Colorado
11-0,0-0Pac-12
Tulane
4-8,0-0AAC
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Buffs Remain Perfect
December 21, 2019 | Women's Basketball
CU finishes non-conference play 11-0
NEW ORLEANS — The Colorado women's basketball team pulled away late in the fourth quarter to secure its 11th consecutive win on Saturday. The Buffaloes outlasted Tulane, 62-52, to close the non-conference season unblemished.
The 11-0 start to the season is just CU's fifth. It is the first time the Buffs have started with 11 straight wins since the 2012-13 season.
Sophomore Peanut Tuitele led Colorado with 17 points and 10 rebounds, recording her second career double-double. Tuitele's efforts landed her on the All-Tournament team. Redshirt sophomore Aubrey Knight, the tournament's MVP, continued her stellar play. She finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Mya Hollingshed also got into double figures, closing with 11 points.
The Buffs 10-point lead at the close was the largest margin of the day. The game was closely contested throughout the day, featuring seven ties and 14 different lead changes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Knight provided the early offense for the Buffs, scoring 11 points in the first quarter. She started 4-for-4 from the floor and scored three consecutive baskets, helping Colorado during a 6-for-8 shooting streak. The Buffs dominated the paint in the quarter, outscoring the Green Wave 16-0. Hollingshed got to the rim to end the quarter, giving CU a 24-15 lead.
Colorado's lead got back to nine, 27-18, in the early moments of the second quarter. Tulane answered back with an 8-0 run, helped by two Kayla Manuirirangi 3-pointers. The Green Wave hit four 3's in the quarter to help even the game at 29-29. A pair of free throws handed the Green Wave a brief 31-29 lead, but baskets from Clarke and Tuitele helped get back in front, 33-31. Tulane tied the game for the fourth time before the half, going into the break even at 31.
The second half alone featured eight of the game's total lead changes. Neither team was able to break open the lead, with the score not getting to more than a one-possession game until that final stretch of the fourth quarter. Key 3's at the end of the third quarter helped Tulane take a 48-45 lead into the fourth.
The Buffs were able to buckle down in the final 10 minutes, holding Tulane to just 1-for-18 in the quarter. The Green Wave went silent from 3-point distance, going 0-for-8 in the final period. The Buffs broke the stalemate with a 7-0 run, getting out to a 57-50 lead. Tuitele was big for the Buffs, scoring seven points and picking up five rebounds, all on the defensive glass.
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs did most of their damage from close range, finishing with 44 points in the paint.
NOTES: Colorado trailed going into the fourth quarter for the second time all season (UAB)…the Buffs finished with 29 points off of Tulane's 21 turnovers…Tulane finished 9-for-29 from 3…CU's bench scored 20 points after posting zero in its previous game against UAB.
NEXT UP: Colorado breaks for the holidays and will return to practice on Dec. 26 to prepare for the start of the Pac-12 season. The Buffs will be on the road to start conference play, taking on Utah on Dec. 29.
QUOTES
Head Coach JR Payne
On the fourth quarter
"I thought we did a great job defensively in the fourth quarter. That was the difference in the ballgame. We really started to communicate more defensively. We weren't all on the same page throughout the first three quarters. We guarded the 3-point line more efficiently in the fourth quarter. We were able to switch and even pick up the pressure a little bit. I really think that's what changed the game for us for good."
Sophomore Peanut Tuitele
On the 11-0 record
"I think that's huge for us. Especially, coming off last season. It's a statement that we are capable of playing with anybody. When we are hitting on all cylinders, it can be a scary thing. That's what the coaches really emphasized in the locker room. These two games were a statement. It was a tough weekend, but we pulled through as a team. I'm just proud of my team."