Starting the season at 13-0 gave the Colorado women’s basketball team some national attention.
Ending the regular season with a 6-1 stretch has given the Buffaloes momentum.
On Wednesday, fifth-seeded CU (20-7, 9-7 Pac-12) will face 12th-seeded Washington (7-15, 2-12) in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
After sweeping a weekend set with the Oregon schools, the Buffs go into Vegas riding a four-game winning streak.
“I think itap very important because we’re playing our best basketball; great basketball and we’re playing together,” senior Peanut Tuitele said. “Itap super important going into postseason because itap March and everybody knows what March is all about. I’m super happy that we’re pulling our strings together and playing our ball and playing Colorado basketball.”
This is the first time since the 2012-13 season that CU has put together a 20-win campaign. Itap also just the second time in the last 18 seasons that the Buffs have earned a top-five seed for the conference tournament (the 2012-13 team was the No. 4 seed).
CU got to fifth place in the standings with a flurry of wins down the stretch.
Following their 13-0 start, the Buffs went 1-6 and tumbled to ninth place in the Pac-12. In the last two weeks, they vaulted four spots and carry the second-longest winning streak – behind Stanford’s 17-game win streak – into Las Vegas.
“I think it definitely builds confidence going into March,” senior Mya Hollingshed said. “There’s a lot of teams that you’ll see and if you’re not playing your best basketball, you don’t know where you stand really in that. I think right now we’re doing what we do best, getting back to what we’ve been doing and just playing as a team. I think we are realizing that we are the only ones that can really stop ourselves.”
During their current winning streak, the Buffs have cleared several hurdles.
They snapped an 11-game losing streak in Los Angeles by sweeping a weekend set with UCLA and Southern California. Then they snapped a six-game losing streak to Oregon by beating the Ducks in double overtime on Wednesday. On Saturday, they ended an 11-game losing streak to Oregon State with a 60-45 win.
“We’ve just always mentioned itap each game at a time,” senior Sila Finau said. “We have a job to do and that job is to win the game. So for everyone to just be locked in and dialed in and just focus on the task at hand is a huge thing.”
The Buffs know they have to be dialed in on Wednesday. Last year, they took a four-game win streak into Las Vegas and, as the No. 6 seed, got upset by No. 11 Washington, 68-54.
Washington’s upset last year was led by Quay Miller and Tameiya Sadler, who are now with the Buffs. CU also didn’t have injured point guard Jaylyn Sherrod in that game.
Settling in
After starting 35 consecutive games, sophomore Frida Formann had to adjust to a new role last month. In the process, she’s had some ups and downs, but had one of her best weekends in the Buffs’ sweep of the Oregon schools.
A 5-foot-11 guard, Formann has come off the bench in the Buffs’ last 11 games and her scoring punch was key over the weekend.
Formann tied her season highs with 15 points and three 3-pointers against Oregon State. She scored nine points in the 86-83 double overtime upset of No. 25 Oregon. She also had two assists and two steals in each game.
“We switched the lineups a little bit because we needed more rotation,” said Formann, whose starting spot has been filled by Sadler. “I just had to get used to that probably. But I think now I’ve settled into what I need to do; not that I’ve ever lost sight of it but there’s always a lot going on in your head and everyone’s head and itap a long season. Itap always an adjustment.
“I think just for me itap just always staying in tune on what my job is and just trying to execute.”
Notes
CU has lost four consecutive Pac-12 Tournament games, dating back to a first-round win against Utah in 2018. … In Pac-12 Tournament history, No. 12 seeds are 2-8 in the first round. Last-place Arizona upset UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament in 2012, and California stunned Arizona State in 2020.
Pac-12 Women’s Tournament
Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
(All times MST; all games on Pac-12 Network unless noted)
First round, Wednesday
- Game 1: No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Washington, 1 p.m.
- Game 2: No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 Arizona State, 3:30 p.m.
- Game 3: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 USC, 7 p.m.
- Game 4: No. 6 Utah vs. No. 11 California, 9:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, Thursday
- Game 5: No. 4 Arizona vs. Game 1 Winner, 1 p.m.
- Game 6: No. 1 Stanford vs. Game 2 Winner, 3:30 p.m.
- Game 7: No. 2 Oregon vs. Game 3 Winner, 7 p.m.
- Game 8: No. 3 Washington State vs. Game 4 Winner, 9:30 p.m.
Semifinals, Friday
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m.
- Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9:30 p.m.
Championship, Sunday, March 6
- Game 11: Semifinal winners, 4 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
