Colorado University Athletics
Saturday, November 4
Boulder, Colo.
2:00 PM
Colorado
0-0
90
vs
55
Colorado Christian (Exhibition)
0-0
1
2
3
4
F
Colorado Christian
20
15
9
11
55
Colorado
16
18
37
19
90
Photo by: Luke Hathaway-Clark/Benko Photographics
Buffs Use Third-Quarter Run To Win 90-55 In Exhibition
November 04, 2017 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER – Colorado pulled away from Colorado Christian early in the second half and went on to a 90-55 win on Saturday afternoon in an exhibition at the Coors Events Center.
The Buffs overcame a one-point halftime deficit by opening the third quarter on a 24-1 run and outscored the Cougars 37-9 in the period.
STAT LEADERS: Janea Bunn scored 19 points and had five rebounds, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor to lead CU in scoring. Aubrey Knight poured in 14 points off the bench and tied fellow freshman Annika Jank for a team-high eight rebounds. Jank also scored 12 points. Kennedy Leonard and Quinessa Caylao-Do each scored 10.
CCU was led by Sarah McGinley, who scored 14 points off the bench and hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED: CCU shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half to lead 35-34 at halftime. But the Buffs scored the final two points of the first half to go on a 26-1 run between the two halves and lead 60-36 with 4:38 left in the third quarter. Bunn had eight points during the run and Knight capped it off with the final five points during that stretch with a pair of layups and a free throw on a 3-point play.
In the third quarter, CU shot 16-for-24 (.667) from the floor and forced nine CCU turnovers, while limiting the Cougars to just 3-of-15 (.200) from the floor.
The Buffs led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter as guards Brecca Thomas and Peyton Carter combined for nine points in the period. CU forced 12 turnovers in the fourth quarter.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado committed just nine turnovers in the game, while forcing 36. CU had 38 points off turnovers, while CCU's forced turnovers led to just five points.
The Buffs were strong on the glass, outrebounding Colorado Christian 52-44. They also adjusted defensively after the first half, limiting CCU to just 3-of-13 (.231) from the outside in the second half.
NOTES: Colorado improved to 30-4 all-time in exhibition games, including 19-0 against NCAA Division II schools ... CU's eight newcomers combined for 53 points and 32 rebounds ... Caylao-Do had five steals and her regular-season career high is three.
UP NEXT: CU opens the regular season on Friday at Samford at 5 p.m. MT.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
JR Payne, head coach
On the slow start of the team in the first half
"I wasn't really too shocked because we had so many young players who have never played here or played in front of anyone. You wish that everyone would come out like a seasoned veteran, but that is just not the reality. I was proud of the way we came out in the second half. All five of our returners did a great job of talking, communicating, and helping pull everybody together. It ended up a lot better in the second half."
On what she talked to the team about at the half
"Being aggressive on offense and defense. We talked about how every time in the first half we put the ball on the floor and penetrated, we got to the paint, and were able to create for ourselves and for other people. When we were hesitant, it was all bad."
On what they can work on from now until the regular season opener
"Execution, aggressive, and playing hard. We always talk about being the hardest working team, being the toughest team, and being really disciplined. We were that in spurts today, but we need the mindset that we are going to be those three things from the jump, every night. It starts in practice. It won't happen if you think you can just flip the light switch. We need to focus on those intangible things."
On what changed in the second half
"We were doing our jobs. We use that term a lot, just like Bill Belichick. I told them at the beginning of the game that no one was going to be on SportsCenter tonight, so be disciplined and do your job and you can create fantastic things from that."
On the starting lineup
"Truthfully, I don't put much thought into starting. I put a lot more stock into finishing the game. A lot of times I like to have really productive kids off of the bench. A lot of places might start a starting lineup differently than I would. It is sort of the way we have always been. We love to have some of our best scorers, best rebounders, and energy kids off of the bench. We will continue to do that, and you saw that tonight too."
On the play of Alexis Robinson today (coming off ACL surgery)
"She is a great player. She does some pretty athletic things. She didn't shoot the ball great today, but she is a great shooter. She shoots the ball really well in practice on a daily basis. I would expect her to continue to shoot the ball. We need her to shoot the ball, and put it in the hoop."
On the play of Janea Bunn
"She went 9-12 and had 19 (points) and 5 (rebounds). That is awesome. I expect her to have an impact on every phase of the game for us. Clearly she did, and is going to. I love her energy off of the bench. She came in and went right at them, which is what we wanted her to do. She was also good on the glass."
On the play of other new players
"It was great to see Peyton (Carter) come in and do what she did. She never shoots the ball so we always tell her to shoot the ball and to be a scoring threat. I told her before she went in, if you are open, you shoot the ball. The first time she touches it, she gets her first collegiate basket. She is really growing in her confidence, and was a great floor general. Aubrey (Knight) is going to be a great player for us. She scored and rebounded. I thought everyone who stepped on the floor did a great job."
