With a 21-point lead at halftime, and a 21-point lead at the final buzzer, the University of Colorado women’s basketball team delivered a dominant win over the Washington State Cougars in Boulder on Friday night by a score of 72-51.
Colorado had three players score in double figures in the game, including senior forward Jen Reese’s team-high of 14 points. With a rare appearance off the bench, Reese responded with 14 points on 66 percent shooting, to go along with nine rebounds.
By and large the Buffaloes can chalk this win up to a dominant defensive performance, limiting the Cougars to 51 points on 32.8 percent shooting from the field. Below that low shooting percentage was an even more minuscule 3-point shooting percentage for the Cougars, who managed to make only three of their 24 3-point attempts (12.5 percent).
“We won that game because we defended and we rebounded, it’s really pretty simple,” Colorado head coach Linda Lappe said.
“Overall just a great team defensive game,” said Reese, who, while out of the starting lineup for only the second time this season, still played 23 minutes– third-most on the team.
The Buffaloes temporarily took their foot off the gas pedal at the beginning of the second half, allowing the Cougars to cut the deficit to 11 points with 11 minutes remaining. But six unanswered points from Reese in a two minute span pushed Colorado back up to a 17-point lead by the nine minute mark.
Freshman guard Alina Hartmann scored a career-high of 11 points in the contest, eclipsing her previous high of eight at Utah on Jan. 18 of this year. That game at Utah also represents the last time that Colorado held a 21-point lead against a conference opponent. It is also the largest lead the Buffaloes have had at any point in a Pac-12 game this season.
“We stepped up as a team,” Hartmann said. “And only because my teammates had my back was I able to perform like this.”
Colorado’s bench outscored Washington State’s 40-15, with junior forward Jamee Swan contributing eight points to that total. This contribution was made in a rare appearance off the bench. Previously, Swan started 19 of Colorado’s 23 games this season before Friday night.
“It’s about coming in, and when your number is called you’re ready to play and ready to do your job,” Lappe said. “And I thought everybody was ready to do their job.”
Senior guard Lexy Kresl tallied 12 points for Colorado, which brings her 10 point streak plus to 10 games. Kresl, who is fifth in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting percentage, only shot 2-10 on 3-pointers in the game. She contributed five rebounds and four assists against only three turnovers.
Friday night’s game marks the first in a four-game home stand for Colorado, who plays Washington at home this upcoming Sunday, Feb. 15. Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Sam Routhier at Samuel.routhier@colorado.edu and follow him on twitter @samrouthier.
