At some point, the Colorado women’s basketball team will need to find wins on the road to make a run at the top of the Big 12 standings.
Protecting the home court is crucial, however. On Saturday the Buffaloes will have another opportunity to get a victory in Boulder as Kansas visits the CU Events Center.
“I think it’s essential,” CU head coach JR Payne said of winning conference home games. “There’s so many good teams in the conference, and so many dangerous teams; like, teams that maybe you don’t think are gonna be able to sneak up on you or sneak up on somebody else, are going to. It’s going to happen, so I think protecting home court becomes even more crucial than it’s ever been.”
In the early part of their return season to the Big 12, the Buffs are 0-2 in conference road games, but 2-0 at home, including Wednesday’s 81-62 victory against Central Florida.
“We’re thrilled to play at home,” Payne said. “I think Kansas is a really, really good team. I think they’re a dangerous team. They guard so well. I’m glad we’re playing them at home and hopefully we’ll continue to play well here.”
Kansas is 1-1 in road games, losing at Iowa State on New Year’s Day and then winning at Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.
Although the Jayhawks are 1-3 so far in the Big 12, they are led by first-team all-conference guard S’Mya Nichols. She is second in the Big 12 in scoring, at 22.0 points per game.
“I think she’s similar to the Peterson kid from UCF in that she can score on three levels,” Payne said, referring to UCF’s Kaitlin Peterson, who had 24 points against the Buffs on Wednesday. “She’s strong, she’s athletic. She’s pretty savvy.”
Peterson went 15-for-17 at the free throw line against the Buffs, but nobody in the country is better at getting to the line than Nichols. The 6-foot guard leads the country in free throw attempts (163) and makes (134). She averages 10.9 free throw attempts per game, 3.5 more than any other player in the Big 12.
CU’s defense, including point guards Kindyll Wetta and Kennedy Sanders, have to avoid getting in foul trouble against Nichols.
“That’s the hard thing is (Nichols) does a great job of drawing fouls,” Payne said. “She’s not just really aggressive, but she’s very savvy and smart and does a great job of drawing contact.
“We definitely need to be mindful of when and where we’re going to be risky defensively, and make sure we can contest shots without fouling and things like that. It’s tough, though.”
The Buffs, however, have the home court advantage, as well as momentum after Wednesday’s win against UCF.
“We definitely are in the right head space, and feeling good about how we played last game, and feeling capable of being efficient offensively and defensively,” Payne said. “So we’re definitely ready.”
CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. Kansas
TIPOFF: Saturday, 1 p.m. MT, CU Events Center in Boulder
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 11-4, 2-2 Big 12; Kansas 11-4, 1-3 Big 12
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 9th season (154-106; 255-219 career). Kansas — Brandon Schneider, 10th season (138-153; 539-291 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Nyamer Diew, 6-2, Sr. (6.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg); G Frida Formann, 5-10, Sr. (14.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, .403 3pt%); F Lior Garzon, 6-1, Sr. (11.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Jr. (12.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .590 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (5.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg); G Johanna Teder, 5-11, Sr. (4.8 ppg, 1.9 apg, .529 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Sr. (5.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.9 spg). Kansas — G Laia Conessa, 5-11, So. (6.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg); G Sania Copeland, 5-7, Jr. (6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, .381 3pt%); G Elle Evans, 6-3, Jr. (13.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg); G S’Mya Nichols, 6-0, So. (22.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.6 spg, .410 3pt%); F Regan Williams, 6-3, Fr. (7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .538 FG%).
NOTES: CU completes a two-game homestand by renewing a rivalry with Kansas. The Buffs defeated Central Florida, 81-62, on Wednesday, behind 22 points from Frida Formann. … The Buffs are 8-1 at home, while KU is 1-1 on the road this season. … CU is 33-36 all-time against Kansas, but has lost the last six meetings. CU hasn’t defeated the Jayhawks since Feb. 18, 2009, in Boulder. The teams haven’t played since Kansas’ 67-52 upset of the Buffs in Boulder during the NCAA Tournament on March 23, 2013. … Although it’s been nearly 12 years since they last met, CU has faced the Jayhawks 69 times, making them one of the three most common opponents in Buffs history, along with Missouri (71 times) and Nebraska (70). … Formann needs 20 points to reach 1,500 for her career. She is 15th on CU’s all-time scoring list with 1,480, just three points behind former teammate Jaylyn Sherrod (1,483 from 2019-24). … Formann also needs just three made field goals to reach 500 for her career. … Sara-Rose Smith is one rebound away from 500 for her career and Johanna Teder needs five points to reach 800. … On Wednesday, KU lost at home to No. 11 TCU, 80-73. Nichols has 24 points and Evans added 19. … Schneider was the Big 12 coach of the year in 2022 and has taken the Jayhawks to the postseason the last three years (2022 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments, 2023 WNIT championship).
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