Monday, October 29
Boulder, Colo.
7 p.m.
Colorado
0-0
93
vs
43
Southern Nazarene (Exhibition)
0-0
1
2
3
4
F
Southern Nazarene
6
13
13
11
43
Colorado
24
21
22
26
93
Photo by: Tim Benko, Benko Photographics
Buffs Roll in Exhibition Play
October 29, 2018 | Women's Basketball
Colorado puts up 93 points in the win
BOULDER –The University of Colorado women's basketball team surged past Southern Nazarene, 93-43, in its exhibition opener on Monday.
STAT LEADERS: Sophomore Aubrey Knight led the Buffs offense with a game-high 17 points. She went nearly perfect from the floor, finishing 8-for-9. Seniors Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson each totaled 13 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado shook off the dust early in the first quarter after going down 4-0 in the opening minutes. Robinson got the offense going, hitting a triple to get on the board. SNU tied the game at 6-6, but that was as close as the contest got.
CU rattled off an 18-0 run, holding the Crimson Storm scoreless the remainder of the quarter. Robinson scored six points in the run and Knight put in five, closing the quarter up 24-6.
Colorado's defense carried its dominance into the second quarter. The Buffs held SNU to 0-for-11 from the field in the first half of the quarter, while extending its run to 25-0. SNU's scoreless streak came to an end with a pair of free throws three minutes into the quarter. The visitors did not hit a field goal until the 3:27 mark of the quarter, closing just 3-for-15 in the period.
Knight was perfect from the floor in the first half, hitting 6-of-6 for 13 points. Robinson closed the half 4-of-6 from the floor for 11 points. The Buffs, as a team, shot 41.5 percent from the floor in the half.
The Buffs scoring was distributed evenly in the second half. Mya Hollingshed totaled all nine of her points, going 3-for-3 from the field in the final 20 minutes. CU put the game out of reach at the start of the four quarter, going on an 18-0 run. Colorado doubled SNU's offense in the second half, outscoring the Crimson Storm 48-24.
KEY STATISTICS: All 10 available players got into the action on Monday. No Colorado player was held under four points on the night. The team finished 45.3 percent from the field, a mark that was better than last season's 41.0 average.
NOTES: Knight's 17 points would have broken her career-high of 10...it would also have been a career-high in FGM (8)...Colorado only scored 90 or more points twice last season...CU's field goal percentage (45.3) would have ranked the fifth highest for last season...the Buffs are now 31-4 all-time in exhibition games, including 20-0 against NCAA Division II schools...
UP NEXT: The Buffs look forward to their season opener on Nov. 6. Colorado will host the Big Sky champion Northern Colorado Bears to open the season.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
Head Coach JR Payne
On what they wanted to get out of the game
"I was hoping to get these live reps. We have been shorthanded and had some practice guys in and out of the gym, but to be able to have a live game situation is all we wanted out of this. We have a list of things we need to work on and get better, but we always have a list of things that we did well tonight. Some freshmen got a lot of minutes and got a lot of live experience. That is good for us."
On the Priorities between now and the season opener
"[We need] more talk defensively. I thought we were pretty quiet on most possessions and we talk about it every day. We need to do a better job of communicating from the defensive side of the floor, containing penetration and finishing plays on the glass."
On Aubrey Knight
"She did great. She has not played a game since she had shoulder surgery six months ago. To see her come out like that with that same tenacity, same effort and that same bounce on the glass was great and huge for her confidence."
Sophomore Aubrey Knight
On seeing her first action since her shoulder surgery
"It felt awesome. I was just getting ready to get back out there. I missed it so much when I got injured and it sucked for six months, basically not being able to do anything. To be able to come out and actually play again was just awesome. I tried to show what I can on the court."
Senior Kennedy Leonard
On what the team was hoping to get out of the game
"I think just playing against people who are not ourselves. We had a scrimmage but that is not the same as putting on the uniform and playing a real game. It might not be the competition we will see down the road, but they were people who were not us. I think that throws a little curveball at us in some respects, but we have a lot of things to work on and I am excited to get back to work on Wednesday."
On if the game heightens the excitement for the regular season
"Yeah, it does because it means the regular season is here. This was not a legit game it was to some extent a real game. To be able to lace up and play was huge for us and for all the young kids who have never put on a uniform. To get those jitters out, you know the Lesila's, the peanut's (Sirena Tuitele)—all those types of people. So for them to be able to put on the uniform and play in front of actual people is pretty crucial with the games coming up."
