Buffs Look to Close Homestand Strong

BOULDER—Pac-12 Conference play did not get off to the start the University of Colorado women's basketball team envisioned. The Buffaloes will look to bounce back from their opening loss to Utah this weekend, playing host to Arizona and Arizona State.

Colorado (10-2, 0-1 Pac-12) ran into a hot-shooting Utah team to close out 2018. The Utes hit 8-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half. Utah entered last week shooting 36.6 percent from 3. They finished well above that, closing with a 61.9 percent performance from behind the arc on Sunday. Andrea Torres came off the bench and was 4-of-7 from long range.

"It's virtually impossible to compete with a team that's shooting 8-for-11 from the 3-point line in the first half," senior Kennedy Leonard said after the game. "You come down and you take a quick shot and then they come down and hit a three. You defend for 28 seconds and they hit a shot with one second left on the shot clock. I don't think we necessarily played bad defense, they were just hitting shots."

Head coach JR Payne and the Buffs have moved on from Utah and now turn their attention to the Wildcats and then the Sun Devils.

"It has been a great week of practice for us," Payne noted. "I feel like everyone was really disappointed after the game last weekend. We felt like we should have and could have performed better. I think that has motivated everyone to have a great, energetic week of practice."

The Buffs are more than happy to continue at home. The weekend will conclude the current seven-game homestand. CU has gone 4-1 during that span and is 8-1 at home on the season. Colorado has enjoyed its home-cooking this season, averaging 73.1 points per game. The Buffs have outscored opponents by 16.7 points at home this season.

The Pac-12 schedule does not allow for any off days. The conference continues to be one of the toughest in the nation, boasting eight teams in the top-55 in the RPI rankings.

This week's game preparation was not a reset, but more of a refresher for the Buffs.

"We have been focusing on the details and bringing that energy and urgency to everything we are doing," Payne added. "It hasn't been an X's and O's kind of week. It has more been about doing your job to the best of your ability."

Arizona and Arizona State both come to Boulder this weekend with some national attention. The Wildcats are just outside of this week's top-25, while the Sun Devils come in ranked No. 22 in both the Associated Press and the Coaches polls.

The Wildcats defeated the No. 17 Arizona State last week, 51-39. Arizona has been a staunch defensive team thus far. The Cats rank fourth in the NCAA, limiting opponents to just 42.9 points per game.

Friday's game will be streamed on Colorado Live Stream channel. Fans can listen to the Buffs all season long on AM 630 (KHOW).

The Series: This will be the 22nd meeting between the Buffaloes and the Wildcats. Colorado holds the upper-hand with a 16-5 hold on the series. The two teams split the series last season, with each team winning on its home court. Colorado holds a 10-1 record over Arizona at the CU Events Center, including a 2-0 mark under Coach Payne.

Bench Play: Colorado scored 77 points off the bench in its games against Prairie View A&M and Samford to close the non-conference season. Production dropped to just seven points against Utah. The Buffs will hope to improve that number this weekend. Colorado's bench has averaged 19.3 points per game at home this season.

Leonard to be Honored: The team will recognize Kennedy Leonard in a pregame ceremony on Friday. Leonard will be presented a ball commemorating her passing 1,500 career points. She will also be honored for breaking CU's assist record against Utah.

Fans can receive cards and popsicle stick signs to help honor Leonard. There will also be a poster for fans to sign to help congratulate Leonard.

Fans can get $6.15 ticket online in honor of Leonard's 615 career assists. There will also be a $6.15 (credit card only) concession deal.

Disney Night: Enjoy appearances from some of your favorite Disney characters. Elsa, Cinderella and Moana are just a few of the characters that will be roaming the concourse on Friday.

Buff Trivia: Friday is also National Trivia Day. Buff trivia will be played throughout the game.

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Leonard