Colorado
16-4,6-2Pac-12
UCLA
17-4,6-3Pac-12
Wetta's Last-Second Heroics Lift Buffs Past No. 8 UCLA
January 27, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Colorado picks up its third top-15 win of the season
BOULDER – For the second time this season, the No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes knocked off the No. 8 team in the country. The UCLA Bruins were the victims this time, with the Buffs prevailing on a last-second shot in overtime, 73-70.
"First of all, thanks to the huge crowd that came out tonight," head coach JR Payne expressed. "Hopefully, we'll continue to grow [in size]. Also, unbelievably proud of our ballclub tonight. So many different people stepped up in the first half. We had some foul trouble in the first half. Other people came in, gave great minutes, executed down the stretch and executed new plays and new positions. Huge shots, Kindyll that shot was just one of the biggest shots that we've seen all year, and I'm just so proud of Kin. She's been working on her game and putting in that time and has gotten so much confidence. I'm unbelievably proud of our team tonight. And I just think it was a great night."
Sophomore Kindyll Wetta hit her first-ever game-winning shot with 1.9 seconds left in overtime sending the crowd of 2,227 into a frenzy. The win was the Buffs' 12th straight at the CUEC and the team's third against a top-15 team this season.
"I've never made a game-winning shot," Wetta said after the win. "Not even in middle school or high school, but tonight I mean, it felt good. I knew that I was probably in the open. I saw them sag early, so I was ready to shoot."
Colorado (16-4, 7-2 Pac-12) erased a four-point third-quarter deficit and outscored UCLA 45-37 in the second half and overtime. Seniors Quay Miller and Jaylyn Sherrod carried a bulk of the scoring load for CU. Miller closed the night with her third double-double of the season, totaling 18 points and 12 rebounds. Sherrod led all scorers with 20 points and handed out six assists, becoming the eighth CU player to join the 400-assist club.
Wetta closed with 13 points, hitting 6-of-7 shots and six assists. Aaronette Vonleh, who fouled out in the first minute of overtime, rounded out CU's top scorers with 11 points.
UCLA (17-4, 6-3 Pac-12) was led by Londynn Jones with 14 points off the bench. The Bruins' standout guard duo of Charisma Osborne and Camryn Brown was limited to just 14 combined points. The Buffs held Osborn to just 3-for-16 shooting, while Brown went 1-for-2 from the field.
"They're two of the better guards in the conference [Osborne and Brown] and we knew that," Payne stated. " With a lot of lead changes, both teams were really trying to be detailed and specific about getting a shot and those two are both very capable of making shots. I'm not surprised they took so many shots, because they're both really good. But again, I think our deep perimeter defense was exceptional. There were times that we had to switch, Quay had to switch out, she's guarding Osborne, which is a tough thing to do as a post and did a really good job."
How It Happened
Both teams were aided by first-half runs, swapping leads five times in the opening 20 minutes. UCLA held the upper hand after the first quarter, 19-13. The Buffs came back in the second quarter to narrow the gap to 33-28 at the half.
The Buffs' offense went through Miller to start the night. She totaled 11 points in the first two quarters, five more than any other player in the half. CU was just 1-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half but outscored the Bruins 22-16 in the paint.
Frida Formann, who had just two points and was 1-for-8 in the first half, flipped the switch at the start of the third quarter. She drained a pair of early 3-pointers to get the Buffs within one, 35-34. A Vonleh layup at the 7:45 mark gave Colorado its first lead since 7-5 in the first quarter.
UCLA came back with a quick 4-0 run, but Sherrod tied the game at 39-39 with her second 3 of the quarter. Colorado's led hit as many as five in the period as the Buffs outscored the Bruins 25-18. CU shot 9-for-18 in the frame and hit its first five 3's, to take a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter.
"I think we definitely know we're amped up and fired up," Miller noted about the third quarter. "We always try to flush that first half and focus on our third quarter. The first three minutes are key for us. But we're not looking at the score. We're just trying to keep stepping on their necks. I think that's what keeps us going and whenever we do have a slip up that makes us want to cram it down their throat even more."
The lead switched hands five times in the fourth quarter as both teams tried to close out the game in regulation. UCLA jumped ahead 54-53 to start the quarter and the Buffs battled back with layups from Sherrod and Vonleh to retake the lead at 57-54.