STAT LEADERS: Sophomore Aubrey Knight led the Buffs offense with a game-high 17 points. She went nearly perfect from the floor, finishing 8-for-9. Seniors Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson each totaled 13 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado shook off the dust early in the first quarter after going down 4-0 in the opening minutes. Robinson got the offense going, hitting a triple to get on the board. SNU tied the game at 6-6, but that was as close as the contest got.
CU rattled off an 18-0 run, holding the Crimson Storm scoreless the remainder of the quarter. Robinson scored six points in the run and Knight put in five, closing the quarter up 24-6.
Colorado's defense carried its dominance into the second quarter. The Buffs held SNU to 0-for-11 from the field in the first half of the quarter, while extending its run to 25-0. SNU's scoreless streak came to an end with a pair of free throws three minutes into the quarter. The visitors did not hit a field goal until the 3:27 mark of the quarter, closing just 3-for-15 in the period.
Knight was perfect from the floor in the first half, hitting 6-of-6 for 13 points. Robinson closed the half 4-of-6 from the floor for 11 points. The Buffs, as a team, shot 41.5 percent from the floor in the half.
The Buffs scoring was distributed evenly in the second half. Mya Hollingshed totaled all nine of her points, going 3-for-3 from the field in the final 20 minutes. CU put the game out of reach at the start of the four quarter, going on an 18-0 run. Colorado doubled SNU's offense in the second half, outscoring the Crimson Storm 48-24.
KEY STATISTICS: All 10 available players got into the action on Monday. No Colorado player was held under four points on the night. The team finished 45.3 percent from the field, a mark that was better than last season's 41.0 average.
NOTES: Knight's 17 points would have broken her career-high of 10...it would also have been a career-high in FGM (8)...Colorado only scored 90 or more points twice last season...CU's field goal percentage (45.3) would have ranked the fifth highest for last season...the Buffs are now 31-4 all-time in exhibition games, including 20-0 against NCAA Division II schools...
UP NEXT: The Buffs look forward to their season opener on Nov. 6. Colorado will host the Big Sky champion Northern Colorado Bears to open the season.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
Head Coach JR Payne
On what they wanted to get out of the game
"I was hoping to get these live reps. We have been shorthanded and had some practice guys in and out of the gym, but to be able to have a live game situation is all we wanted out of this. We have a list of things we need to work on and get better, but we always have a list of things that we did well tonight. Some freshmen got a lot of minutes and got a lot of live experience. That is good for us."
On the Priorities between now and the season opener
"[We need] more talk defensively. I thought we were pretty quiet on most possessions and we talk about it every day. We need to do a better job of communicating from the defensive side of the floor, containing penetration and finishing plays on the glass."
On Aubrey Knight
"She did great. She has not played a game since she had shoulder surgery six months ago. To see her come out like that with that same tenacity, same effort and that same bounce on the glass was great and huge for her confidence."
Sophomore Aubrey Knight
On seeing her first action since her shoulder surgery
"It felt awesome. I was just getting ready to get back out there. I missed it so much when I got injured and it sucked for six months, basically not being able to do anything. To be able to come out and actually play again was just awesome. I tried to show what I can on the court."
Senior Kennedy Leonard
On what the team was hoping to get out of the game
"I think just playing against people who are not ourselves. We had a scrimmage but that is not the same as putting on the uniform and playing a real game. It might not be the competition we will see down the road, but they were people who were not us. I think that throws a little curveball at us in some respects, but we have a lot of things to work on and I am excited to get back to work on Wednesday."
On if the game heightens the excitement for the regular season
"Yeah, it does because it means the regular season is here. This was not a legit game it was to some extent a real game. To be able to lace up and play was huge for us and for all the young kids who have never put on a uniform. To get those jitters out, you know the Lesila's, the peanut's (Sirena Tuitele)—all those types of people. So for them to be able to put on the uniform and play in front of actual people is pretty crucial with the games coming up."
Team Stats
SNU
COLO
FG%
.275
.453
3FG%
.214
.300
FT%
.750
.864
RB
35
44
TO
30
8
STL
2
13
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
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