressuring them, we sped them up which created turnovers."

Though the score would lead one to assume that the Buffs sat comfortably with the lead throughout the second half, it was still a hard fought battle in the paint.

"I'm so proud of Zoe Beard-Fails, she didn't play too much in the first couple of weeks, had a great week of practice, really just attacked her role and was huge tonight," Coach Payne said. "I mean I don't think we win tonight without her playing that way."

TURNING POINT: Occurred early in the third period. Smith's 3-pointer with 7:46 left to play in that period gave the Buffs a 46-40 lead and they didn't lose that lead the remainder of the night.

CU STANDOUTS: Smith showed her senior experience tonight. Along with her 18 points she tacked on 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. … Correal was right behind Smith with 7 rebounds. Her presence inside the paint was apparent in the second period turnaround. … Beard-Fails got some well-earned playing time tonight, tallying 6 points and 4 rebounds.

KEY STATISTICS: Out of the 79 total points today, 18 of those came from off the bench. We got a glimpse into the depth Colorado is developing behind Payne's efforts. … The line was another effective spot, as the Buffs shot for 75 percent. … Rebounding was a big factor tonight in the first half, which the Buffs were hoping to see after Air Force. Efforts in rebounding spread throughout 10 players.

NOTEWORTHY: Women's basketball wasn't the only CU team beating up on top-25 ranked opponent today. The football team got a big win over No. 20 Washington State as well ... CU earned its first win over a ranked opponent since upsetting No. 8/9 Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament first round in 2015 and its first win over a ranked opponent at home since Dec. 14, 2012 with a 70-66 win over No. 8/8 Louisville ... it was Correal's first career game scoring in double figures ... it was Leonard's third career double-double--all with points/assists--and it was just the 14th points/assists double-double in school history ... Smith's four 3-point field goals doubled her previous career high of two ... CU's seven turnovers were the fewest since having six in a win over Utah Valley Dec. 22, 2012 ... CU's first 3-0 start since 2013-14 and the 19th in the program's 42nd season ... The Buffs have now won three straight and are starting this season strong, currently undefeated under Payne's efforts.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I don't even know what to say, this is just awesome. Obviously I'm really proud of our effort tonight. We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but I think we're beginning to see that effort, and desire, and toughness is enough." - CU Coach JR Payne on win tonight.

"It definitely does (make it a little sweeter) this was a really big game for me, and my excitement level right now is through the roof." - CU's Alexis Robinson on beating school from her home state.

"It was a really good game for us. We just want to get better each game… We all know it was a ranked team, it's a big win in that way, but it's just another game." - CU's Haley Smith on beating ranked team.

WHAT IT MEANS: The upset tonight over the Wildcats proves that the Buffs are more than just a 'rebuilding team' this season. We can expect hard-fought efforts in the paint and a 'not afraid' attitude. The Buffs should be rolling with confidence going into North Dakota State on Tuesday.

NEXT UP: The Buffs travel to North Dakota on Nov. 22 to take on North Dakota State. They return back to Coors that weekend to kick off the Omni Classic. They'll meet St. Francis (New York) on Friday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. Depending upon game outcome, the Buffs will either see Boston College or SMU on Nov. 26 at 11 a.m. Both games will be streamed on http://pac-12.com/live/cubuffs.

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Team Stats

Alexis Robinson

Haley Smith

Kennedy Leonard

Zoe Correal

Players Mentioned

Zoe Beard-Fails

Zoe Correal

Kennedy Leonard

Alexis Robinson

Haley Smith

Players Mentioned

Zoe Beard-Fails

Zoe Correal

Kennedy Leonard

Alexis Robinson

Haley Smith