Colorado University Athletics
Top Competitions Countdown: No. 5, Women's Basketball Upsets No. 11 Arizona
March 30, 2020 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER - CU's women's basketball team had been oh-so-close several times earlier in the season to beating ranked teams. The Buffs took No. 6 Stanford to overtime on the road and fell on a near-halfcourt buzzer-beater to the Cardinal in Boulder. They nearly overcame a 25-point deficit in a three-point loss to No. 8 UCLA. And they surrendered a six-point, fourth-quarter lead to No. 21 Arizona State just two days before No. 11 Arizona visited the CU Events Center on Feb. 23.
But the time had finally come. Lessons had been learned. This time, the Buffs hit key shots late in the game and held off the Wildcats for a 50-38 victory. The 11th-ranked team was the highest-ranked opponent CU had beaten since upsetting No. 8 Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament in 2015.
The win sits at No. 5 in our countdown of the top CU competitions in 2019-20.
The Buffs held Arizona, which entered the game averaging 70 points, to a season-low 24.5 percent shooting in the game and the 38 points allowed were the fewest they've ever allowed against a ranked team. The 38 points were also the fewest scored by a Pac-12 team this season.
Freshman phenom Jaylyn Sherrod led CU with 12 points and added seven rebounds and four assists, tying all-time great Shelley Sheetz for third on the freshman season assists list with 142.
Mya Hollingshed pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored eight points, helping hold the Wildcats to just seven second-chance points. Hollingshed also hit a key 3-pointer with 2:08 remaining, putting CU up by six points. It was the final field goal of the game as Arizona was forced to foul the rest of the way and the Buffs hit 6-of-8 at the line in the final 1:08.
CU dominated the paint, outscoring Arizona 28-10 down low. The Buffs also held a 48-27 rebounding advantage.
The win guaranteed postseason eligibility for Colorado, which improved to 16-11 with the win. With the season ending prematurely due to the pandemic, CU finished the year 16-14 and appeared to be headed to a WNIT berth, which would have been their first postseason appearance since 2017.
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But the time had finally come. Lessons had been learned. This time, the Buffs hit key shots late in the game and held off the Wildcats for a 50-38 victory. The 11th-ranked team was the highest-ranked opponent CU had beaten since upsetting No. 8 Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament in 2015.
The win sits at No. 5 in our countdown of the top CU competitions in 2019-20.
The Buffs held Arizona, which entered the game averaging 70 points, to a season-low 24.5 percent shooting in the game and the 38 points allowed were the fewest they've ever allowed against a ranked team. The 38 points were also the fewest scored by a Pac-12 team this season.
Freshman phenom Jaylyn Sherrod led CU with 12 points and added seven rebounds and four assists, tying all-time great Shelley Sheetz for third on the freshman season assists list with 142.
Mya Hollingshed pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored eight points, helping hold the Wildcats to just seven second-chance points. Hollingshed also hit a key 3-pointer with 2:08 remaining, putting CU up by six points. It was the final field goal of the game as Arizona was forced to foul the rest of the way and the Buffs hit 6-of-8 at the line in the final 1:08.
CU dominated the paint, outscoring Arizona 28-10 down low. The Buffs also held a 48-27 rebounding advantage.
The win guaranteed postseason eligibility for Colorado, which improved to 16-11 with the win. With the season ending prematurely due to the pandemic, CU finished the year 16-14 and appeared to be headed to a WNIT berth, which would have been their first postseason appearance since 2017.
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Players Mentioned
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