Colorado Buffaloes redshirt junior guard, Desiree Wooten, celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday, March 6, 2026 (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
The law firm of Wooten and Walker is open for business after the Colorado Buffaloes’ 62-53 win against the No. 20 Baylor Bears.
Colorado (22-10, 12-7 Big 12) used an early lead to take down Baylor (24-8, 13-6 Big 12) for their fourth ranked win of the season and move up to the last four byes category in ESPN’s bracketology.
Led by Desiree Wooten and Zyanna Walker, with 21 and 19 points respectively, the Buffs put on a display of dynamic offense and aggressive defense. They trailed for just the opening two minutes, and never looked back. It was a satisfying win, avenging the Buffs’ loss to the Bears by just four points earlier this season.
Colorado Buffaloes redshirt junior guard, Zyanna Walker, attempts to score a layup against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday, March 6, 2026( Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
“I thought we were very prepared and very excited for this opportunity,” Colorado head coach JR Payne said. “We were just really excited for the opportunity to play them again. Just overall great team effort. It wasn’t perfect in any sense of the word, but I thought we did exactly what we needed to do to be successful.”
Colorado’s offensive movement was big for them in the first half. Senior forward Anaëlle Dutat ran the baseline and notched the first two scores for the Buffs, while dishing out two assists. Five players scored in the first quarter, as they went on a 10-0 run, including two 3-pointers, to force a Baylor timeout.
That run set the stage for the game. Despite getting into early foul trouble – a side effect of their intense defensive style – the Buffs kept the rhythm going offensively.
Fueled by the fire that was Wooten, Colorado sped to a 37-25 lead heading into the locker room. It also helped that they shot 50% from the three in the half.
Colorado Buffaloes redshirt junior guard, Desiree Wooten, scores a layup against Baylor in the BIG12 Tournament on Friday, March 6, 2026 (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
Baylor, on the other hand, shot around 25% from the floor, and was 0-11 from beyond the arc. That inefficiency’s not just because of an off night, Colorado’s defense suffocated the Bears, holding their three leading scorers to just nine collective points in the first half.
The Buffs picked up after the break without missing a beat, getting a quick four points off of a Baylor turnover. Baylor finally knocked down their first 3-pointer of the game, although they ended the night with their lowest 3-point percentage of the season.
Just as Colorado’s offense seemed to stagnate a bit, Wooten and Greer combined for the highlight of the game, if not the week. On a fast break, Wooten sent a behind-the-back dime to Greer, who drew the and-one while falling to the ground.
Baylor’s leading scorer, Taliah Scott, began to heat up after being held to just one field goal in the first half. She had seven points in the third quarter as the Bears tried to cut Buffs’ lead to single digits, but the Buffs held a 14-point advantage heading into the final quarter.
The early lead Colorado had built proved necessary in the final stretch. Historically, the Buffs haven’t been a great fourth-quarter team, and this was no different. Baylor went on a 7-0 run to get within striking distance.
Wooten and Walker came up with big buckets to help Colorado hold fast, and Greer had an emphatic block to deny Baylor any chance at gaining momentum. Dutat helped seal it with a timely steal, and just like that, Colorado survived another late-game comeback to advance to the Big 12 semifinals.
Colorado Buffaloes redshirt junior guard, Desiree Wooten, celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday, March 6, 2026 (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
There, they will face the No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers (14-4, 25-6 Big 12). Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. MT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Lila Nuttle at lila.nuttle@colorado.edu.
