Long-range shots in Las Vegas: Buffs win 1st round of Pac-12 Tournament

At the end of the first half, head coach JR Payne said to Alyssa Charlston, “We have to stop shooting threes.” Out of the half, it was raining threes. 

The Huskies came up from behind in the last minutes in the third quarter. Washington’s Nancy Mulkey went to the line, made her two then immediately drained a three. Making it 33-31 Huskies with 2:19 left in the game.

Her defender, Mya Hollingshed responded with a huge three. After Trinity Oliver on the Huskies ran it back for another three. Hollingshed put down another two 3-pointers from downtown. Missy Peterson, on the Huskies, got her second three of the game with 29 seconds left in the third. Quite the sequence, six consecutive three pointers.   

Before the explosion of threes, both defenses made it difficult to get in the paint. 

Even with Mulkey, the 6-foot-9 center on Washington, the Huskies struggled to finish as the Buffs defense pushed them outside the paint holding them to 19 points in the first half.

However, the Huskies defense responded too as the Buffs remained mostly behind the three point line. The Buffs went 1-12 for three pointers in the first half. Freshman Kendall Wetta, making the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, led at the half with 8 points. 

With a strong defensive game in the first half, finishing shots were hard to come by for both teams. Both Washington and Colorado had low field goal percentages, CU 25% and Washington with 23%. Huskies went 2-26 and Colorado made 9-36.  

Out of the half, the Buffs and the Huskies gained momentum.  

The game was very close going into the fourth, Huskies leading 41-40. Peanut Tuitele and Tameiya Sadler also entered their names in the three point club. Unfortunately, minutes after Tuitele and Sadler collided. Sadler was wheeled off in a stretcher. She was breathing and conscious.

The Buffs played for Sadler as they gained a 10-point lead in the final minutes.  

“I don’t think I’ve won past the first round since I’ve been here,” Tuitele said. “This one’s for Tameiya.”

Tuitele led the team with 16 points and Hollingshed was just behind her with 15. During Hollingshed’s three sequence in the third, she received her ninth double-double this season. Honorable mention for Quay miller as well. The Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year nailed two 3-pointers.

The Buffs defeated Washington 64-52.

Payne said to Alyssa Charlston, “Once Tameiya got hurt the team rallied around that…Our emotional leader tonight was Jaylyn [Sherrod].”

The Buffs move on to the second round of the Pac-12 tournament. They will face off No. 4 seed Arizona Thursday, March 3 at noon.