A Thrilling Victory for the Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado women’s basketball team delivered a strong performance against the Cincinnati Bearcats, securing a 79-68 win at the CU Events Center. The victory showcased the Buffs’ defensive tenacity and offensive efficiency, making it a memorable game for fans and players alike.

Defensive Dominance and Offensive Efficiency

The Buffs’ defense was a key factor in their success, holding Cincinnati to just 38.9% shooting from the field and forcing 18 turnovers. On the offensive side, Colorado shot an impressive 44.1% from the floor, with only 10 turnovers. This balanced approach allowed the Buffs to control the game throughout.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Desiree Wooten led the way with a game-high 19 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 performance from the free-throw line. She also contributed four rebounds.
2. Anaelle Dutat had a solid game with 12 points and seven rebounds, along with two assists.
3. Caliyah DeVillasee of Cincinnati put up 17 points and five assists, highlighting her status as one of the Big 12’s top freshmen.

Looking Ahead

The Buffs will face another challenge when they travel to Baylor for a Big 12 road game on Thursday at 6 p.m. MT, which will be broadcast on ESPN+.

A Tough Matchup That Proved the Buffs’ Strength

Despite Cincinnati’s struggles this season, the Buffs knew they would face a tough opponent. Head coach JR Payne emphasized that the Bearcats are a talented team, even with their injury issues. “They’ve just been injured. I don’t think they’ve had a single practice with every player on their team yet this year,” Payne said. “We knew that it was a better team than their record, for sure.”

This mindset helped the Buffs prepare for a challenging game, and they delivered a strong performance. Led by Wooten, six players scored at least eight points, and seven players recorded multiple rebounds. The Buffs weathered a strong start and late-game push from Cincinnati, showcasing their resilience.

Key Moments in the Game

Cincinnati started strong, with freshman Caliyah DeVillasee hitting a 3-pointer and a layup to give the Bearcats an 11-6 lead. However, the Buffs fought back, tying the game at 17-17 by the end of the first quarter. They then used a 7-0 run to close the second quarter, taking a 45-36 lead into halftime.

“It was super big for us, to get the momentum going into that second half,” said Zyanna Walker, who had 12 points, six rebounds, and three steals. “I feel like that helped us, like, start to pull away. It felt good out there. I felt like we were flying around defensively.”

The third quarter saw Wooten score six points in a 14-2 run, extending the Buffs’ lead to 59-42. Cincinnati responded with a 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 73-65 with 3:53 remaining. The Buffs held strong, closing out the game with a strong finish.

“We’ve just been talking about closing out games and playing all four quarters, closing out the fourth quarter especially,” said Wooten, who went 10-for-10 from the free throw line. “Not letting teams even crawl back at that. We were just trying to keep our foot on the pedal. They were coming back, obviously, but we had those timeouts to regroup and stuff like that. So I mean, I think we had it under control the whole time.”

Notable Performances and Stats

• Desiree Wooten had just the 12th game in CU history with at least 10 made free throws and no misses.
• Maeve McErlane had four assists and now has 11 assists to just one turnover in her past two games.
• Colorado guard Claire O’Connor (foot) missed her seventh straight game.

Final Score and Statistics

Colorado 79, Cincinnati 68

Cincinnati (5-10, 0-3 Big 12)

Perry: 5-11, 0-0, 13

Jackson: 0-5, 5-7, 5

DeVillasee: 6-14, 2-2, 17

Torrence: 1-7, 8-10, 10

Thomas: 2-2, 0-0, 4

Crawford: 3-7, 2-2, 9

Alexander: 1-3, 1-2, 3

Byrd: 1-3, 0-0, 2

Ndiba: 2-2, 1-1, 5

Totals: 21-54, 19-24, 68

Colorado (11-4, 2-1 Big 12)

Walker: 5-13, 4-6, 14

Greer: 1-8, 0-2, 2

McErlane: 0-3, 3-6, 3

Masogayo: 4-6, 2-2, 10

Dutat: 5-7, 1-2, 12

Gooden: 0-1, 2-2, 2

Wooten: 4-10, 8-8, 17

Nworie: 1-3, 0-0, 2

Crook: 4-4, 1-2, 9

Betson: 2-4, 2-2, 8

Zadel: 0-0, 0-0, 0

Totals: 26-59, 23-32, 79

Game Stats

– Cincinnati: 17, 19, 20, 12 – 68

– Colorado: 17, 28, 20, 14 – 79

– 3-point goals: Cincinnati 7-19; Colorado 4-11

– Rebounds: Cincinnati 34 (Torrence 11); Colorado 36 (Dutat 7)

– Assists: Cincinnati 10 (DeVillasee 5); Colorado 15 (McErlane 4)

– Steals: Cincinnati 5 (Perry, Torrence 2); Colorado 10 (Walker 3)

– Turnovers: Cincinnati 18; Colorado 10

– Total fouls: Cincinnati 24; Colorado 19

– Fouled out: Perry

– Attendance: 2,406