Colorado University Athletics
Wednesday, December 12
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
Colorado
9-1
79
vs
38
Prairie View A&M
3-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie View | 8 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 38 |
| Colorado | 19 | 21 | 23 | 16 | 79 |
Photo by: Cliff Grassmick
Buffs Dominate Panthers
December 12, 2018 | Women's Basketball
Colorado cruises past Prairie View A&M, 79-38
BOULDER–The University of Colorado women's basketball team left no doubt on Wednesday night. The Buffaloes dominated the evening, defeating Prairie View A&M in a decisive fashion, 79-38.
Four Buffaloes scored in double figures, helping Colorado improve 9-1 on the season. The win keeps CU's perfect home-record (7-0) intact to start the season.
The Buffs took a while to warm up on Wednesday night, but once they got rolling there was no stopping the home team.
CU trailed by three in the early moments of the first quarter. The Colorado offense sputtered in the open, shooting 1-for its first-10. Alexis Robinson hit back-to-back 3's to give CU an 8-5 lead. The Buffs' lead grew to 10 in the quarter, while the defense held the Panthers to just three field goals in the frame.
The scoring drought for the visitors carried over into the second quarter. Prairie View went a combined 0-for-8 from the field through the midway point of the second. Colorado's offense took advantage, opening the quarter on an 11-0 run, growing the lead to 30-8. PVAM's Shala Dobbins got to the basket for the Panthers at the 5:35 mark to close the drought. Robinson answered back with a 3 on CU's following possession, helping Colorado score the next 10 points to push the lead to 30.
The Colorado defense held Prairie View to 0-for-11 from the floor in the final five minutes, only allowing the Panthers back on the board in the final seconds. The Buffs took a 40-12 lead into the half, the team's largest halftime lead of the season.
Coach JR Payne took the foot off the gas in the second half, emptying the bench early on in the third quarter. The Buffs' bench totaled a season-high 39 points. Freshman Cameron Swartz went 4-for-7 off the bench, totaling a season-best 12 points. Sophomore Peyton Carter added seven points, going 2-for-3 from the floor.
Prairie View's offense failed to get going in the second half. The Panthers shot an opponent-low 19.0 percent (12-63). The Buffs hit 38.2 percent (26-68) from the floor and 8-of-19 from 3.
Stat Leaders: Robinson led all scorers with 13 points in just 18 minutes on the floor. The usual suspects of Mya Hollingshed and Kennedy Leonard rounded out CU's scoring leaders. Hollingshed recorded her third consecutive double-double, closing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Leonard finished the night with 10 points and four rebounds.
Dobbins led the Panthers with nine points.
How it Happened: Colorado's scoring runs were too much for the Panthers to overcome. The fatal blow came between the first and second quarter. Colorado used an 18-0 run over a 16-minute span to gain the 30-8 advantage.
The Colorado run extended to 30-4, handing CU a 42-12 lead in the first minute of the third. A Swartz 3 gave Colorado its largest lead of the night, 68-25, with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.
Key Statistic: The Buffaloes allowed just 12 points in the first half. CU shutdown PVAM in the second quarter. The Panthers were held to four points on 2-of-18 shooting. The 12 points were the fewest allowed by CU in a half this season. It was the first time Colorado held an opponent under 15 points in a half since Northern Colorado's 15 in the first half back in 2015.
The Buffaloes defense held strong through the final horn. CU held the Panthers to just five points on 1-of-8 from the floor in the fourth quarter.
NOTES: Colorado held Prairie View to 39 points, the fewest since Arizona scored 36 on Jan. 20, 2013…the 41-point win is the first time CU has won by 40 or more points since defeating Westminster (Mo.) by 59 in 2017...Colorado had a season-high 58 rebounds…CU's +18 rebounding margin is also a season-best…CU had season-highs in points off turnovers (29) and fast-break points (25)…all 12 available players got into the game with 10 recording points…Leonard now has 602 career assists, 10 away from tying CU's all-time record…Robinson was honored in a pregame ceremony for becoming CU's 31st player to reach 1,000 career points (at Miami).
