BYU falls to Colorado 76-46 in Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. — BYU women's basketball fell to the Colorado Buffaloes 76-46 on Saturday afternoon at the CU Events Center. 

BYU (17-9) scored 46 points in the defeat that also included just two made threes, an 11.8 percent clip from behind the arc and just 26 rebounds, all season lows for the Cougars. BYU shot 30.9 percent to Colorado's 45 percent, was outrebounded 50-26 and gave up 17 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 second-chance points for the Buffs. 

Olivia Hamlin led the Cougars in scoring with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting and knocked down the only two made threes of the game for the visitors. Hamlin finished with a rebound, an assist and a steal.

Delaney Gibb was the only other BYU player to finish in double-figures with 11 points. The sophomore was 3-of-12 from the field and 0-6 from behind the arc with five rebounds, two assists and three steals. 

Colorado scored 27 points off 19 BYU turnovers and handed the Cougars their largest margin of defeat of the season. 

First Quarter

BYU and Colorado were scoreless through three minutes of play before the Buffs opened the scoring with 7:06 remaining in the opening frame. Brinley Cannon immediately countered with a score off the window with 6:50 to knot the game at two.

CU held BYU scoreless over the next 3:07 while pushing its lead to seven at 9-2 before a scoop and score for Hudgins to make it 9-4 with 3:34 left in the first. After a 7-1 Buffs run, Olivia Hamlin knocked down a top-of-the-key triple to pull the Cougars within seven at 15-8. A Colorado layup put the home team up 17-8 heading to the second.

BYU surrendered 11 offensive rebounds in the opening quarter, leading to seven second-chance points. Colorado also converted seven Cougar turnovers into nine points en route to a 17-8 first-quarter lead.

Second Quarter

CU opened the second with six-straight points before back-to-back scores by Hamlin cut a 15-point Buffs lead to 13 with 7:08 left in the second. A 12-0 run by the Buffaloes pushed the lead to a game-high 25. With 2:56 left in the half, Gibb scored off a backdoor cut assisted by Hattie Ogden.

BYU cut the halftime deficit to 23 with a driving score by Braeden Gunlock and a pair of free throws with just seconds remaining in the half. Colorado took nine more shots than the Cougars in the opening half, outrebounded BYU 31-10, including 14 offensive rebounds leading to 11 second-chance points.

Third Quarter

BYU opened the scoring with a bucket by Lara Rohkohl, assisted by Gibb, to trim the lead to 21, but Colorado responded with eight-straight points to push its lead to 29 with 6:29 to play in the third. A layup by Bolanle Yussuf, assisted by Gibb, snapped a 2:12 scoring drought before Gibb scored high off the glass.

Out of the media timeout, Kambree Barber kicked to Hamlin on a flare screen for three to pull the Cougars within 24 at 51-27. BYU trailed 58-31 after three quarters.

Fourth Quarter

After four Colorado points, Benally and Hamlin scored back-to-back buckets, Benally a jumper from the middle of the lane and Hamlin a layup off a steal near midcourt. After a steal by Barber on the ensuing inbound, Barber was fouled and hit both free throws to trim the CU lead to 26 with 7:14 remaining.

After a Buffs bucket, Heather Hamson was fouled and split a pair at the line before Hamson found a cutting Hamlin for a score off the window to make it 68-48. Out of the final media timeout, Arielle Mackey-Williams drove to the rim, was fouled and went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.

A driving layup by Mackey-Williams and a layup by Yussuf closed out a 76-46 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Up Next

BYU will look to bounce back on Tuesday night as the Cincinnati Bearcats visit the Marriott Center for a 7 p.m. MT tilt. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast live on BYU Radio 107.9, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App.