Fast break
Why the Buffs lost: CU racked up a season-high 26 fouls and committed 23 turnovers. The Buffs were also beaten on the boards, 30-24, for just the sixth time this season.
Three stars:
1. Tech’s Bailey Maupin: Scored 12 of her game-best 20 points in overtime. She went 9-for-11 at the free-throw line.
2. Tech’s Kilah Freelon: Finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
3. CU’s Jade Masogayo: Led the Buffs with 18 points and six rebounds.
Up next: The Buffs travel to Kansas City, Mo., for the Big 12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday.
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Colorado women’s basketball team got a key veteran back from injury and staged a big second-half rally in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon.
In the end, though, too many fouls and turnovers proved costly as the Buffaloes lost to Texas Tech, 83-79, in overtime at United Supermarkets Arena.
“The areas that have plagued us this year, I thought really plagued us tonight, with fouls and turnovers,” CU head coach JR Payne said. “Really disappointed, because I thought we had our chances and just did some things that we couldn’t afford to do at pretty pivotal times. And so we’ll just learn from it and move on, and start focusing on getting ready for the (Big 12) tournament.”
Texas Tech’s Bailey Maupin scored 12 of her game-high 20 points in overtime as the Red Raiders handed the Buffs (18-11, 9-9 Big 12) a costly defeat.
CU could have secured the No. 8 seed and first-round bye for the Big 12 tournament, which starts Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. The loss, however, coupled with Arizona’s 71-59 victory at Arizona State later on Saturday, bumped the Buffs to the No. 9 seed. They will face last-place Houston on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
Aside from seeding, it was a potentially crushing loss for CU’s NCAA Tournament chances. The Buffs came into the day No. 56 in the NET rankings, with Texas Tech as No. 84.
Forward Sara-Rose Smith returned from a foot injury and scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench for the Buffs, but it wasn’t enough against the Red Raiders, who celebrated Senior Day by snapping a nine-game losing streak.
CU was whistled for a season-high 26 fouls, with starting guards Kindyll Wetta and Johanna Teder both fouling out. Tech (15-16, 4-14) took advantage, going 23-of-31 at the free-throw line.
Texas Tech also converted 23 Colorado turnovers into 25 points.
Jade Masogayo (18 points, six rebounds), Lior Garzon (16 points) and Wetta (12 points) led the way for CU, which trailed by just one, 76-75, with less than a minute to play in overtime.
Tech then missed a 3-pointer but grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, and Jasmine Shavers drained a 3-pointer with 33 seconds to play to put the Red Raiders up 79-75.
“They got an O-board kick-out 3, which was huge and kind of a backbreaker,” Payne said. “I thought they did a good job of being able to move off the ball and got their shooters nice looks at the basket.”
Maupin went 4-for-4 at the line down the stretch to seal the win for the Red Raiders.
CU held a 23-19 lead early in the second quarter but then went scoreless for 6 minutes, 45 seconds. Tech went on a 15-0 run during that stretch to grab its biggest lead, 34-23.
The Buffs chipped away and trailed 59-55 when Wetta fouled out with 5:55 to play in the fourth quarter. The Buffs rallied, though, and took a 61-59 lead with 3:22 to go.
CU led 67-64 before Tech’s Jalynn Bristow was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 12 seconds left in regulation. She hit all three free throws to tie the game, and CU committed a turnover without attempting a shot before the buzzer.
Maupin scored the first five points in overtime, and Tech never trailed in the extra period.
Notable
CU finished the season 1-8 in Big 12 road games. … The Buffs are 1-9 all-time in Lubbock, losing each of the past two in overtime.
Texas Tech 83, Colorado 79 (OT)
COLORADO (18-11, 9-9 Big 12)
Garzon 6-13 2-2 16, Masogayo 8-12 2-2 18, Wetta 3-4 4-4 12, Betson 0-3 0-0 0, Teder 4-5 0-1 8, Johnson 2-2 0-0 4, Sanders 5-12 1-1 11, Powell 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 3-5 2-2 8, Oliver 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-57 11-12 79.
TEXAS TECH (15-16, 4-14 Big 12)
Freelon 6-8 3-4 15, Shavers 4-9 4-6 14, Fritz 2-3 0-0 5, Maupin 5-11 9-11 20, Peat 0-1 0-0 0, Bristow 4-8 3-5 13, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Blacklock 0-0 0-0 0, Sanogo 1-1 0-0 2, Johnson 2-8 4-5 8, Wynn 2-4 0-0 6. Totals 26-53 23-31 83.
Colorado 19 6 20 22 12 – 79
Texas Tech 16 18 16 17 16 – 83
3-point goals – Colorado 4-14 (Garzon 2-7, Wetta 2-2, Sanders 0-3, Betson 0-1, Teder 0-1), TT 8-20 (Shavers 2-5, Bristow 2-3, Wynn 2-3, Maupin 1-4, Fritz 1-2, Johnson 0-2, Freelon 0-1). Rebounds – Colorado 24 (Masogayo, Smith 6), TT 30 (Freelon 9). Assists – Colorado 10 (Sanders 6), TT 16 (Shavers, Johnson 4). Steals – Colorado 10 (4 players with 2), TT 11 (Fritz 3). Turnovers – Colorado 23, TT 20. Total fouls – Colorado 26, TT 17. Fouled out – Wetta, Teder, Johnson (TT). Attendance – 5,452.
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