Buffs Back vs Texas Southern

BOULDER. – The Colorado women's basketball team begins the week in a spot they haven't been in for almost three years. The Buffaloes picked up a vote in this week's Associated Press Top-25 poll, marking the first time they've been in the conversation since Jan. 9, 2017.

"The vote is cool," head coach JR Payne admitted. "It's awesome, but that doesn't mean anything. We are just trying to become a better basketball team. There are so many areas, with our youth, that we can improve. I feel like we're just trying to focus on us and focus on our opponent."

The young Buffs are unscathed to start the season, starting 6-0 for the second consecutive year. Colorado has been stellar in November, going 25-1 since Payne took over in 2016. The team's record dips as December grows, going 11-6 in Payne's first three seasons.

"We have a great group of young women that want to push each other to get better," Payne added. "I think that's unique. They are actually pushing each other. I think when you have that sort of consistency in your effort and your mindset you become a better team. We just need to continue to take one day at a time. If we are not getting better someone else is."

The Buffs should be well-rested entering Tuesday's matchup with Texas Southern. Colorado will have had a full week in between games, last playing to a 59-46 win over Indiana State last Tuesday. CU's win over the Sycamores capped off its third game in five days.

The Buffs took a short break over the Thanksgiving holiday and resumed practice on Friday.

"The three games in five days was tiring for us" Payne explained. "We had a couple of days off. A couple of people got to go home but most stayed here and came spent Thanksgiving with us. We've had a couple of really good practices this week. We were able to reset our focus. Our effort has been good. Our bodies are feeling good. It's been a good week for us."

Texas Southern (2-3) will make its second visit to Boulder. The Tigers and Buffs last played in 2007, resulting in a 64-29 win for CU. It will be Texas Southern's sixth consecutive game on the road to start the season. The Tigers have visited Oregon, Iowa State and played Utah in Hawaii last week. Texas Southern ranks 23rd in the NCAA in steals per game (11.6). That number could be troubling to the Buffs who have turned the ball over an average of 17.8 times per game this season.

"The problem they [Texas Southern] pose is forcing turnovers," Payne noted. "We have turned the ball over a fair amount recently. That is something we're talking about. We need to be solid with the ball and make good, simple decisions and try not to force anything. We need to take care of the basketball because one, we play better basketball when we do. Two, they thrive on forcing turnovers. It's really important that we do a better job there."

Tuesday's game is set for a 7 p.m. MT tip. The game will be streamed on CUBuffs.com.

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