UP NEXT: Colorado does not return to action until next week. The Buffs have eight days before their next game, hosting Samford on Dec. 20.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
Head Coach JR Payne
Overall thoughts
"It was a great team effort tonight. I thought it was a great bounce-back. We won our last game, but I do not think any of us felt great at the conclusion of the last game. The second half was not as clean as we would have liked it to be. We put forward a lot of effort as a staff and as a team into improving some of the areas we struggled in against Navy. Our team responded very well. It was really great to be able to get everybody on the roster significant minutes. That is always fun. It was good to see our players come in and be successful. I was proud of our team tonight."
On staying focused
"Our team has struggled with that. When I went in at halftime I said, 'Tonight is the night we are going to play two halves of good basketball.' We have had some great first halves and some so-so second halves. I thought tonight we did a good job. Everybody came in and played at a pretty high level."
On players stepping up
"Losing Aubrey [Knight] for the season was a really big hit for us. She does so many different intangible things for our ball club. It has taken a little bit of time to figure out who is going to replace that energy that Aubrey brings to basically [positions] two through four on the floor. It is really great in a game like this to see people step up. Emma Clarke started the second half based on her rebounding in the first half. We were sitting Peanut [Tuitele] a little bit tonight. I think we are playing well. Playing consistently is the goal."
Senior Guard Alexis Robinson
On Colorado's performance
"It was a great feeling. We were playing really well. We were playing on both ends. It was pretty awesome. We have not done that in a while so it was good to do that."
On Cameron Swartz
"It was awesome to see all her hard work pay off. Cam works really hard, so it is pretty cool. We are really proud of her."
On starting the season 9-1
"We are taking steps in the right direction. We are never satisfied, but I think we are doing a good job."
Freshman Cameron Swartz
On her strong performance
"It really means a lot. I have had a lot of ups and downs since I have been here—so just to come in, play the game, shoot the ball and just to be a shooter and making my shots. Even coming in with the people who do not play as much—we all just played so great and did not turn the ball over as much. It really builds confidence and takes the monkey off our back. It means a lot."
On getting the bench involved
"It was fun. We are really close and to see us develop over practice and come out and show what we can do on the court. It was really awesome to see."
Four Buffaloes scored in double figures, helping Colorado improve 9-1 on the season. The win keeps CU's perfect home-record (7-0) intact to start the season.
The Buffs took a while to warm up on Wednesday night, but once they got rolling there was no stopping the home team.
CU trailed by three in the early moments of the first quarter. The Colorado offense sputtered in the open, shooting 1-for its first-10. Alexis Robinson hit back-to-back 3's to give CU an 8-5 lead. The Buffs' lead grew to 10 in the quarter, while the defense held the Panthers to just three field goals in the frame.
The scoring drought for the visitors carried over into the second quarter. Prairie View went a combined 0-for-8 from the field through the midway point of the second. Colorado's offense took advantage, opening the quarter on an 11-0 run, growing the lead to 30-8. PVAM's Shala Dobbins got to the basket for the Panthers at the 5:35 mark to close the drought. Robinson answered back with a 3 on CU's following possession, helping Colorado score the next 10 points to push the lead to 30.
The Colorado defense held Prairie View to 0-for-11 from the floor in the final five minutes, only allowing the Panthers back on the board in the final seconds. The Buffs took a 40-12 lead into the half, the team's largest halftime lead of the season.
Coach JR Payne took the foot off the gas in the second half, emptying the bench early on in the third quarter. The Buffs' bench totaled a season-high 39 points. Freshman Cameron Swartz went 4-for-7 off the bench, totaling a season-best 12 points. Sophomore Peyton Carter added seven points, going 2-for-3 from the floor.
Prairie View's offense failed to get going in the second half. The Panthers shot an opponent-low 19.0 percent (12-63). The Buffs hit 38.2 percent (26-68) from the floor and 8-of-19 from 3.
