Saturday, February 15
6 p.m.
Colorado
17-8,8-6Big 12
83
vs
60
Houston
5-20,1-13Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
Houston
15
9
19
17
60
Colorado
21
22
19
21
83
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Youth in Full Effect in Win Over Houston
February 15, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Colorado’s underclassmen put up big numbers in a 23-point win
BOULDER – Four Colorado underclassmen accounted for 78% of the Buffaloes' scoring in the team's 83-60 win over Houston on Saturday. The return to the CU Events Center snapped the Buffs' two-game slide as Colorado improved to 13-1 on its home court.
The Buffaloes suffered another blow to the lineup on Saturday morning, learning that Jade Masogayo could not play, adding to the list of the CU players out with injuries. The Buffs dressed just nine players and had all eight in the rotation contribute.
"I think it's been a big thing with a lot of people getting out," freshman Grace Oliver said. "I mean, Jade, we just found out that she wasn't playing today, and I think we all know that we have to step up. And Matt [Hower] always says, 'Just give a little bit more.' I think we've really been living and dying by that recently. I think today, we really did shine with that."
With Masogayo out of the lineup, Oliver got her first career start and did not disappoint. The Norwell, Mass., native had 12 points at halftime and finished with a season-high 16 points and 14 rebounds in 31 minutes. Classmate Erin Powell also stepped up big for the Buffs with 11 points and 11 boards, becoming just the second CU freshmen pair to have a double-double in the same game alongside Sandy Bean (12 pts, 12 ast) and Kim Scheidt (14 pts, 10 reb) on Feb. 1, 1979.
"I just think they're getting better and better," head coach JR Payne commented about the team's freshmen. "Sometimes your opportunity comes early, sometimes your opportunity comes middle, sometimes your opportunity comes late. This freshman class, maybe above any freshman class we've ever had, has just stayed ready – doesn't pout. They don't get mopey; they are just locked in. When they come in, they play hard, and they do their job and I think that's the sign of a very mature group. They've just been incredible."
Sophomore Ayianna Johnson led all scorers with a career-high 20 points, going 10-for-15 from the floor, and redshirt freshman Kennedy Sanders dished out five assists to go with her season-high 18 points in her 32 minutes off the bench.
"She did a great job," Payne added about Johnson. "There were a lot of mismatches because of the numbers, so I thought she did a really great job of getting post position against some of those mismatches and kept it pretty simple. She was just really effective. Her percentage, 10-for-15, is very efficient. And then also three offensive rebounds, she did a lot of good things."
The Buffs (17-8) grew the lead to 24 in the final minutes, helping improve to 8-6 in conference play and remain in the eighth spot in the Big 12. CU outrebounded UH by 24, 48-24, and scored season-highs in second-chance points (20) and points in the paint (50).
Houston (5-20, 1-13 Big 12) had just six players available, all playing over 25 minutes. Laila Blair played all 40 minutes for the Cougars, contributing a team-high 18 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffs, starting their ninth different starting lineup of the season, took some time to adjust early in the first quarter. Colorado opened the night 3-for-13 shooting and got down 15-9 midway through the quarter. Johnson got a second chance layup to spark the Buffs and quickly erased the deficit, taking a 16-15 lead of a Lior Garzon jumper with 1:43 to play in the period. Teder hit a 3-pointer from the CU logo inside the final minute, and a pair of Oliver free throws capped off a 12-0 run that gave Colorado a 21-15 lead.
Colorado pushed its lead to double figures, 27-17, in the early goings of the second quarter. CU scored 16 points in the paint and shot 58.8% (10-17) in the second frame. Oliver was perfect in the quarter, going 3-for-3 to lead the team with six points. Powell closed the half with a last-second buzzer-beater, taking an inside pass from Sanders to the hoop, extending CU's lead to 19 at the break.
The Black & Gold hit 50% from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Garzon and Teder hitting two apiece. CU's defense shut down the perimeter in the opening half, limiting the Cougars to just 1-for-9.
The Cougars cut the CU lead down to 14 twice in the third quarter, but Powell answered with 3-point daggers each time – her first 3-point makes of the season. Powell, who entered the night with 11 points scored this season, totaled nine in the quarter on 3-for-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from deep.
"She gives her all practice, and she's the hardest worker I've ever seen," Sanders noted about Powell. "I've been really proud of her. I mean, the way that she just perseveres and sticks with it throughout the whole season, and she was prepared when she got the game, it was really fun to watch, as well as to be a part of."
Johnson scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Buffs total 18 in the paint. Houston clawed back to within 13 twice in the final quarter, but that would be as close as they would get. The Buffs finished the game on a 10-0 run and shot a game-high 60.0% (9-15) from the floor on its way to the 23-point victory.
UP NEXT
The Buffs will remain home on Wednesday for a rematch with Baylor (7 p.m. MT).
NOTES
Colorado improves to 2-1 all-time against Houston…CU scored 49 points off the bench, its second-best total of the season...Before Saturday, the last CU freshman to have a double-double was Jaylyn Sherrod at Utah on Dec. 29, 2019 (19 pts, 10 ast), and the previous CU pair to have a double-double in the same game was Quay Miller (21 pts, 11 reb) and Sherrod (11 pts, 13 ast) against UT Arlington (Dec. 5, 2023)…Entering Saturday, the last freshman to have double-figure rebounds was Peanut Tuitele (11) against USC (Feb. 10, 2018)…Colorado had only two double-doubles all season before Saturday…CU had a season-high 48 rebounds and had its largest rebounding margin of the season (+24)…All eight players who saw the court scored points…CU was still without Frida Formann, Sara-Rose Smith, JoJo Nworie and Kindyll Wetta.
