Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
6-19, 1-13P12
Oregon
19-6, 8-6P12
Buffs Falter In Final Half, Drop 77-70 Pac-12 Decision To Ducks
February 14, 2016 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. – Foul trouble didn't stop the Colorado women's basketball team's tenacity Sunday night against the Oregon Ducks. Unfortunately, tenacity wasn't enough for a win, as the Buffaloes came up short, 77-70.
Standout freshman guard Alexis Robinson led CU with 17 points, shooting 50 percent from the field (7-of-14) as the Buffs shot 47 percent overall (28-of-49). Robinson started alongside fellow freshmen Kennedy Leonard and Makenzie Ellis, who fouled out midway through the third quarter, one possession away from junior Zoe Beard-Fails picking up her fifth foul.
Three other Buffs finished with four fouls, including senior Jamee Swan, junior Haley Smith and sophomore Zoe Correal. CU's collective foul total was 30, which enabled Oregon to attempt 37 free throws (24 made). The Ducks, meanwhile, were whistled for only 17 fouls and the Buffs could capitalize on only 9-of-12 fouls shots. Â Â
"We definitely showed tremendous effort," Robinson said. "We knew that we were down a few players and each one of us had to do our best. We just tried to go out and give it our all."
With two difference-makers down low, CU coach Linda Lappe looked to Smith, who finished with 10 points, for leadership and tough defense against Ducks forward Jillian Alleyne, a preseason All-Pac 12 player whose double-double stat is living up to expectations. Alleyne recorded 26 points and 17 boards, helping keep the Buffs winless (0-11) on the road this season.
"Obviously Alleyne really hurt us on the low block," Lappe said of the Oregon forward. "She was a tough one to handle. She's playing like a senior on a mission. You have to give her a lot of credit on what she was able to do."
Swan managed to put up 16 for the Buffaloes, who lost their fourth straight game and dropped to 6-19 overall and 1-13 in the Pac-12. After a slow start for both squads, her first free throw attempts of the night got Colorado on the board after two minutes of play. Oregon (19-6, 8-6) sunk its first basket 3:20 into the first quarter and trailed 18-9 at the buzzer.
The second quarter proved to be characteristic for the Buffs, who suffered a scoring drought of just over 3 minutes. Oregon took full advantage, scoring 12 points in that time. Colorado found early foul trouble; Beard-Fails, Swan and Smith had two fouls each by the end of the quarter and Correal hit three by halftime. Robinson's jumper at 1:40 broke the Buffs' silence and helped them maintain their slim lead. Colorado led 31-29 heading into halftime after a buzzer shot from Alleyne.
Defensively, the Buffaloes' zone-turned-man strategy held Oregon to 41 percent shooting overall (27 percent at half). The Ducks are currently second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage and ninth in the nation. Lappe, who preaches defense as Colorado's priority, liked what she saw on Oregon's end of the court from her team.
"Our defensive effort is getting a lot better," she said. "Our guards are a lot quicker and a lot more active. Alexis Robinson has quick hands. Kennedy Leonard gets her hands in there. A lot of our steals (the Buffs finished with eight) are second- and third-effort steals. We talk about being relentless and having a relentless pursuit for the basketball."
Colorado's key adjustment in the second half was transition scoring. Swan maintained momentum with a steal and layup 1:45 into the third quarter, and again with 7:30 to play off an assist from Leonard. Overall, the Buffs scored 28 points off of 17 Oregon turnovers, but each whistle hurt Colorado's chances for victory.
In the third quarter, all four forwards played with four fouls each, and two fouled out before the fourth began. Junior guard Lauren Huggins, out Sunday with the flu, made Lappe's options for relief all the more difficult.
The Ducks outscored the Buffs 34-20 in the third quarter, and despite CU tying the game at 45 Oregon eventually pulled away to hold a double-digit lead for most of the fourth quarter after another 10-0 run.
Despite the final outcome, Lappe believes Colorado is closer to a second Pac-12 victory than anyone might think.
"We could not grab a defensive rebound when we needed to," she said. "If we get five more of those rebounds and convert half of them that's five extra points right there at least. I like the resolve of our team, the resiliency; we played the best fourth quarter that we've played in a long time."
CU returns to the Coors Events Center to face Stanford on Friday (8 p.m.) and Cal on Sunday, Feb. 21 (noon). Both contests will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
