Sophomore center JoJo Nworie moves the ball towards the basket during the game against the University of Central Florida at the CU Events Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Women’s Basketball team got themselves back into the win column on Wednesday night with a strong performance against the University of Central Florida Knights. This win comes off two consecutive losses on the road, dropping games to Texas Christian University and Baylor University during their trip to Texas.
The CU Events Center was more friendly to the Buffaloes, as a large first half lead was enough to carry them past a second-half surge from the Knights. Sitting at 2-2 in Big 12 play, ranking seventh in the conference, Saturday’s home matchup and back-to-back away games will prove important to the team’s chances at conference success.
From the opening moments of the first quarter, it was clear that the Buffaloes were firing on all cylinders. The first quarter charge was led by Frida Formann, Colorado’s five-year star. She finished the quarter with 12 points, which included nine points from three-point range, as well as an exciting and–one layup. Outside of Formann, Nyamer Diew added two three pointers of her own in the quarter, while Kennedy Saunders decided to join in on the fun and knock down a three of her own. This jolt from beyond the arc led the squad to 31 first quarter points, giving the Buffaloes a twenty-point lead at the end of the quarter. A strong offensive performance continued for the Buffaloes in the second quarter, propelling them to a 48-21 lead at half-time.
Formann finished the game with 22 points, knocking down a total of five three pointers, leading the scoring for the Buffaloes. This offensive explosion comes off two performances where Formann failed to hit a single three, an occurrence that is rare for Colorado basketball’s all-time three-point leader. The switch flipped against UCF, as Formann was knocking down three pointers in a hurry. She acknowledged her trust in her shooting capabilities, even coming off disappointing games.
Graduate student guard Frida Formann goes up for a layup during the game against the University of Central Florida at the CU Events Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
“I’ve been in that situation multiple times now. Every year there is a slump somewhere. It would be much more fun if there wasn’t, but it happens sometimes,” Formann said. “The worst thing I could do is to stop shooting and kind of close down and not believe in myself, that’s not what my team needs. I know I’ll get it back eventually because I’ve done it the other times.”
While the Buffaloes dominated the first half offensively, UCF came to life in the third quarter. This resurgence was led by Ally Steadman, who made four three pointers in the final minutes of the quarter. Steadman picked up where she left off in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, hitting her fifth three pointer of the night, matching Formann’s total. This brought UCF within 16 of the Buffaloes. However, Steadman and the Knights were not able to bridge the gap that the Buffaloes had opened.
Providing another strong offensive performance for the Knights was Kaitlin Peterson. Peterson put up the most points on the night with 24, shooting an almost ridiculous 17 free throws. Her consistent effort to attack the rim and draw contact paid off, as Peterson made 15 of these free throw attempts. Despite these two strong performances, it wasn’t enough for the Knights.
After lagging a bit in the third quarter, the Buffaloes took care of business in the fourth. Jade Masogayo scored seven in the final quarter thanks to multiple trips to the free-throw line. This rounded her total to 16 on the night, providing offensive relief for the Buffaloes down low. Masogayo also got it done defensively, blocking three shots and coming away with two steals. Transferring from Missouri State, Masogayo has stepped her game up in her first year in Boulder. She spoke to how her play has improved alongside her mentality thus far in the season.
“I tend to overthink a lot, but recently I’ve been trying to chill out and play the game of basketball while having fun. I’m just trying to let loose and let basketball do its thing,” said Masogayo.
Graduate student guard Frida Formann moves around a defender during the game against the University of Central Florida at the CU Events Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
The Buffaloes put up a strong team effort that was made even better by an impressive shooting night. This was exemplified by their assist total, notching 23 on the night. Kindyll Wetta contributed her season average of six assists, while Formann and Sanders both dished out four assists of their own. Head coach JR Payne voiced her excitement over how well her team distributed the ball.
“When we’re playing good basketball, that’s something that’s very consistent in the state sheet. 23 assists on 29 field goals is really awesome. We have a really unselfish group, and we have a lot of different people who can score, so if we’re moving and clicking, the numbers will typically look like that, which is usually really good for us,” Payne said.
Contact CU Independent assistant sports editor Wilson Georges at Wilson.Georges@Colorado.edu