Stat Leaders: Robinson led all scorers with 13 points in just 18 minutes on the floor. The usual suspects of Mya Hollingshed and Kennedy Leonard rounded out CU's scoring leaders. Hollingshed recorded her third consecutive double-double, closing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Leonard finished the night with 10 points and four rebounds.
Dobbins led the Panthers with nine points.
How it Happened: Colorado's scoring runs were too much for the Panthers to overcome. The fatal blow came between the first and second quarter. Colorado used an 18-0 run over a 16-minute span to gain the 30-8 advantage.
The Colorado run extended to 30-4, handing CU a 42-12 lead in the first minute of the third. A Swartz 3 gave Colorado its largest lead of the night, 68-25, with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.
Key Statistic: The Buffaloes allowed just 12 points in the first half. CU shutdown PVAM in the second quarter. The Panthers were held to four points on 2-of-18 shooting. The 12 points were the fewest allowed by CU in a half this season. It was the first time Colorado held an opponent under 15 points in a half since Northern Colorado's 15 in the first half back in 2015.
The Buffaloes defense held strong through the final horn. CU held the Panthers to just five points on 1-of-8 from the floor in the fourth quarter.
NOTES: Colorado held Prairie View to 39 points, the fewest since Arizona scored 36 on Jan. 20, 2013…the 41-point win is the first time CU has won by 40 or more points since defeating Westminster (Mo.) by 59 in 2017...Colorado had a season-high 58 rebounds…CU's +18 rebounding margin is also a season-best…CU had season-highs in points off turnovers (29) and fast-break points (25)…all 12 available players got into the game with 10 recording points…Leonard now has 602 career assists, 10 away from tying CU's all-time record…Robinson was honored in a pregame ceremony for becoming CU's 31st player to reach 1,000 career points (at Miami).
UP NEXT: Colorado does not return to action until next week. The Buffs have eight days before their next game, hosting Samford on Dec. 20.
POSTGAME QUOTES:
Head Coach JR Payne
Overall thoughts
"It was a great team effort tonight. I thought it was a great bounce-back. We won our last game, but I do not think any of us felt great at the conclusion of the last game. The second half was not as clean as we would have liked it to be. We put forward a lot of effort as a staff and as a team into improving some of the areas we struggled in against Navy. Our team responded very well. It was really great to be able to get everybody on the roster significant minutes. That is always fun. It was good to see our players come in and be successful. I was proud of our team tonight."
On staying focused
"Our team has struggled with that. When I went in at halftime I said, 'Tonight is the night we are going to play two halves of good basketball.' We have had some great first halves and some so-so second halves. I thought tonight we did a good job. Everybody came in and played at a pretty high level."
On players stepping up
"Losing Aubrey [Knight] for the season was a really big hit for us. She does so many different intangible things for our ball club. It has taken a little bit of time to figure out who is going to replace that energy that Aubrey brings to basically [positions] two through four on the floor. It is really great in a game like this to see people step up. Emma Clarke started the second half based on her rebounding in the first half. We were sitting Peanut [Tuitele] a little bit tonight. I think we are playing well. Playing consistently is the goal."
Senior Guard Alexis Robinson
On Colorado's performance
"It was a great feeling. We were playing really well. We were playing on both ends. It was pretty awesome. We have not done that in a while so it was good to do that."
On Cameron Swartz
"It was awesome to see all her hard work pay off. Cam works really hard, so it is pretty cool. We are really proud of her."
On starting the season 9-1
"We are taking steps in the right direction. We are never satisfied, but I think we are doing a good job."
Freshman Cameron Swartz
On her strong performance
"It really means a lot. I have had a lot of ups and downs since I have been here—so just to come in, play the game, shoot the ball and just to be a shooter and making my shots. Even coming in with the people who do not play as much—we all just played so great and did not turn the ball over as much. It really builds confidence and takes the monkey off our back. It means a lot."
On getting the bench involved
"It was fun. We are really close and to see us develop over practice and come out and show what we can do on the court. It was really awesome to see."
Team Stats
PVAM
COLO
FG%
.190
.382
3FG%
.077
.421
FT%
.750
.704
RB
40
58
TO
21
17
STL
7
16
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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