Fast break
Why the Buffs won: CU shot .597 and frustrated Kentucky defensively, forcing 27 Wildcats turnovers while holding Kentucky to a 1-for-10 mark on 3-pointers.
Three stars:
1. Aaronette Vonleh: In a balanced effort offensively for the Buffs, Vonleh scored nine of her team-high 19 points in the first quarter to get CU off to a good start.
2. Jaylyn Sherrod: Scored five points during an 8-0 CU run that closed the first half, eventually finishing 7-for-12 with 15 points and three assists.
3. Kindyll Wetta: The junior guard sparked CU’s defensive effort with five steals. Also went 4-for-6 with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Up next: CU completes its three-game run through the Paradise Jam with a top-10 battle on Saturday against North Carolina State (11 a.m. MT, ESPN+).
With a veteran squad coming off the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in 20 years, the Colorado women’s basketball team isn’t the sort of unit susceptible to looking too far ahead.
Still, the situation for just that kind of miscue might have been in the mix on Friday as the Buffaloes, coming off a Thursday win against Cincinnati, first had to take care of business against Kentucky before turning their sights on a top-10 matchup looming on Saturday against North Carolina State.
It was a trap the Buffaloes didn’t fall into.
Using a dominant run on either side of halftime, the third-ranked Buffaloes made quick work of Kentucky before cruising to a 96-53 victory in the second game of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I thought we were trying to be more aggressive,” CU head coach JR Payne said of the game-changing run that began just before halftime. “Coach T (assistant Toriano Towns) reminded the team before the game, last year we were in the same situation where we were playing really well, won a bunch of games, had a couple big wins, and then lost to Texas Tech when we shouldn’t have. Definitely we reminded them. I think our team did a great job kind of refocusing and being really centered.
“You have to be intentional about trying to stay really, really focused on ourselves, on what we need to do to be successful, and try not to listen to the noise outside of us.”
CU scored the final 14 points of the first quarter to take a 25-14 lead into the second, but Kentucky chipped away at the lead and pulled to within three late in the frame, cutting the Buffs’ advantage to 37-34.
But Kindyll Wetta regained the momentum for the Buffs with a 3-pointer, and after Kentucky missed a pair of free throws, point guard Jaylyn Sherrod converted a spinning fade-away near the low block. After Frida Formann forced a Wildcats turnover, Sherrod knocked down a tough 3-pointer from deep in the left corner just before the buzzer to give CU a 45-34 lead at the break.
CU opened the second half with a 13-1 run and Kentucky never threatened the rest of the way.
“We never try to overlook anybody,” CU forward Aaronette Vonleh said. “We were just focused on Cincinnati, Kentucky. We haven’t even really discussed North Carolina State yet. We had to take care of the first two games in order to take advantage of the opportunity against NC State.”
All the traits on display during CU’s undefeated start continued in the rout of Kentucky. Five players scored in double-figures for the Buffs, led by 19 points from Vonleh. The Buffs shot the ball well (.597 overall) and held the Wildcats to a .415 mark, including a 1-for-10 effort on 3-pointers. The Buffs forced a whopping 27 turnovers and recorded just 12 of their own while collecting 22 assists.
The Buffs enjoyed a lopsided 42-9 advantage in points off turnovers, and now can turn their attention to their second top-10 foe in the season’s first two and half weeks with Saturday’s date against No. 10 NC State.
“I think if you win or lose in these situations you have to have a short memory, because the next game is coming very quickly no matter what,” Payne said. “So you have to be able to hit that reset button, turn this one off, focus on the next scout and understand who you’re next opponent is. Strengths, weaknesses and things like that.”
Notable
Sherrod increased her career assists total to 505 and needs nine more to match current CU assistant Shelley Sheetz for third-place on the program’s all-time list. … Reserve guard Sophie Gerber scored the first two points of her career on a pair of free throws after a Kentucky technical foul with 3 seconds remaining. … CU’s 42 points off turnovers was its most since also recording 42 against Regis on Nov. 12, 2010. … The 43-point margin of victory tied for the Buffs’ largest ever against a power conference foe, matching a 43-point win against Arizona on Jan. 20, 2013.
No. 3 CU Buffs women’s basketball 96, Kentucky 53
KENTUCKY (2-3)
Miles 2-3 0-0 4, Scherr 3-9 7-8 13, Petty 3-5 5-9 11, Tyler 2-7 0-0 5, Jenkins 2-5 1-1 5, Russell 5-8 4-7 14, Thomas 0-0 1-2 1, King 0-1 0-0 0, Walker 0-1 0-0 0, Rowe 0-2 0-0 0. 17-41 18-27 53.
COLORADO (6-0)
Vonleh 7-10 5-7 19, Sherrod 7-12 0-0 15, Sadler 5-8 0-1 10, Miller 3-7 3-3 10, Formann 2-2 3-3 8, Wetta 4-6 2-2 11, Smith 2-6 1-2 5, Nolan 2-2 0-0 5, McLeod 2-4 1-2 5, Johnson 2-2 0-0 4, Whittaker 1-2 0-0 2, Gerber 0-0 2-2 2, Atchinson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-62 17-22 96.
Kentucky 14 20 14 5 — 53
Colorado 25 20 28 23 — 96
3-point field goals — Kentucky 1-10 (Scherr 0-3, Tyler 1-5, King 0-1, Rowe 0-1); Colorado 5-12 (Sherrod 1-3, Sadler 0-1, Miller 1-2, Formann 1-1, Wetta 1-1, Smith 0-2, Nolan 1-1, Whittaker 0-1). Rebounds — Kentucky 23 (Petty 7); Colorado 31 (Smith 7). Assists — Kentucky 8 (Scherr 3); Colorado 22 (Formann 5). Turnovers — Kentucky 27 (Petty 10); Colorado 12 (Vonleh 2, Miller 2, Wetta 2, Whittaker 2). Total fouls — Kentucky 20, Colorado 22.