Colorado Basketball: A sad end to a beautiful season for the Lady Buffs

It was a sad end to a beautiful season for the Colorado Buffaloes. An arduous ask to get the NCAA Tournament for any team, but for the Buffs it was a task that seemed inevitable from the start. Colorado was on fire from the kick off. They went off onto a blazing 13-0 start. At once becoming the lone undefeated team in all of women’s college basketball. After the hot start they dropped off when Pac-12 play began. However, they finished their llast 10 games of with an 8-2 record until they hit Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament.

For the first time since the 2013 season, Colorado reached the NCAA Tournament once again. Hopes were high for the Buffs and they came out ablaze to start the game agains the number 10 seed the Creighton BlueJays. They were the number 7 seed coming in and they looked to carry the momentum. 

Jaylyn Sherrod kicked the hot start off along with insane defensive play by other freshman Kindyll Wetta. Colorado got off to an 11-2 lead. But it was a lead that just couldn’t last once the second half began.

There was no lack of effort by the freshman guards. Jaylyn Sherrod had a monster of a game scoring 27 points and 5 rebounds, with 5 assists in the contest. This was a career high for her and a promising look to the future. Fellow freshman Kindyll Wetta scored another 8 points and 2 rebounds in the effort, however her defense was once again masterful forcing turnovers and steals. Veteran Mya Hollingshed scored 15 points and 5 rebounds, and sixth woman of the year for the Pac-12 scored 12 points and 5 rebounds as well. Peanut Tuitele had a great day on the boards with 9 rebounds but in the end it just wasn’t enough for the Buffs. They fell to the BlueJays in a 74-84 defeat.

Creighton was led by Lauren Jensen with 16 points. Emma Ronsiek scored 10 points, but their shining star came off the bench with Morgan Maly scoring an impactful 20 points and 8 rebounds. Another one who lit it up off the bench was guard Molly Morgensen who scored 16 points. Colorado scored several three-pointers to try and catch up to Creighton int he last seconds. However, it was just too little too late. The Buffs could not catch up and the BlueJays held on for the win to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They will go on to take on the No. 2 seed Iowa Hawkeyes.

It was a sad and hard tough loss for Colorado but all is not lost. We say goodbye to the seniors who helped make this program what it is now. The reason that Colorado got back to the Tournament. Mya Hollingshed, Peanut Tuitele, Aubrey Knight, and Lesila Finau. Head coach Payne said their impact will be felt for years to come.

What we have to remember is the incredible feat that the Buffs have accomplished this year, and the leadership of JR Payne. Payne has only gotten better each season. She has lead this team to 22 wins. Which is the most winningest season under head coach JR Payne’s era in Boulder. That is something that should never be forgotten, and will only keep growing in Colorado.

We will forever be proud of this 2021-2022 Buff season. Expectations ran high at the start of the year. Those expectations dropped off some with the slump after a hot start. Despite that, they dug down deep and finished out the season in impeccable fashion. There is nothing for these ladies to hang their heads about. Buff Nation is as proud of them as they’ve ever been.

Before capping off this incredible season by the Buffaloes I think we all need give omaj to Mya Hollingshed. You will not find a player more committed or a more loyal player to her team. Mya came back as a fifth year senior thanks to COVID last year and another year of eligibility. She could have gone to the WNBA easily and be living her best life. But she decided to come back knowing she had unfinished business at Colorado. To get to them to the NCAA Tournament. And she did that. It did not end quite the way the team wanted. The Buffs have been battling for the last two months, at some point all good things to come to an end. They have made me proud to be a fan and we will see them next season back and better than ever. Go Buffs.