Buffs pick up huge win over UCLA on Kindyll Wetta’s game winner

BOULDER–Oftentimes, games like these are decided in just a few moments.

That’s just what happened Friday night when a hobbled Jaylyn Sherrod drove to her right, the defense collapsed, and Kindyll Wetta found herself alone in the corner, the clock ticking inside five.

Swish.

The sophomore guard capped off a remarkable effort on both ends of the floor with a game winning three, her only one of the night and just her eighth of the season, to lift the 25th ranked Buffs over No. 8 UCLA in overtime, 73-70. 

“That shot was one of the biggest shots we’ve seen all year,” said head coach JR Payne postgame. “I’m just so proud of Kin, she’s been working on her game and putting in that time. I’m unbelievably proud of our team tonight.”

It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with an incredible 13 ties and 15 lead changes. But in the end, it was CU who made the biggest plays in the biggest moments.

The Buffs got off to a rocky start, struggling with foul trouble in the first half and giving away extra possessions against the Bruins’ relentless attack on the offensive glass as a result. 

Sophomore center Aaronette Vonleh picked up her second foul just five minutes into the game, and was relegated to the bench until after intermission. In her place, freshman Bri McLeod and senior Charlotte Whittaker were forced to play some spot minutes in Vonleh’s absence. 

The Arizona transfer’s presence was certainly missed in the middle early on, as the Bruins, who lead the Pac-12 in offensive rebounding, tallied nine extra chances in the first half alone.

A 10-0 UCLA run towards the end of the first quarter gave the Bruins an early lead, but the Buffs defense started to clamp down in the second period, even after Sherrod was forced to the sideline with her second foul. The Bruins couldn’t find a field goal until the 5:45 mark of the quarter.

The Buffs had plenty of opportunities to pull ahead before halftime, but were only able to knock down one three and shot just 3/9 from the free throw line.

The third quarter, however, was a different story. After trailing by five at the half, the Buffs came out firing in the third quarter. Frida Formann, in the midst of a cold shooting night, briefly found the stroke and drilled two threes. Sherrod followed that up with two triples of her own to put the Buffs in front. 

“We always try to flush the first half and focus on the third quarter,” said senior center Quay Miller. “The first three minutes (of the second half) are key for us. We’re not really looking at the score, we’re just trying to keep stepping on their necks.”

The 25 point third quarter outburst gave the Buffs a two point lead heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter was a slugfest. Both defenses hunkered down, made the game physical, and got the opposing offense in the mud. Buckets were hard to come by down the stretch, as each team started to tighten the screws on the defensive end. 

Neither team made a field goal in the final two minutes of regulation, and after some free throws were exchanged, a Charisma Osborne floater fell just off the front of the rim, and we headed to overtime. 

Osborne opened the scoring in the extra period with a three pointer, but the Buffs battled back. Sherrod gave CU a lead with just under a minute to play with a teardrop from the left baseline, but came down and crumpled to the ground in a lot of pain. The deafening roar of the Events Center evaporated with concern for the Buffs’ star guard. 

Thankfully for Buff fans, Sherrod was able to tough it out and finish the overtime, eventually making the assist on Wetta’s defining shot.

“It was just a cramp,” said Payne. “It was an incredibly heady play by her, she actually called that timeout. She made the basket, felt the cramp, and called the timeout, which was a really smart play to make.”

One major key for CU in the win was their perimeter defense against the Bruins’ two star guards, Osborne and freshman Kiki Rice. The two serve as the engine of the UCLA offense, but were held to just 16 combined points on a dismal 4/25 shooting. 

The Buffs successfully mixed up the looks they gave them, and had the Bruin stars rattled for a majority of the game. Sherrod and Wetta drew the assignments for most of the evening, and they were more than up to the task.

“Jaylyn (Sherrod) and I, we love playing defense,” said Wetta after the game. “We love causing chaos at the top of the zone, in man, wherever it is. I think we push each other a lot in practice, and that translates over into the game.”

Sherrod led the way for the Buffs tonight with a game-high 20 points, and was able to stuff the stat sheet with six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Miller added yet another double-double, tallying 18 points and 12 boards in an astounding 42 minutes.

Wetta’s game winner brought her total to 13 points for the night to go along with six assists. 

On the Bruins’ side, while their two star guards struggled from the floor, they got solid contributions from their bench. Freshman guard Londynn Jones scored 14 points, and freshman forward Gabriela Jaquez, sister of UCLA men’s basketball superstar Jaime Jaquez Jr., scored 11.

This was certainly a statement win for the Buffs, who will need to refocus quickly before a noon tip-off on Sunday afternoon against USC.

“We’ve not only earned this respect, but we deserve it,” said Miller. “If anyone is counting us out, I think we’re proving to teams that we really can compete with anybody.”