Colorado Heads to No. 20 WVU: Five Things to Know

MORGANTOWN, W.V. – The Colorado women's basketball team heads back on the road this week, following its two-game home sweep of UCF and Kansas. The Buffaloes will take on No. 20 West Virginia for the second time this season on Wednesday (5 p.m. MT/ESPN+)

Five Things to Know

Lead After 10 – The Buffs have led after the first quarter in 12 games this season. CU is 9-3 this season when leading after the first 10 minutes. CU has outscored its opponents by 61 points in the first quarter (305-244). The Buffs scored 31 points in the first quarter, their best first-quarter output of the season against UCF. It was tied for the most points scored in a quarter this season and the most in a first quarter since 32 against Denver (Dec. 12, 2019). The Buffs have scored 30 points or more twice in the first quarter this season.
Solid Jade – Jade Masogayo leads the Buffs with 12 double-figure scoring games this season. She has now recorded 11+ double-figure games in all three of her collegiate seasons, totaling 11 in both her freshman and sophomore years at Missouri State. The junior is averaging a career-high 12.6 ppg this season and 16.2 ppg in Big 12 play.
80 Something – CU has twice shot 81.8% in a quarter this season. The Buffs were 9-for-11 in the third quarter against Kansas and in the fourth quarter against WVU. It's the best shooting quarter of the season and since 90.0% (9-10) at USC on Feb. 23, 2024.
On Fire – Colorado has shot .500 or better in seven of the last nine games, including back-to-back Big 12 games against UCF and Kansas. CU is 41-3 all-time under JR Payne when shooting .500 or better. CU shot 50% or better 12 times last season. The Buffs shot at least .500 FG% in consecutive conference games 2x last season.
Windex – CU has outrebounded opponents in 15 games this season (12-3). Colorado is 4th Big 12 with a +9.0 rebounding margin. The Buffs outrebounded Kansas by +21 (39-18). It was its largest rebounding margin since +21 vs Drake last season in the NCAA Tournament (Drake's 18 rebounds marked the fewest in by an opponent in program history). Sara-Rose Smith outrebounded Kansas on her own 19-18. Her 19 rebounds tied for the 4th most in program history.

Quotable
"I think it's huge. When you can get extra possessions like that, it does really add up. It wasn't just me as well. I sort of turned over and said to someone on the bench, like, we have a lot of O-Boards [offensive rebounds]. AJ [Ayianna Johnson] came in and got some. Grace [Oliver], she's got a good feel for it as well. So, I think it just really adds up." – Sara-Rose Smith on CU's ability to rebound.

Cory Lopez and Carol Callan will have pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before tip-off on the Colorado Radio Network.

Up Next: Jan. 18, at Cincinnati (ESPN+/4 p.m. MT).