The No. 5 seeded Colorado women’s basketball team will take on the No.1 Stanford Cardinals in a battle of the best this evening. We have seen this movie before and both times Colorado was left on the losing end. The Buffs will go up against the powerhouse of the Stanford Cardinals once again. They have already played two dramatic and down the wire finishes against Washington and Arizona to get to the Pac-12 semifinals. Colorado has brought on a show each game out which has been fitting in the entertainment capital of the world.
Stanford comes in at 23-6 led by legendary coach Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinals have not lost a game since Dec. 21rst against South Carolina. Their only three losses of the season against top 25 teams. VanDerveer will be seeking out her 1,000th win with Stanford against Colorado.
The Buffs come in now with a 22-7 record. They have not lost a game since they last played Stanford on Feb. 13th in a pretty substantial loss 46-63. However, JR Payne’s squad is a much different team now than they were then, and these are much bigger stakes. Since then they have gone on a 6 game win streak. They battled Stanford early in the season on Jan. 14th in a close contest of 52-60.
On paper Stanford just looks better. Lead by forward Cameron Brink who averages 13.5 points a game, followed by Haley Jones at 12.5. They have 4 players who average double digits points compared to the Buffaloes at just two. Mya Hollingshed averages 14.3 points a game and Quay Miller comes in at 10.9.
Colorado is making it’s third appearance in the Pac-12 semifinals in the schools history. Coach Payne will be seeking her 95th win as the Buffs head coach and will bump up her overall coaching record above .500 with a victory.
The No. 2 Stanford Cardinals will be no easy task for the defenders of the herd. The Buffs will once again be relying heavily on their defense who has won every big game for them. Stanford demolishes them in points per game with 73 compared to CU’s 66. Colorado does edge them out just a touch in free-throw percentage at 68. Three-point field goals have been a blessing and a curse for Colorado. It’s won them huge games and costs them as well.
The Buffs do have one of the toughest defenses in the Pac-12. Kindyll Wetta ranks 2nd in the Pac-12 in steals. Mya Hollingshed is one of those most athletic rebounders of the game. But what makes Colorado so good is not what you can find on stat sheets. The togetherness, the love, the toughness, and the perseverance through adversity, is what makes this team what it is.
News on Tameiya Sadler is she is feeling better. She will not be with the team yet, but she is who they are playing for. You love to see that kind of heart for a fallen player. Head coach JR Payne said they are going to take things very slow with her. Day by day. There are things bigger than basketball and this is one of them. Everyone just wants her to heal and basketball comes second.
CU has proven in the last two days why you shouldn’t count them out. Both games they have been down and found a way out. This team just finds a way to win. While Stanford is heavily favored, they may think they have this one in the bag but do not hold your breath. The Buffs are fighters and led by one of the best coaches and people in the game.
Tip off beings at 9 p.m. EST time/7:00 p.m MT on the Pac-12 Network. Tune in to see who wins the showdown to get to the Pac-12 Championships. Whoever ends up on top, we know it will be an entertaining night. Can the third time be the charm for Colorado in a place where luck reigns supreme?