Buffs Pushing for Strong Finish

BOULDER – Head coach JR Payne and the Colorado women's basketball team are set for the final two regular-season home games this weekend. The Buffaloes take on No. 21 Arizona State (Friday) and No. 11 Arizona (Sunday) at the CU Events Center.

Colorado (15-10, 4-10 Pac-12) are guaranteed and above .500 finish to the regular season, a feat that many outside of the program did not anticipate. The Buffs were put behind the eight ball before the first second went off the clock, being pigeonholed into the basement of the Pac-12 standings.

While the team continues to learn and grow with every game, the fact that the young Buffs are positioned ninth in the conference is a testament to what is still to come.

"We are one of the youngest teams in the country," Payne explained this week. "We have that youthful experience about us. We play really hard, but we have grown a lot this year. If we were to go back and watch film from our preseason we'd say, 'man we've gotten a lot better.'"

A few different bounces for the Buffs and CU could be looking at a 7-7 conference record and a more favorable seeding in the Pac-12 Tournament. CU trailed then No. 8 UCLA by 25 points and fought back to fall short by three, 65-52. The Buffs took No. 6 Stanford into overtime on the road and then fell heartbreakingly to the Cardinal (No. 8) last week at the buzzer.

CU's growth this season is very evident. With just one senior, Quinessa Caylao-Do, on the roster, other players have had to step up and help lead the Buffs. Junior Mya Hollingshed leads the team in scoring, with a career-high 13.7 scoring average. Sophomore Emma Clarke has established herself as a consistent scoring threat, averaging 10.7 points per game. Freshman Jaylyn Sherrod has also burst onto the scene with 10.2 points and her 5.3 assists per game.

"We have a lot of talent on our roster," Payne continued. "We have incredible chemistry and comradery. The experience of being in close games and the decision making – we have had a lot of people step up in big moments."

The team has also been resilient this season. The Buffs have had their share of close calls as well as a few games that just slipped away. Every time Colorado has had the ability to just clear their minds and move onto the next game.

"I think that the biggest thing is that we've made a decision not to be upset with how it ended," Payne said about the last loss to Stanford. "Instead we want to use that as motivation, moving forward and not sort of wallow in it and stay disappointed but fuel our energy or fire moving forward."

The Buffs and Sun Devils tip-off at 7 p.m. on Friday. It is Disney Night at the game. Different Disney characters will be on the concourse.

Sunday is the team's Senior Day against Arizona. The Buffs will honor Caylao-Do in a pregame ceremony on the court, before the noon tip-off.

Both games will be carried on the Pac-12 Networks. Fans can also listen in on the TuneIn app.

Colorado University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Quinessa Caylao-Do

Emma Clarke

Mya Hollingshed

Jaylyn Sherrod

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