LAS VEGAS – No. 18 Colorado women’s basketball lost 85-79 to No. 13 Oregon State in the first-ever double overtime game in Pac-12 Tournament history on Thursday. The loss for the Buffaloes snaps a two-game quarterfinal winning streak.
“Tremendous game,” head coach JR Payne stated after the tough loss. “It’s pretty indicative of the Pac-12 Conference and two really good teams that battled, competed, executed and made a lot of great plays tonight. I think it was a great basketball game. Disappointed with the outcome but proud of how we played in a lot of ways.”
The fifth-seeded Buffs (22-9) led for the majority of the contest but couldn’t outlast the fourth-seeded Beavers (24-6) to advance to the semifinals.
Colorado’s largest lead of the day came in the fourth quarter when the Buffs were up by 12 at 50-38, but costly turnovers and fouls in the closing minutes allowed OSU to come back and force overtime. Both overtimes back-and-forth, however, OSU outscored Colorado 22-16 in the final overtime period.
CU was led by Jaylyn Sherrod, Aaronette Vonleh and Frida Formann on the offensive end of the floor this afternoon. Sherrod had an all-around solid showing, recording 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Vonleh scored 20 points while Formann added 19 as both players pulled in four rebounds each. Formann shot 3-for-8 from long distance, tying Bianca Smith for the career lead in 3-point makes with 257.
Oregon State’s Raegan Beers ended with a game-high 27 points and 13 boards. Beers sat with foul trouble late in the game but the Beavers were still able to find offensive production with her off the floor. Donovyn Hunter and Dominika Paurova each scored eight points in the overtime periods.
The Buffs turned the ball over nine times in the fourth quarter and overtimes. OSU capitalized, outscoring CU in points off turnovers 13-3 down the final stretch.
“I think we’re playing really good basketball right now and we just got to clean up some things,” Sherrod said. “I think I got to do a better job personally managing the game and being better, but I think we’re playing good basketball.”
Colorado led by nine going into the fourth quarter, but struggled from the floor, hitting just 3-for-12 to end regulation.
“It’s pretty easy to turn the page when you’re going to the NCAA Tournament,” Payne commented. “So I think that we will rest and then just really refocus on what was really positive for us this week. What are some areas that we could have been better at in this game down the stretch? For us, it’s all about just identifying what needs to improve and improving it. And so that’s pretty tactical. I think our energy and togetherness and synergy was really good this week, and we’ll need to make sure that we keep doing that.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Not a single foul was committed by either team in a speedy first quarter as Colorado built a 17-10 lead.
CU’s lead hit 11, 23-12, in the second quarter after a pass attempt from Vonleh was deflected into the basket. Oregon State went on a 6-0 run to come within five, 23-18, and force a Colorado timeout. The Beavers then extended its scoring run to 10, making it a one-point game as the Buffs still led 23-22. Sherrod was fouled with four seconds remaining in the half and knocked down her free throws to put CU up 25-22 at halftime.
Colorado didn’t convert a field goal for the final five minutes of the second quarter as OSU chipped away at its deficit.
Formann broke a 29-29 stalemate with a 3-pointer to put CU back ahead, 32-29. Oregon State got it back within one at 34-33 before the Buffs ripped off an 11-3 run to finish the quarter up 45-36.
Vonleh extended the run to 13-3 with the first basket of the fourth quarter and Formann followed with her second triple of the game to give the Buffs their largest lead at 50-38.
The Beavers were quick to punch back, scoring the next 13 straight points to overtake the lead, 51-50 with 4:29 to go in the quarter.
CU got the lead back, but with 1:08 remaining the Beavers tied things up at 53-53 after hitting two free throws. Colorado had a shot at the win in regulation but Sherrod couldn’t get her last-second attempt to fall.
Colorado got another stop to start the overtime period before Sherrod and Formann hit shots to put the Buffs up five at 58-53. With under a minute to go, Colorado led by one before Oregon State hit a contested layup to take over 60-59.
Sherrod took a hard drive down the right lane and made a clutch layup to regain the lead for Colorado with 31 seconds to go. The Beavers responded with a huge 3-pointer, but Sherrod was able to convert a layup once again to tie it at 63-63 and force double overtime.
With just two minutes to go in the second overtime, Colorado held a 71-70 advantage following a layup from Kindyll Wetta. Colorado finished 1-for-5 shooting in the second overtime while the Beavers then caught fire on the opposite end and ran off an 8-0 run, to go up 78-71 with 31 seconds to go.
The Buffs were forced to foul the rest of the way and got back within four, 83-79, off a Sara-Rose Smith 3-pointer but couldn’t force another extra period.
UP NEXT
CU will gather for Selection Sunday and watch as the NCAA Tournament field gets announced on Mar. 17.
NOTES
CU is now 9-17 all-time against OSU…Colorado’s third six-point loss to the Beavers this season…CU closes with a 10-13 record in 23 Pac-12 Tournament games…First overtime game for Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament…First double overtime game in women’s Pac-12 Tournament history…It was CU’s first double overtime game since its 73-62 loss to Stanford (Feb. 23, 2023)…CU falls to 4-8 vs AP-ranked opponents this season…The Buffs led for 40:14…Sherrod and Vonleh had the sixth and seventh 20-point games by a Buff in a Pac-12 Tournament game…They became the first Colorado teammates to each score 20+ in the same game during the Pac-12 Tournament since the 2012 Quarterfinals (Chucky Jeffery & Brittany Wilson vs Utah)…Formann is now tied with 3FGM record holder Bianca Smith with 257…Miller moves into 14th all-time for rebounds with 692, passing Julie Hoehing (690)…Smith surpasses 100 points at CU with 106…Vonleh surpasses 900 career points with 919……OSU’s bench outscored CU 13-10…OSU outscored CU in the paint 44-32…CU outscored OSU in fast-break points 6-2…
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Story by Colin Wagner, Athletic Communications Associate for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.