The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (11-14, 2-13 in Big 12) lost 78-70 against the University of Colorado Boulder (18-8, 9-5 in Big 12) on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in McKale Center at ALKEME Arena. This marked the fourth consecutive loss.

Key players 

The Wildcats had two players scoring in double digits. Senior guard Noelani Cornfield led all scorers with 25 points. She shot 9-for-18 from the field, including two from behind the arc. Cornfield also had eight assists. 

Junior guard Sumayah Sugapong was the second option with 14 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Sugapong fouled out midway through the third quarter after a shooting foul which was later upgraded to a technical foul. 

Colorado’s senior forward from France, Anaëlle Dutat, scored 20 points. Dutat shot 7-for-11 from the field and grabbed six rebounds. She scored 5 of her team’s last 7 points down the stretch to seal the deal for Colorado. 

Buffaloes forward Tabitha Betson put up 15 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and making her only three point attempt of the game. She also contributed five rebounds and four assists. Colorado had four scorers in double digits. Despite 25 turnovers, the Buffaloes were able to pull away late in this game. 

First half 

The Buffaloes won the tip, and wasted no time as guard Zyanna Walker drove in the lane and banked it home for the first points of the game. Shortly after, Dutat made a beautiful weakside cut into the lane, caught the pass and laid it in.

The Wildcats had answers for the early buckets that Colorado made. Sugapong had the ball, using the screen set by Arizona center Daniah Trammell. She proceeded to fire up a three from the top of the key which went down. Next, Cornfield drove into the lane, kicked the ball out to Sugapong on the wing for a three which was nothing but net. Shortly after, Cornfield with 3 seconds, dribbled to her right and got it to go at the buzzer giving Arizona momentum. 

Both teams were going back and forth, however the Buffaloes led 23-19 at the end of the first quarter. The Buffaloes outrebounded Arizona 12-5, and shot 6-for-10 in the first 10 minutes. Sugapong and Cornfield combined for 15 of the Wildcats 19 first quarter points. 

Starting the second quarter off the sideline inbound, Nora Francois got the steal and passed to Cornfield for the running layup. The Buffaloes fought right back after forward Jade Crook made a weakside cut from the wing into the block. She was open, caught the pass and banked it home, plus a foul. She went on to finish the 3-point play.

Shortly after, Colorado’s Betson had two mismatches in the post. After, she drove baseline on Trammell, a reverse layup is good off the glass. Shortly after, she spun on Trammell in the post and laid it in beautifully with a left hand. The second quarter came to an end, with the Buffaloes sustaining a one point lead. The Wildcats forced 15 first half turnovers on Colorado. 

Second half 

Right out of the locker room, Colorado’s Walker took matters into her own hands. She drove right at Trammell and drew a foul. Going 1-for-2 from the free throw line, shortly after, Arizona guard Molly Ladwig drove into the lane. Jumpstop and pivoted to the wing, Sugapong was out there and she knocked down the three. Shortly after, Arizona guard Tanyuel Welch subbed back in, drove into the lane and was fouled. She went 2-for-2 from the stripe and was 5-for-6 on the night. 

The Buffaloes quickly responded back, Dutat caught a lob pass in the post, spun towards the baseline and scored from under the basket. Arizona missed a three, a long rebound came out to Dutat, she passed it ahead to Colorado guard Desiree Wooten in transition, where she finished the easy layup. Wooten ended the game with 10 points and three assists. 

The Wildcats fought back, Cornfield drove into the paint and she got fouled, where she finished going 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Shortly after, Dutat went up for a layup and was fouled hard by Arizona’s Sugapong. The referees reviewed it and determined that she committed a technical foul after the fact. That was her fifth foul and Arizona was without their star guard for the remainder of the game.

Before the quarter came to an end, with 3 seconds to go, the Wildcats got the ball up the court. Cornfield launched a long three from the wing at the buzzer and swished it. The Wildcats were up one going into the last 10 minutes. 

Going into the fourth quarter, Arizona had momentum. To start the end stages, Ladwig found an opening and had a short-corner jumpshot, which she made. Then a careless Colorado turnover led to a Cornfield steal, passed up ahead to guard Mireia Jurado and she laid it in to make it a 5-point game. Jurado was fouled in the process and finished the 3-point play. Shortly after in transition, Arizona’s Francois ran coast to coast, she banked it home and drew a foul on top of it. She extended the Wildcats lead to 7 points with 5 minutes and 30 seconds to play. 

However, the Buffaloes did not give up. Walker drove inside on Ladwig, got around her and floated it up and in. Shortly after, Betson caught a lob pass in the post and laid it in. On the next Colorado possession, they passed it to Logyn Greer in the post. She went up, got fouled and made the layup, with a chance to tie the game. After finishing the 3-point play, the game was tied at 69. With Dutat was in the paint, she bullied her way under the basket and scored with a right hand, to give the Buffaloes the go-ahead lead.

From there, they never looked back. Dutat caught the ball again in the post. She spun to her left, drew contact where she laid it in with the left hand, plus the foul. After a sloppy Arizona possession, Dutat got another steal, and went coast to coast herself for the game-sealing layup. The Buffaloes took this one 78-70 over Arizona, and they outscored the Wildcats 18-3 in the final 5 minutes.

What’s next? 

Arizona will look to get a win, going on the road against Baylor University in Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 6:00 P.M. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

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