There’s nothing like seeing the ball go through the hoop a few times to spark some confidence, and Ayianna Johnson gained a lot of it on Saturday.
A 6-foot-3 sophomore forward in her first season with the Colorado women’s basketball team, Johnson has had a roller coaster season, but posted a career-high 20 points in the Buffaloes’ 83-60 win against Houston on Saturday.
“I think it definitely gave me some confidence in being like, ‘OK, I still got it,’” said Johnson, who made 10 of 15 shots against the Cougars. “It’s that time of the season where your body starts to hurt, so this definitely felt good.”
It came at a good time for Johnson and CU, which snapped a two-game skid and will look to keep the momentum going when No. 19 Baylor visits the Events Center on Wednesday night.
Johnson wasn’t the only young player to step up against Houston, as freshmen Grace Oliver and Erin Powell both posted their first career double-doubles and redshirt freshman Kennedy Sanders had a career-high 18 points.
“Confidence is such an important factor in anyone’s ability to be successful,” CU head coach JR Payne said. “So I think for them to be able to get the minutes, to play that many minutes and to really impact the game in a positive way, I think feeds confidence into themselves and each other going down the home stretch of season.”
Led by the youth, CU dominated despite missing four starters against Houston. The Buffs might be without those four again, as Frida Formann (foot), Jade Masogayo (undisclosed), Sara-Rose Smith (foot) and Kindyll Wetta (concussion) are all day-to-day.
Without that foursome, CU misses its top two scorers (Formann and Masogayo), top two rebounders (Smith and Masogayo), top point guard and perimeter defender (Wetta) and primary 3-point threat (Formann).
Against Houston, however, Johnson and others stepped up.
“This is a big opportunity,” said Johnson, who came into that game averaging just 4.2 points and had scored a total of 19 points in her previous eight games combined. “I was like, ‘OK, if Jade’s out, it’s my time to step up, be a leader, be a role model, fill some big shoes.’”
Filling those shoes against last-place Houston was great, but the young Buffs might be asked to do it against a Baylor team that has won six straight and is tied for first-place in the Big 12.
“I think Baylor is one of the best teams in the conference,” Payne said. “Obviously they’re up near the top, and they’re just very well-rounded. So they have a lot of experience, size, athleticism, shooters; just a really well-rounded ball club.”
It’s a Baylor club anchored in the middle by former Buffs star Aaronette Vonleh, who will make her first visit to the Events Center since transferring last summer. A two-time All-Pac-12 performer at CU, Vonleh had 15 points and three rebounds in Baylor’s 76-62 win against the Buffs in Waco, Texas, on Jan. 4.
CU will hope to have Masogayo (13 points, six rebounds in the first matchup with Baylor) to counter Vonleh, but hopes Johnson and other youngsters can build on Saturday’s performance. Johnson had three offensive rebounds, while Oliver and Powell combined for 25 total rebounds.
“I think we just looked at (the Houston game) as an opportunity,” Johnson said. “We have Baylor coming on Wednesday, so just kind of getting back into the groove and being like, ‘All right, we can do this. We can make a run at the Big 12 championships,’ and that’s the goal. So we’re gonna see how it goes.”
With a win, CU could take a big step toward securing a top-eight spot and first-round bye for next month’s Big 12 tournament. With four games left in the regular season, the Buffs are currently eighth (8-6 in conference) and have a two-game lead on Arizona (6-8) and Cincinnati (6-8), who are tied for ninth. The Buffs are a game behind seventh-place Iowa State (9-5).
CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. No. 19 Baylor
TIPOFF: Wednesday, 7 p.m., CU Events Center in Boulder
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 17-8, 8-6 Big 12; Baylor 22-5, 12-2 Big 12
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 9th season (160-110; 261-223 career). Baylor — Nicki Collen, 4th season (96-33).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Tabitha Betson, 6-2, Fr. (5.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, .385 3pt%); F Nyamer Diew, 6-2, Sr. (7.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .371 3pt%); F Lior Garzon, 6-1, Sr. (10.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Jr. (12.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .583 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (4.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg); G Johanna Teder, 5-8, Sr. (4.8 ppg, 1.8 apg, .484 FG%, .388 3pt%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Sr. (5.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.9 spg). Baylor — G Sarah Andrews, 5-6, Sr. (11.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.3 spg, .366 3pt%); G Yaya Felder, 5-8, Sr. (10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, .394 3pt%); G/F Bella Fontleroy, 6-0, Jr. (9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg); G/F Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, 6-1, Jr. (14.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 bpg, .535 FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Sr. (13.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .591 FG%); G Jada Walker, 5-7, Sr. (10.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.5 spg).
NOTES: CU is 13-1 at home this season, including 7-0 in Big 12 play. Overall, CU has won 10 straight at home. … CU is 2-3 against AP top 25 teams this year, including 2-0 in conference (both wins at home). … Masogayo missed the last game with an injury, but has been CU’s top scorer (12.9 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (5.5) in conference games. … In Big 12 play, Masogayo is second in the conference in field goal percentage (.602), while Vonleh is fourth (.576) and Littlepage-Buggs fifth (.568). … Littlepage-Buggs leads the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5 per game). … Baylor leads the all-time series with CU 13-8, but the teams have split their 10 meetings in Boulder (5-5). Baylor’s win in Waco on Jan. 4 was the first meeting between the teams since 2011. … CU has lost nine in a row to the Bears, dating back to a 69-59 win in Waco on Jan. 7, 2004. … Baylor is second in the Big 12 in scoring during conference play (77.6), while CU is 11th (64.2). They are close in scoring defense, however, with CU allowing 65.4 (seventh) and Baylor 64.6 (sixth). … As of Tuesday, CU was at No. 62 in the NET rankings, while Baylor was No. 18.