The Buffs Women’s basketball team earned their 21st win of the season against Washington State University Friday night at the Coors Events Center.
The Buffs had their largest lead of the game at 40-27 in the final six minutes and the game concluded with a score of 59-45.
This is the sixth consecutive game the Buffs have won. The Cougars now drop to 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the Pac-12 conference play, while the Buffs advance to 21-5 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12 conference.
The Buffs had a comfortable lead for the majority of the game, but both teams played a very physical game.
“It was a physical game, but I liked how our players responded,” said Linda Lappe, the head coach of CU women’s basketball.
The Buffs played well defensively as the team got their hands on loose balls and picked off passes, forcing the Cougars into 25 turnovers. The Buffs were able to score 25 points as a result of those turnovers.
The Buffs racked up 11 steals and 26 rebounds in the first half alone and had 15 steals and 48 rebounds throughout the full game. The team scored 34 points in the paint compared to Washington State’s 14 points.
The Cougars 2-3 zone defense seemed to stifle the Buffs in the first half, allowing them to shoot a mere 28.1 percent.
Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl didn’t play in the game, as she is still out with a shoulder injury after last week’s game against Arizona.
CU had the lead for the entirety of the first half, with the exception of the first few points of the game. Toward the second portion of the first half, the Cougars began making a run of their own and, at one point, pulled within four.
The Buffs finished the first half with a seven-point lead 26-19. Half of the Buffs 26 points came from forced turnovers.
Washington State freshman guard Lia Galdeira lead the Cougars with 12 points.
“There was no rhythm in the game at all, but we came together a lot better in the second half,” Lappe said.
The Buffs got into foul trouble with just under six minutes left of play, which helped the Cougars get to the free throw line often. However, it wasn’t enough for the Cougars, as the Buffs were still able to pull a 14-point win.
Look out for the Buffs final home game of the season on Sunday Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. against University of Washington. The game will be the last for seniors Chucky Jeffery, Brenna Malcolm-Peck, and Meagan Malcolm-Peck.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.