The Buffaloes suffered another blow to the lineup on Saturday morning, learning that Jade Masogayo could not play, adding to the list of the CU players out with injuries. The Buffs dressed just nine players and had all eight in the rotation contribute.
"I think it's been a big thing with a lot of people getting out," freshman Grace Oliver said. "I mean, Jade, we just found out that she wasn't playing today, and I think we all know that we have to step up. And Matt [Hower] always says, 'Just give a little bit more.' I think we've really been living and dying by that recently. I think today, we really did shine with that."
With Masogayo out of the lineup, Oliver got her first career start and did not disappoint. The Norwell, Mass., native had 12 points at halftime and finished with a season-high 16 points and 14 rebounds in 31 minutes. Classmate Erin Powell also stepped up big for the Buffs with 11 points and 11 boards, becoming just the second CU freshmen pair to have a double-double in the same game alongside Sandy Bean (12 pts, 12 ast) and Kim Scheidt (14 pts, 10 reb) on Feb. 1, 1979.
"I just think they're getting better and better," head coach JR Payne commented about the team's freshmen. "Sometimes your opportunity comes early, sometimes your opportunity comes middle, sometimes your opportunity comes late. This freshman class, maybe above any freshman class we've ever had, has just stayed ready – doesn't pout. They don't get mopey; they are just locked in. When they come in, they play hard, and they do their job and I think that's the sign of a very mature group. They've just been incredible."
Sophomore Ayianna Johnson led all scorers with a career-high 20 points, going 10-for-15 from the floor, and redshirt freshman Kennedy Sanders dished out five assists to go with her season-high 18 points in her 32 minutes off the bench.
"She did a great job," Payne added about Johnson. "There were a lot of mismatches because of the numbers, so I thought she did a really great job of getting post position against some of those mismatches and kept it pretty simple. She was just really effective. Her percentage, 10-for-15, is very efficient. And then also three offensive rebounds, she did a lot of good things."
The Buffs (17-8) grew the lead to 24 in the final minutes, helping improve to 8-6 in conference play and remain in the eighth spot in the Big 12. CU outrebounded UH by 24, 48-24, and scored season-highs in second-chance points (20) and points in the paint (50).
Houston (5-20, 1-13 Big 12) had just six players available, all playing over 25 minutes. Laila Blair played all 40 minutes for the Cougars, contributing a team-high 18 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffs, starting their ninth different starting lineup of the season, took some time to adjust early in the first quarter. Colorado opened the night 3-for-13 shooting and got down 15-9 midway through the quarter. Johnson got a second chance layup to spark the Buffs and quickly erased the deficit, taking a 16-15 lead of a Lior Garzon jumper with 1:43 to play in the period. Teder hit a 3-pointer from the CU logo inside the final minute, and a pair of Oliver free throws capped off a 12-0 run that gave Colorado a 21-15 lead.
Colorado pushed its lead to double figures, 27-17, in the early goings of the second quarter. CU scored 16 points in the paint and shot 58.8% (10-17) in the second frame. Oliver was perfect in the quarter, going 3-for-3 to lead the team with six points. Powell closed the half with a last-second buzzer-beater, taking an inside pass from Sanders to the hoop, extending CU's lead to 19 at the break.
The Black & Gold hit 50% from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Garzon and Teder hitting two apiece. CU's defense shut down the perimeter in the opening half, limiting the Cougars to just 1-for-9.
The Cougars cut the CU lead down to 14 twice in the third quarter, but Powell answered with 3-point daggers each time – her first 3-point makes of the season. Powell, who entered the night with 11 points scored this season, totaled nine in the quarter on 3-for-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from deep.
"She gives her all practice, and she's the hardest worker I've ever seen," Sanders noted about Powell. "I've been really proud of her. I mean, the way that she just perseveres and sticks with it throughout the whole season, and she was prepared when she got the game, it was really fun to watch, as well as to be a part of."
Johnson scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Buffs total 18 in the paint. Houston clawed back to within 13 twice in the final quarter, but that would be as close as they would get. The Buffs finished the game on a 10-0 run and shot a game-high 60.0% (9-15) from the floor on its way to the 23-point victory.
UP NEXT
The Buffs will remain home on Wednesday for a rematch with Baylor (7 p.m. MT).
NOTES
Colorado improves to 2-1 all-time against Houston…CU scored 49 points off the bench, its second-best total of the season...Before Saturday, the last CU freshman to have a double-double was Jaylyn Sherrod at Utah on Dec. 29, 2019 (19 pts, 10 ast), and the previous CU pair to have a double-double in the same game was Quay Miller (21 pts, 11 reb) and Sherrod (11 pts, 13 ast) against UT Arlington (Dec. 5, 2023)…Entering Saturday, the last freshman to have double-figure rebounds was Peanut Tuitele (11) against USC (Feb. 10, 2018)…Colorado had only two double-doubles all season before Saturday…CU had a season-high 48 rebounds and had its largest rebounding margin of the season (+24)…All eight players who saw the court scored points…CU was still without Frida Formann, Sara-Rose Smith, JoJo Nworie and Kindyll Wetta.
Team Stats
UH
CU
FG%
.379
.485
3FG%
.250
.500
FT%
.733
.857
RB
24
48
TO
12
13
STL
10
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
10
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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