The Bruins fired back and got the lead back at 58-57 with 5:55 to play. CU again came back with points from Vonleh, Wetta and Sherrod to retake a three-point lead, 63-60, with 2:17 to play.
The CU defense held UCLA to a 1-for-7 shooting close to the final 5:55 of the quarter. Osborne did the scoring from the free throw line late in the quarter for UCLA, giving the Bruins a 64-63 lead with 13 seconds to play.
Vonleh took a stab at the win by going up for a layup with six seconds on the clock but was fouled on her way to the basket. She made her first freebie but couldn't get the second to fall and the teams went to overtime tied at 64.
Osborne started the overtime with a 3-pointer for UCLA to go up 67-64, but it would be the only field goal for the Bruins in the extra period. The Buffs got the next four points from Sherrod and Wetta to put CU back in front, 68-67, with 2:43 to play. CU would go 3-for-4 from the field in the overtime and break a 70-70 tie with Wetta's corner 3 to win the game.
"We've earned this respect and deserve it," Miller exclaimed. "I don't know why anyone is counting us out, I think that we've proven that we really can compete with anybody, especially on our floor. It's a pride thing and we own what we wear across our chest. We take it personally when teams try to show up and try to win against us on our team court."
Key Moment
UCLA held the 69-68 lead with 1:41 to go and the Buffs turned the ball over, giving UCLA a chance to build on its lead. UCLA's Kiki Rice tried to drive the lane against the Buffs and Sherrod stuck a hand on the ball, forcing the takeaway and converted a layup on the offensive end to put CU ahead 70-69.
Sherrod came up hobbling off the layup and the Buffs needed to take a timeout to allow her time to shake it off. Sherrod didn't miss a second of the action and picked up the assist on Wetta's game-winner.
Up Next
CU will welcome USC on Sunday (Noon, Pac-12 Networks). The game will be Colorado's celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Notes
CU has won 12 straight at home dating back to Feb. 6, 2022…First time CU won three games in a season against AP's top 25 opponents since the 2007-08 season (No. 21 Wyoming, No. 20 Vanderbilt and No. 15 Kansas State)…CU has now won seven Pac-12 games in a season for the third consecutive year…The Buffs have won its last three-straight games against ranked opponents at home, marking the first time since the 2001-02 season, beating No. 14 Iowa State, No. 12 Kansas State and No. 22 LSU… • Best start through 20 games since 2003-04 (18-2)…
Quotes
JR Payne
ON THE ENDING PLAY - "We knew that we were trying to hit something downhill and trying to be aggressive to the basket, but we had different people in different spots. A shooter here, maybe a kickback there. But I think we made the right play. Jaylyn penetrated, the defense collapsed. Kindyll was hands and feet ready to knock it down."
ON COLORADO POINT GUARDS - "We're in a conference with a lot of really good guards and I would take those two [Sherrod and Wetta] over any point guard in our conference. They're really tough. They're resilient. They like to defend. They're confident offensively. They're unselfish. They lead. I think both of them were just incredible. Throughout the game, toughness was keeping everyone together, communicating, making sure we all knew what we were in. I'm very, very proud that they're Buffs."
ON BRINGING IN A CROWD AGAIN - "We just need to continue to get the word out. People that come and watch us play love watching us play. It is fun basketball, it is good basketball. And so, we just need to continue to get the word out and get more and more people here because the more people come, the more energy in the building and it just is going to keep snowballing in a great direction."
Quay Miller
ON DOUBLE-DOUBLE - "I'm going to try and do whatever I can for my team to win. I've realized the role that I have, and I've embraced it. I like making my team feel like they can count on me and show up, and that is what I try to do for them."
UCLA head coach Cori Close
ON HOW HARD IT IS TO WIN ON THE ROAD - "I think they're a great team and I think we knew it was going to be hard not because of anything else other than they are a good basketball team. I think it's hard to win anywhere on the road in the Pac-12, it's a phenomenal conference top to bottom. Six ranked teams and projected eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, it's always going to be a challenge to win on the road. It's a challenge to win on the road because they're a good team, nothing more than that."
