The University of Colorado women’s basketball team celebrates Maddie Nolan making a three-point shot during the game against Stanford University on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2023. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado women’s basketball team has dominated its non-conference schedule thus far this season, and its game against Southern Utah University was no different. With a 7-2 non-conference record and just one more game before conference play begins, Colorado has positioned itself for success.
The first half featured high-pressure defense and gave an early indication of what the game would look like. After a close start, the first quarter ended with Colorado leading 22-18. Southern Utah pushed Colorado offensively, especially with the Buffaloes missing their typical point guards. Senior Kindyll Wetta and freshman Kennedy Sanders were sidelined due to injuries suffered earlier in the week during practice. This forced Colorado to make quick adjustments, with graduate transfers Johanna Teder and Lior Garzon stepping in as fill-ins—despite Teder not having played point guard since high school.
“I did have the ball in my hands a lot more,” Teder said about filling in at point guard. “We just talked with Coach about being more aggressive and finding the open shots. I think it was just really good practice. Even though I haven’t played [point guard], I’ve always been in that rotation. I was comfortable and I had everyone’s trust.”
Garzon, the lead scorer for Colorado, started the second quarter with three consecutive 3-pointers. This created a major scoring gap that would continue to grow throughout the game.
“I think my work ethic just gives me a lot of confidence,” Garzon said. “I do extra reps every single day before and after practice. Yes, I’m making shots, but it’s because of what I do in my preparation before games. I will always be confident, whether I make it or miss it because I know I put in the work to shoot those shots.”
Colorado led 47-31 at halftime, with both teams slowing down offensively in the third quarter. However, Colorado still maintained an 18-point lead heading into the fourth.
A special moment occurred for sophomore JoJo Nworie, who made her season debut after being unable to play for two years due to injury. Nworie scored her first collegiate points in the second quarter, finishing with five points, one rebound and a block. Teder, Nworie’s roommate and teammate, became emotional as she expressed how proud she was of Nworie’s perseverance.
“I am genuinely happy for her,” Teder said. “She’s been going through so much and I’m just proud of her. I’m so excited for her to be back.”
Head coach JR Payne also expressed her pride in Nworie for her dedication and hard work.
“Really incredible to see,” Payne said. “To fight back from the two injuries she had takes a significant amount of heart, desire, and work. If anyone is willing to work as hard as she did to get back, we knew she would do it again to get back on the floor.”
Despite the challenges of filling in new positions on short notice, Colorado persevered and earned another blowout victory, overcoming Southern Utah 76-59. With more bench players getting time on the court, Colorado was able to experiment with new positions and possibilities for the season ahead. Freshman Grace Oliver scored all five of her points at the start of the fourth quarter.
Colorado is setting itself up for success as the season progresses. These non-conference games are just the beginning.
Contact CU Independent basketball writer Lauren Heidt at Lauren.Heidt@Colorado.edu