On the nine turnovers from the team
"That was really good. We need to continue to focus on taking care of the ball. I was really proud of last year's team for that. I think it stems from good point guard play. We want to take care of the ball when we can."
Janea Bunn, junior, forward
On her first game at CU after transferring from Midland College
"It was very exciting, I just tried to keep my composure. For the most part, it was a matter of going with the flow and playing my type of game, so it was fun."
On the difference between the first and second half
"Well we went and talked about it in the locker room; some things that we needed to work on, like stop letting them hit so many three's, and I think that we really locked in and focused on that. The energy increased significantly so I think that those things were all factors. It was kind of like a domino effect, just one thing after the another."
On the scrimmage
"I don't want to say today was easy, but there wasn't a lot of people as big as me, so I know it isn't always going to be like that. So I will have to be more strategic and just play my role."
Corey Laster, head coach, Colorado Christian
On the difference from both teams in the second half compared to the first
"In the first half, we were making shots. For a young team, that gives you some confidence out there on the floor. I think for CU, they were missing some shots early and maybe some of the young kids got a bit discouraged from that. I thought we were aggressive on the boards. In the first quarter, I thought both teams were sort of feeling each other out. I think in the second half, it was their level of aggressiveness and intensity. I think they used their length to their benefit. They would surround us on the boards and picked up pressure almost full court. We are not the biggest team in the world so I think some of our smaller guards struggled with their length – not only freshmen, but size on top of that. We struggled with decision making in terms of hearing a voice and making an outlet pass. A lot of times, we were baited into certain situations. I was impressed with their pressure in the second half, ability to transition the ball, and score off of our turnovers."
On the scoring ability of Sarah McGinley
"We played without our best player (Alex Nelson)– first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference kid who led us in scoring last year. She had a concussion so she is out for a little bit. I thought we needed some people to step up and Sarah [McGinley] did a good job of stepping up. She was a really good high school scorer – averaged like 28 points a game in class 1A basketball here in Colorado. So she is definitely capable of putting the ball in the basket. I think people that get to know her a little bit will probably be able to understand that piece of it."
On playing against Colorado is a confidence booster moving forward
"I think CU would win our conference. We are not going to see anybody in our conference that is as good as them. If I could, I would play them every day in preseason. That would definitely help us get better. In some ways, we definitely got better. We are excited about moving forward. We have a lot of work ahead of us. I am glad we don't play tomorrow."
The Buffs overcame a one-point halftime deficit by opening the third quarter on a 24-1 run and outscored the Cougars 37-9 in the period.
STAT LEADERS: Janea Bunn scored 19 points and had five rebounds, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor to lead CU in scoring. Aubrey Knight poured in 14 points off the bench and tied fellow freshman Annika Jank for a team-high eight rebounds. Jank also scored 12 points. Kennedy Leonard and Quinessa Caylao-Do each scored 10.
CCU was led by Sarah McGinley, who scored 14 points off the bench and hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED: CCU shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half to lead 35-34 at halftime. But the Buffs scored the final two points of the first half to go on a 26-1 run between the two halves and lead 60-36 with 4:38 left in the third quarter. Bunn had eight points during the run and Knight capped it off with the final five points during that stretch with a pair of layups and a free throw on a 3-point play.
In the third quarter, CU shot 16-for-24 (.667) from the floor and forced nine CCU turnovers, while limiting the Cougars to just 3-of-15 (.200) from the floor.
The Buffs led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter as guards Brecca Thomas and Peyton Carter combined for nine points in the period. CU forced 12 turnovers in the fourth quarter.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado committed just nine turnovers in the game, while forcing 36. CU had 38 points off turnovers, while CCU's forced turnovers led to just five points.
The Buffs were strong on the glass, outrebounding Colorado Christian 52-44. They also adjusted defensively after the first half, limiting CCU to just 3-of-13 (.231) from the outside in the second half.
NOTES: Colorado improved to 30-4 all-time in exhibition games, including 19-0 against NCAA Division II schools ... CU's eight newcomers combined for 53 points and 32 rebounds ... Caylao-Do had five steals and her regular-season career high is three.
UP NEXT: CU opens the regular season on Friday at Samford at 5 p.m. MT.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
JR Payne, head coach
On the slow start of the team in the first half
"I wasn't really too shocked because we had so many young players who have never played here or played in front of anyone. You wish that everyone would come out like a seasoned veteran, but that is just not the reality. I was proud of the way we came out in the second half. All five of our returners did a great job of talking, communicating, and helping pull everybody together. It ended up a lot better in the second half."
