Buffs complete weekend sweep of Washington schools, dismantle Huskies

BOULDER—The Colorado Buffaloes (20-5, 11-3 in conference play) made quick work of the Washington Huskies (13-11, 5-9 in conference play) Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center, completing a sweep of the Washington schools this past weekend. When the clock mercifully hit zero, the scoreboard read Colorado 65, Washington 43.

The Buffs led Washington after the first 15 seconds of the first quarter and never gave up the lead. They put on a dominant performance on the defensive end, limiting the Huskies to 15 points or less in each of the four quarters. They also held Washington to single digits in two of the four quarters. 

On the offensive glass, the Buffs were ruthless, picking up 21 offensive rebounds and scoring 16 second-chance points. They also limited Washington to just seven offensive boards, when they averaged 15 for the season until Sunday. 

“Rebounding was definitely a huge factor,” said head coach JR Payne. “We knew that they are the second-leading rebounding team in the league, and pretty high statistically across the country rebounding, so we talked about it a lot.”

On the offensive end, it was a bit of a struggle at times, as the Buffs shot just 38.2% from the field. However, they remained in control and never let the Huskies get back in the game, through their stifling defense and effort on the offensive glass. They also picked up 32 points in the paint and made several timely threes, shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc.

Individually, Quay Miller led the Buffs with yet another double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, five of which were offensive. She also flashed her unique skills for a big, shooting 3/6 from beyond the arc and taking several Husky defenders off the dribble for baskets with her sharp ball handling. 

Miller, along with center Aaronette Vonleh and point guard Jaylyn Sherrod, led the Buffs on an 11-2 run to start the game, an advantage they would maintain over the Huskies for the rest of the contest. Vonleh, sister of NBA veteran big man Noah Vonleh, provided a presence in the post and set the tone with five early points. She finished with nine points and four rebounds. 

Sherrod, fresh off a career-high tying 27 point performance against Washington State on Friday, only scored eight on just six shots from the field. However, she spearheaded the defensive attack that left Washington’s halfcourt offense in shambles. She also served up six assists, grabbed four rebounds, and snatched up a steal. 

Wing Frida Formann was a standout from beyond the arc, swishing home four threes and tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Guard Kindyll Wetta also dished out six dimes off the bench. In total, the Buffaloes out-assisted the Huskies 17 to eight.

“I feel like we really do work to find the best shot on almost every possession,” said Wetta. “That’s great offensively for us.”

Whenever the Buffs offense began to grind to a standstill, their nifty passing to easy baskets helped them to maintain momentum. Their ruthlessness on the boards also kept the Buffs in control, wiping and boxing out the Huskies with a total rebounding advantage of 50-29. 

Their defensive intensity, with tight one-on-ones on the perimeter, quick closeouts that limited the Huskies to just 1/4 from the three-point line for the game, and active hands that forced 11 turnovers, never let Washington’s offense build any momentum. There were no offensive standouts for the Huskies, as Lauren Schwartz led them with just nine points. 

“We’re built on the defensive side of the ball,” said Payne. “It doesn’t matter if we have a great offensive night or not, we know we can defend anybody. We take a lot of pride in that.” 

The Buffs, ranked No. 25 in the country going into Sunday, picked up their 20th win on the season to just five losses. They also picked up their 11th win in Pac-12 play to just three losses against teams in their own conference. In the latest AP poll released Monday, they moved up to No. 21. 

They now look ahead to the home stretch of the regular season, heading to Tempe, Arizona on Friday for a duel versus the reeling Arizona State Sun Devils, then to Tucson for a big test on the road against the No. 18 Arizona Wildcats on Sunday afternoon. 

The Buffs then travel back to Boulder for their penultimate contest, looking to avenge their Jan. 22 loss to the now No. 3 team in the country, the Stanford Cardinal. This game will have massive implications for the Buffs, and a large fan presence is critical in helping them to knock off the Pac-12 giants. But for now, Colorado looks to remain level-headed.

“I think for us the priorities are to be great every day, and in whatever you can control, be excellent at that.” said Payne. “I think our team believes in that and wants to be great teammates.”