NO. 11 CU BUFFS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT NO. 12 UCLA BRUINS
Pac-12)
Monday, 7p.m. MT, Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles ESPN2/630 AM
Colorado 20-6(10-5Pac-12); UCLA 21-5(10-5
Colorado — JR Payne, 8th season (139-99; 240-212career).ucla — Cori Close, 13th season (281138).
Colorado — G Frida Formann, 5-11, Sr. (12.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.2 spg, .447 FG%, .421 3PT%, .929FT%); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Sr. (9.7ppg, 7.7rpg, .351 3PT%); G Maddie Nolan, 5-11, Sr. (5.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .423 3PT%); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Sr. (12.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.1spg, .465FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Jr. (14.7 ppg, 5.0rpg, .574FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Jr. (5.9 ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.9apg, 1.8spg, .492FG%).UCLA — C Lauren Betts, 6-7, So. (15.5ppg, 8.4rpg, 2.1bpg, .670FG%); F Angela Dugalic, 6-4, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 apg); F Gabriela Jaquez, 6-0, So. (10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .466 FG%); G Londynn Jones, 5-4, So. (12.8ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.0apg, .3863PT%); G Charisma Osborne, 5-9, Sr. (14.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.8 spg, .889FT%); G Kiki Rice, 5-11, So. (12.6ppg, 5.5rpg, 4.6apg, 1.7spg, .863FT%).
CU is trying to snap a three-game losing streak. It’s the longest skid for the Buffs since losing four in a row in January of 2022. … CU had won three straight against the Bruins before a 76-68loss in Boulder on Jan. 19. … UCLA leads the all-time series 15-8, including 7-3in Los Angeles. … As of Sunday, UCLA was No. 5in the NET rankings, while CU was No. 17. The Buffs have four wins against the current top 10teams in the NET rankings (No. 3Stanford, No. 8Utah, No. 9LSU and No. 10USC). … UCLA is 13-1at home, while CU is 7-3on the road. The Buffs have lost two in a row on the road, however. … In conference play, UCLA is second in the Pac-12in scoring (72.1points per game), while CU is third (71.5). … The Buffs have had the second-best field goal percentage (.450) in conference play. … Betts is seventh in the Pac-12in scoring (15.5) and sixth in rebounds (8.4). … Sherrod is the only player in the Pac-12averaging at least 12.0points. 4.0assists and 2.0 steals per game. … Sherrod needs 17points to reach 1,400 for her career and three assists to reach 600.
Colorado center Aaonette Vonleh tries to get the ball from UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez on Jan. 19in Boulder. too much. We’ve got Selection Sunday. We know when it is. This is a long season. Everybody’s got 31 regular season games. We’ve got four left. How we play down the stretch is going to determine what our chances are. I’m not trying to be naïve and stick my head in the sand, but the key for me as a coach, you just want to make sure your players, you’re getting better, you’re improving.”
CU (18-9, 9-7 Pac-12) moved into a tie for fourth place in the league standings with UCLA following the Bruins’ home loss on Saturday against USC, although UCLA owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with CU thanks to a win in the teams’ only matchup on Feb. 15. Both teams are just one game behind Oregon (10-6 Pac-12), which lost on Saturday at Cal and also lost in Boulder on Jan. 18.
The Buffs, 14-1 at the Events Center this season,
have the most favorable schedule among that trio of teams, with home dates against the Bay Area schools followed by a March 7 date at Oregon likely to loom large in CU’S postseason fortunes. The Buffs then end the regular season with another chance to make road amends at lastplace Oregon State.
UCLA visits the Washington teams this week before finishing at home against the Arizona teams. Oregon hosts rival OSU and visits No. 4 Arizona this week before hosting CU and Utah.
“We’re not oblivious to it. But I think the main thing is just taking it game-bygame,” CU guard KJ Simpson said. “We can’t focus on anything ahead right now. When you start doing that, that’s when you lose easy games that you should be winning, or close games that you should be winning. We just want to take it game-by-game. So the next opponent is who we focus on. At the same time, we understand what’s at stake and we want to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Ohio State forward Cotie Mcmahon celebrates after Ohio State defeated Maryland Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
LOS ANGELES >> Alissa Pili had 23 points and nine rebounds against her old team and No. 18 Utah defeated seventh-ranked Southern California 7468 on Sunday despite 30 points from Trojans star Juju Watkins.
The Utes (20-8, 10-6 Pac-12) ended the Trojans’ seven-game winning streak and completed a season sweep. They handed USC its worst loss of the season, 78-58 last month in Salt Lake City.
It was Utah’s best road win, having never before beaten a team ranked higher than 15th away from home.
Watkins scored USC’S first 12 points of the fourth quarter, drawing the Trojans to 59-57. But Pili made a pair of free throws and Dasia Young hit a 3-pointer that kept the Utes ahead 64-60.
Watkins’ basket got the Trojans within four before Pili backed down Rayah Marshall in the paint and scored to make it 69-63.
Mckenzie Forbes hit a 3-pointer coming out of a timeout and Watkins made a pair of free throws that left USC trailing 71-68. Watkins got fouled again but USC was called for a lane violation.
Pili finished 12 of 14 from the line against the school where she began her college career before transferring.
Kennady Mcqueen added 14 points and Young finished with 13 for Utah. The Utes bounced back after an 85-52 loss at No. 12 UCLA on Thursday.
Kaitlyn Davis added 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting before fouling out with 3:18 remaining for USC (215, 11-5).
It was an off-game for Watkins, who went 10 of 30 from the floor and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Watkins was late returning after halftime. The teams were on the court when she came flying out of the tunnel and was quickly subbed in before play began.
Trailing by nine, the Trojans ran off nine in a row to tie it at 39-all in the third, when Davis had 11 points. After another tie, the Utes scored eight straight, getting back-to-back 3-pointers by Mcqueen and Jenna Johnson, and led 50-45 going into the fourth.
Wilke sparked Utah with 11 points in the second, when the Utes went 5 of 8 from 3-point range with Wilke making three. They led 34-28 at the break.
Pili scored Utah’s first seven points of the game while the Trojans missed nine consecutive shots and trailed 14-6 in the first quarter. The teams combined to shoot 8 of 29 from the floor.