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Things didn’t go well for the Buffs in Ames...
The Buffaloes’ time in Ames on Saturday didn’t quite go as planned, losing to the Iowa State Cyclones 86-56.
Colorado entered the weekend matchup at Hilton Coliseum firmly on the bubble, with ESPN Bracketologists having CU in the “first four out” ahead of the game. Iowa State entered the matchup as a projected ten-seed but would likely fall back to the bubble with a loss to the Buffaloes.
The odds were stacked against the Buffaloes, with team leader and leading scorer, Frida Formann sitting out due to injury. Unfortunately for Colorado, they looked like a team who is missing their leading scorer.
CU struggled greatly on the offensive floor, making only 21 of their 62 attempted field goals. Formann’s elite three-point shot was missed greatly too, as the Buffs only hit 8 of their attempted 29 shots beyond the arc.
As if Colorado wasn’t having a hard enough time scoring, they were also bitten by the turnover bug on Saturday. CU coughed up the ball 14 times to the Cyclones, who were able to convert those into 20 points.
Colorado struggled defensively as well at Hilton Coliseum, allowing the Cyclones to put up 86 points and win by 30. The Buffaloes couldn’t figure out how to handle ISU star center Audi Crooks, who was automatic in the post all game. Crooks finished the game with 33 points and 13 rebounds, dismantling the Buffs from within and showing why she’s deserving of the Lisa Leslie Award, given to the best center in college basketball.
The only silver lining for Colorado was the former Cyclones Nyamer Diew had a good game in her former arena. Diew, who played at Iowa State for three seasons from 2021 to 2024, led CU in scoring with 15 points. Diew was also given a sizable ovation by the crowd at Hilton Coliseum upon checking into the game, which was a class act by Iowa State fans.
Following Colorado’s 30-point loss, there is a definite possibility that they fall off the bubble. Fortunately, the Buffs will still have opportunities to bolster their resume, with great Oklahoma State and Baylor teams still on their regular season schedule.
CU’s next matchup will be with a road test with a tournament-caliber Utah Utes squad in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, February 12th. Fans can tune in at 7:00 pm MT on ESPN+.
by RylandScholes
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