Payne's Buffs Open Pac-12 Play At Home Vs. Utah
December 29, 2018 | Women's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With a 10-1 non-conference effort in the rearview mirror and a top-50 RPI ranking in hand, the Colorado women's basketball team will enter Pac-12 play with plenty of confidence and momentum.
JR Payne's Buffs will have a chance to build on both Sunday when they play host to unbeaten Utah in the conference opener for both teams in a 1 p.m. game at the CU Events Center. It is the first of three straight home games to open conference play for the Buffs.
"I feel like we grew a lot throughout the preseason," Payne said earlier this week after welcoming her team back from the holiday break. "There were games when maybe we played well offensively but our defense wasn't as strong, and games when we were really good defensively but maybe our offense wasn't as good. But we kept working as a team, and overall I think we got a lot better. That's what preseason is for. It challenged us, and now we're ready for the next challenge."
The Utes will definitely fill the bill in that regard after putting together a perfect 11-0 mark in non-conference play. Like the Buffs, they are a blend of battle-tested seniors and some talented youngsters — and both teams know that starting league play off on the right foot is imperative in what might be the toughest conference in the nation, especially when it comes to depth.
"Obviously our record is pretty good, but it's not like we were playing a Pac-12 schedule," CU senior guard Kennedy Leonard said. "We played some good teams, but in the Pac-12, every night is a battle. Every night, it's a team who could potentially be in the top 25, a potential NCAA Tournament team. Nothing prepares you for playing in the Pac-12 except playing in the Pac-12."
Indeed, the latest NCAA women's RPI has eight Pac-12 teams in the nation's top 55, including three — Oregon (No. 3), Stanford (No. 4) and Cal (No. 7) — in the top 10. Sunday's conference opener, the first of three in a row at home for Colorado, will be a good barometer for the Buffs as well as the chance to build on their current four-game win streak.
"Everybody wants to win every game and we're no different," Payne said. "We're thankful to have an opportunity to start at home and we certainly want to take advantage of that."
Payne's third Colorado team might be her most balanced yet. On the perimeter, the Buffs are getting the expected solid play from senior guards Leonard (team-leading 13.9 points per game, along with 5.2 rebounds) and Alexis Robinson (8.4 ppg), along with 9.4 points per game from junior Quinessa Caylao-Do.
Inside, freshman Peanut Tuitele (9.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and sophomores Mya Hollingshed (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Annika Jank (7.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) are giving the Buffs good numbers in the post.
But now the competition level jumps up a notch and Leonard, a two-time all-Pac-12 selection, wants to make her last run through Pac-12 play a memorable one.
"Coach J and I were talking and she said, 'We don't have time to waste any days,'" Leonard said. "When she said that, it kind of hit home. I've been through it three times and those went by fast. Now this year is already going by fast. She's right — there's no time for wasted days, no time to take anything for granted. This is the last go-round, the last shot. It's time to do everything I can."
The Utes are led by senior post players Megan Huff (20.4 ppg) and Daneesha Provo (13.9 ppg), along with freshman forward Dre'Una Edwards (12.4 ppg). The Utes also have a veteran point guard in senior Erika Bean.
The two teams met three times last year, with each winning on the other's home court before the Buffs claimed the rubber match in the opening round of the Pac-12 tournament.
This time around, the Buffs want to make sure they protect their home floor while building some early conference momentum. After Sunday, the Buffs will host Arizona on Friday and Arizona State the following Sunday.
"We want to get a win and start out right," Leonard said. "In the Pac-12, it's super-important to get wins at home because it's so tough to win on the road. If we can open with that win, it will be big for us."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
