Colorado University Athletics
Saturday, February 8
Ames, IA
3 p.m.
Colorado
at
Iowa State
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
WBB 50th Season Highlights: Iowa State
February 07, 2025 | Women's Basketball
A look back at CU’s last win in Ames
AMES, Iowa – The 2024-25 season marks Colorado's return to the Big 12 Conference and a renewal of traditional and historic rivalries.
As part of the celebration of Colorado women's basketball's 50th anniversary season, CUBuffs.com will look back at historic matchups.
The Game: Colorado at Iowa State, Jan. 25, 2004
The Buffaloes (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) went into Ames as the 14th-ranked team in the nation and winners of three straight. Iowa State (9-6, 2-2 Big 12) had previously upset No. 15 Oklahoma at Hilton Coliseum five nights prior to Colorado's arrival. CU entered the matchup 1-5 in Ames over its last six games, having picked up a 79-71 win in the previous season.
JOHNS-RICHARDSON SPARKS BUFFS PAST ISU
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Veronica Johns-Richardson answered the call when Colorado needed someone to score.
Johns-Richardson matched her career high with 16 points and No. 14 Colorado shut down Iowa State with tough, physical defense in a 62-51 victory Sunday.
Iowa State concentrated its defense on Colorado's top two scorers, 6-foot-5 Tera Bjorklund and guard Kate Fagan. That left some openings for Johns-Richardson and she capitalized in doubling her season scoring average.
"It's not the first time we've seen a defense like this where they really focused in on our shooters, particularly Kate and Tera inside,'' Johns-Richardson said. "Basically, it was just trying to run our offense, not forcing things and just looking for openings. I think that's what we did.''
Left unguarded on the perimeter, Johns-Richardson was 0-for-7 from 3-point range. But she often beat her defender off the dribble in making eight of 10 shots from inside the arc and she handed out a career-best eight assists.
"I felt like Veronica really made the difference,'' Colorado coach Ceal Barry said. "She got us off to a really a strong start. The quickness, I think, bothered them early and gave us a little confidence.''
Iowa State (9-7, 2-3 Big 12) had upset then-No. 2 Texas Tech and 15th-ranked Oklahoma in its two previous home games but couldn't muster the offense to do it again.
Colorado (16-2, 5-1) forced 21 turnovers and held the Cyclones to 7-for-23 shooting in taking a 27-17 halftime lead. The lead was never below five in the second half.
"We told our kids before the game that we had to play a physical offensive game,'' Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. "Be strong to the basket, be strong to get open, be strong attacking. We really didn't do that. You have to credit Colorado for that, the way they defended.''
Iowa State played a triangle-and-two on defense, guarding Fagan and Emily Waner man-to-man on the perimeter and playing zone against Bjorklund inside. It worked to an extent. Bjorklund got only two shots in the first half and Fagan just one.
But Johns-Richardson came through with 14 first-half points and Waner got free for three 3-pointers in the opening half and finished with 12 points.
Bjorklund, averaging 19.8 points, ended up with 11. Fagan, averaging 14.7, hit two 3-pointers to help Colorado secure the victory and finished with eight points.
"I thought defensively we were OK,'' Fennelly said. "It was a lack of concentration a couple of times that gave them some open 3s. They have a lot of weapons. We can't guard them all.''
Fagan's first basket, a 3 from the right corner, gave Colorado a 45-34 lead with 7:59 remaining. Iowa State came back with six straight points to cut the lead to 45-40, but the Buffaloes answered with a 12-1 run to go up 57-41 and finish off the Cyclones.
Waner and Fagan each hit a 3-pointer, while Bjorklund scored inside and fed Johns-Richardson cutting down the lane for a layup.
Brittany Wilkins led Iowa State with 13 points but her teammates struggled to find open shots. The Cyclones' four other starters combined for just 12 points.
"They couldn't get a look,'' Johns-Richardson said. "That was one thing that got them a little frustrated and helped us. We were getting our offense from our defense.''
Colorado has now held four straight opponents under 60 points, its longest streak since the tail end of the 1996-97 season, when the Buffs did it eight consecutive games.
Colorado (16-6, 7-4 Big 12) looks to continue its winning ways when it hits the court at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. A win for the Buffs would give the team its longest winning streak of the season.
Saturday will be the 68th meeting between the two programs. Colorado owns a 37-30 series advantage but hasn't won in Ames since 2004.