On what she talked to the team about at the half
"Being aggressive on offense and defense. We talked about how every time in the first half we put the ball on the floor and penetrated, we got to the paint, and were able to create for ourselves and for other people. When we were hesitant, it was all bad."
On what they can work on from now until the regular season opener
"Execution, aggressive, and playing hard. We always talk about being the hardest working team, being the toughest team, and being really disciplined. We were that in spurts today, but we need the mindset that we are going to be those three things from the jump, every night. It starts in practice. It won't happen if you think you can just flip the light switch. We need to focus on those intangible things."
On what changed in the second half
"We were doing our jobs. We use that term a lot, just like Bill Belichick. I told them at the beginning of the game that no one was going to be on SportsCenter tonight, so be disciplined and do your job and you can create fantastic things from that."
On the starting lineup
"Truthfully, I don't put much thought into starting. I put a lot more stock into finishing the game. A lot of times I like to have really productive kids off of the bench. A lot of places might start a starting lineup differently than I would. It is sort of the way we have always been. We love to have some of our best scorers, best rebounders, and energy kids off of the bench. We will continue to do that, and you saw that tonight too."
On the play of Alexis Robinson today (coming off ACL surgery)
"She is a great player. She does some pretty athletic things. She didn't shoot the ball great today, but she is a great shooter. She shoots the ball really well in practice on a daily basis. I would expect her to continue to shoot the ball. We need her to shoot the ball, and put it in the hoop."
On the play of Janea Bunn
"She went 9-12 and had 19 (points) and 5 (rebounds). That is awesome. I expect her to have an impact on every phase of the game for us. Clearly she did, and is going to. I love her energy off of the bench. She came in and went right at them, which is what we wanted her to do. She was also good on the glass."
On the play of other new players
"It was great to see Peyton (Carter) come in and do what she did. She never shoots the ball so we always tell her to shoot the ball and to be a scoring threat. I told her before she went in, if you are open, you shoot the ball. The first time she touches it, she gets her first collegiate basket. She is really growing in her confidence, and was a great floor general. Aubrey (Knight) is going to be a great player for us. She scored and rebounded. I thought everyone who stepped on the floor did a great job."
On the nine turnovers from the team
"That was really good. We need to continue to focus on taking care of the ball. I was really proud of last year's team for that. I think it stems from good point guard play. We want to take care of the ball when we can."
Janea Bunn, junior, forward
On her first game at CU after transferring from Midland College
"It was very exciting, I just tried to keep my composure. For the most part, it was a matter of going with the flow and playing my type of game, so it was fun."
On the difference between the first and second half
"Well we went and talked about it in the locker room; some things that we needed to work on, like stop letting them hit so many three's, and I think that we really locked in and focused on that. The energy increased significantly so I think that those things were all factors. It was kind of like a domino effect, just one thing after the another."
On the scrimmage
"I don't want to say today was easy, but there wasn't a lot of people as big as me, so I know it isn't always going to be like that. So I will have to be more strategic and just play my role."
Corey Laster, head coach, Colorado Christian
On the difference from both teams in the second half compared to the first
"In the first half, we were making shots. For a young team, that gives you some confidence out there on the floor. I think for CU, they were missing some shots early and maybe some of the young kids got a bit discouraged from that. I thought we were aggressive on the boards. In the first quarter, I thought both teams were sort of feeling each other out. I think in the second half, it was their level of aggressiveness and intensity. I think they used their length to their benefit. They would surround us on the boards and picked up pressure almost full court. We are not the biggest team in the world so I think some of our smaller guards struggled with their length – not only freshmen, but size on top of that. We struggled with decision making in terms of hearing a voice and making an outlet pass. A lot of times, we were baited into certain situations. I was impressed with their pressure in the second half, ability to transition the ball, and score off of our turnovers."
On the scoring ability of Sarah McGinley
"We played without our best player (Alex Nelson)– first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference kid who led us in scoring last year. She had a concussion so she is out for a little bit. I thought we needed some people to step up and Sarah [McGinley] did a good job of stepping up. She was a really good high school scorer – averaged like 28 points a game in class 1A basketball here in Colorado. So she is definitely capable of putting the ball in the basket. I think people that get to know her a little bit will probably be able to understand that piece of it."
On playing against Colorado is a confidence booster moving forward
"I think CU would win our conference. We are not going to see anybody in our conference that is as good as them. If I could, I would play them every day in preseason. That would definitely help us get better. In some ways, we definitely got better. We are excited about moving forward. We have a lot of work ahead of us. I am glad we don't play tomorrow."
Team Stats
CCWB
COLO
FG%
.346
.389
3FG%
.370
.130
FT%
.900
.607
RB
44
52
TO
36
9
STL
2
20
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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