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Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffs will face Iowa or
For the second straight year, the Colorado Buffaloes have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Playing on the road in the Little Apple, the Buffs beat Kansas State on the strength of their defense. They played their usual brand of chaosketball, forcing all kinds of turnovers, hammering the boards, and creating as many extra possessions as they could.
The Wildcats looked comfortable in the first half and were able to create open threes and driving lanes. Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory hit some big shots, including a heady and-one by Sundell to give K-State the 35-33 halftime lead.
Colorado tightened things up after the break. They cut off passing lanes, contested each Wildcat three-pointer, and generally made a mess of things. CU forced 22 turnovers, of which 17 were live-ball steals (!) that turned into transition opportunities.
The Buffs held K-State to 15 points in the second half. Still, they needed big shots from Tameiya Sadler and Quay Miller to separate down the stretch. It was not a pretty offensive performance, but it didn’t have to be the way they dominated on the defensive end.
Next up for the Buffs will be the winner of Iowa and West Virginia. The top-seeded Hawkeyes are the likeliest opponent and that would set up a rematch of last year’s Sweet Sixteen matchup. Colorado frustrated Caitlin Clark and had a shot at the upset, but ultimately fell short to the national runners-up.
The Buffs will travel to Albany, New York and will play on Saturday, March 30 at a time yet to determined.
by Sam Metivier
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