For the majority of the Colorado women’s basketball team, going through the early stages of Big 12 Conference play has felt somewhat like a nonconference schedule.
A newcomer to the Big 12 this season after 13 years in the Pac-12, CU is facing a lot of teams it hasn’t played in years. For two Buffs, however, there is plenty of familiarity.
“It’s definitely familiar because we do a scouting report and it’s the same teams I’ve been playing for four years now, so it’s fun,” CU forward Nyamer Diew said.
Diew played the previous three years at Iowa State, while forward Lior Garzon spent the previous two years at Oklahoma State.
“I feel like I already know what to expect,” Garzon said. “It’s easier for me to prepare myself and kind of help the team to know, like, ‘Hey, they love to do this or love to do this.’ It’s much more comfortable than before.”
On Wednesday, CU will visit No. 20 West Virginia for the first time in program history. The only previous meeting between CU and the Mountaineers was on Dec. 21 in the Big 12 opener in Boulder.
Diew, meanwhile, will play in Morgantown, W.V., for the fourth time in her career and it will be her ninth career game against the Mountaineers. Garzon will face West Virginia for the sixth time.
“The scouting report, people might change (on Big 12 rosters), but I think a lot of the systems still stay the same,” Diew said.
Last offseason, CU head coach JR Payne did not intentionally go after Big 12 transfers such as Diew and Garzon in anticipation of the jump to the new conference. But, there’s no question their experience in the Big 12 has been an asset.
“I think every game we’ve gone into we ask them, ‘Hey, do you guys have anything else to add?’” Payne said. “And both of them always have something to contribute, as far as the mindset or mentality of that opponent or individual player.
“That’s actually been really helpful. I think our coaches have done a great job with the scouts, and (Diew and Garzon) always have a little bit of insight to add to it, which has been great.”
As Garzon goes through the Big 12 for the third time, she has noticed one thing that hasn’t changed from the past is the difficulty of winning in the conference.
“I feel like it’s a 40-minute fight; like every single game, it’s 40 minutes,” she said. “I really enjoy it. It’s a tough conference. Every team can beat every team, which makes it so much fun.”
So far, CU has gone 3-0 at home in the Big 12, but 0-2 on the road (at TCU and Baylor earlier this month). Diew and Garzon both said the key to winning on the road in this conference is “staying together.”
“Obviously we don’t have fans (on the road) like we have at home,” Garzon said. “I think they help a lot. So swing the energy, stay together. I feel like (the first road trip) we didn’t really know what it takes, but now we definitely know.”
Diew and Garzon both believe the Buffs are better prepared for a road trip in the conference than they were a couple of weeks ago. But, both of them and Payne also believe that’s due, in part, to the team coming together as the season goes along.
“I feel like we are more cohesive on both sides of the floor,” Payne said. “And, even just terminology is all starting to sink in and new players are using our terminology and understanding coverages and expectations and things like that, as far as the X’s and O’s.”
CU Buffs women’s basketball at No. 20 West Virginia
TIPOFF: Wednesday, 5 p.m. MT, WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.V.
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 12-4, 3-2 Big 12; West Virginia 13-3, 3-2 Big 12
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 9th season (155-106; 256-219 career). West Virginia — Mark Kellogg, 2nd season (38-11; 483-139 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Nyamer Diew, 6-2, Sr. (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg); G Frida Formann, 5-10, Sr. (13.9 ppg, 2.5 apg, .417 3pt%); F Lior Garzon, 6-1, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Jr. (12.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .596 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (5.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg); G Johanna Teder, 5-11, Sr. (4.5 ppg, 1.9 apg, .529 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Sr. (5.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.9 spg). West Virginia — F Kylee Blacksten, 6-3, Sr. (7.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg); G Jordan Harrison, 5-6, Jr. (14.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.9 spg, .391 3pt%); G JJ Quinerly, 5-8, Sr. (18.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.2 spg); G Sydney Shaw, 5-9, Jr. (12.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 spg, .385 3pt%); F Jordan Thomas, 6-3, Fr. (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .579 FG%); G Kyah Watson, 5-10, Sr. (6.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.1 spg).
NOTES: CU has won two in a row as it heads on the road for its first-ever trip to West Virginia. … CU beat the then-No. 14 Mountaineers, 65-60, on Dec. 21 in Boulder. That was the first-ever meeting between the teams. Formann had 22 points and Masogayo 18 for the Buffs, while Harrison (18) and Quinerly (15) led WVU. … The Buffs are shooting 53.4% from the field in Big 12 home games, but just 37.0% in two Big 12 road games. … CU has out-rebounded its opponent in eight consecutive games and in 15 of 16 games this year. CU is fourth in the Big 12 in rebound margin, at plus-9.0. … Wetta is third in the Big 12 in assists per game (6.1), while Masogayo is sixth in field goal percentage (.596). … Formann is seven points away from reaching 1,500 for her career. … CU is 2-3 on the road, including 0-2 in conference play, losing at TCU and Baylor. … The Mountaineers are looking to rebound from a 64-57 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday. Blacksten had 16 points in the loss. … WVU is 9-0 at home and has won 10 straight at home dating back to last season. … Quinerly is fourth in the Big 12 in scoring (18.3 ppg) and leads the conference in steals (3.2). Watson (3.1) is the only other player in the Big 12 averaging more than 2.7 steals. … WVU leads the Big 12 with 14.8 steals per game and is second in scoring defense, allowing just 51.9 points per game.
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