BJ Schaben and Molly Parrott will have Saturday's call on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. MT.
Cory Lopez and Carol Callan will have pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before tip-off on the Colorado Radio Network.
As part of the celebration of Colorado women's basketball's 50th anniversary season, CUBuffs.com will look back at historic matchups.
The Game: Colorado at Iowa State, Jan. 25, 2004
The Buffaloes (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) went into Ames as the 14th-ranked team in the nation and winners of three straight. Iowa State (9-6, 2-2 Big 12) had previously upset No. 15 Oklahoma at Hilton Coliseum five nights prior to Colorado's arrival. CU entered the matchup 1-5 in Ames over its last six games, having picked up a 79-71 win in the previous season.
JOHNS-RICHARDSON SPARKS BUFFS PAST ISU
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Veronica Johns-Richardson answered the call when Colorado needed someone to score.
Johns-Richardson matched her career high with 16 points and No. 14 Colorado shut down Iowa State with tough, physical defense in a 62-51 victory Sunday.
Iowa State concentrated its defense on Colorado's top two scorers, 6-foot-5 Tera Bjorklund and guard Kate Fagan. That left some openings for Johns-Richardson and she capitalized in doubling her season scoring average.
"It's not the first time we've seen a defense like this where they really focused in on our shooters, particularly Kate and Tera inside,'' Johns-Richardson said. "Basically, it was just trying to run our offense, not forcing things and just looking for openings. I think that's what we did.''
Left unguarded on the perimeter, Johns-Richardson was 0-for-7 from 3-point range. But she often beat her defender off the dribble in making eight of 10 shots from inside the arc and she handed out a career-best eight assists.
"I felt like Veronica really made the difference,'' Colorado coach Ceal Barry said. "She got us off to a really a strong start. The quickness, I think, bothered them early and gave us a little confidence.''
Iowa State (9-7, 2-3 Big 12) had upset then-No. 2 Texas Tech and 15th-ranked Oklahoma in its two previous home games but couldn't muster the offense to do it again.
Colorado (16-2, 5-1) forced 21 turnovers and held the Cyclones to 7-for-23 shooting in taking a 27-17 halftime lead. The lead was never below five in the second half.
"We told our kids before the game that we had to play a physical offensive game,'' Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. "Be strong to the basket, be strong to get open, be strong attacking. We really didn't do that. You have to credit Colorado for that, the way they defended.''
Iowa State played a triangle-and-two on defense, guarding Fagan and Emily Waner man-to-man on the perimeter and playing zone against Bjorklund inside. It worked to an extent. Bjorklund got only two shots in the first half and Fagan just one.
But Johns-Richardson came through with 14 first-half points and Waner got free for three 3-pointers in the opening half and finished with 12 points.
Bjorklund, averaging 19.8 points, ended up with 11. Fagan, averaging 14.7, hit two 3-pointers to help Colorado secure the victory and finished with eight points.
"I thought defensively we were OK,'' Fennelly said. "It was a lack of concentration a couple of times that gave them some open 3s. They have a lot of weapons. We can't guard them all.''
Fagan's first basket, a 3 from the right corner, gave Colorado a 45-34 lead with 7:59 remaining. Iowa State came back with six straight points to cut the lead to 45-40, but the Buffaloes answered with a 12-1 run to go up 57-41 and finish off the Cyclones.
Waner and Fagan each hit a 3-pointer, while Bjorklund scored inside and fed Johns-Richardson cutting down the lane for a layup.
Brittany Wilkins led Iowa State with 13 points but her teammates struggled to find open shots. The Cyclones' four other starters combined for just 12 points.
"They couldn't get a look,'' Johns-Richardson said. "That was one thing that got them a little frustrated and helped us. We were getting our offense from our defense.''
Colorado has now held four straight opponents under 60 points, its longest streak since the tail end of the 1996-97 season, when the Buffs did it eight consecutive games.
Colorado (16-6, 7-4 Big 12) looks to continue its winning ways when it hits the court at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. A win for the Buffs would give the team its longest winning streak of the season.
Saturday will be the 68th meeting between the two programs. Colorado owns a 37-30 series advantage but hasn't won in Ames since 2004.
BJ Schaben and Molly Parrott will have Saturday's call on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. MT.
Cory Lopez and Carol Callan will have pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before tip-off on the Colorado Radio Network.
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