What the Colorado women’s basketball team has done to this point has been impressive.
The 11-game nonconference slate isn’t what the eighth-ranked Buffaloes came into this season looking to dominate, however.
On Saturday, CU will host No. 12 Utah in the first of many upper-echelon battles during the final season of Pac-12 basketball.
“Because we have so many players that have been through the gauntlet of the Pac-12, I think everyone’s just very refocused,” said CU head coach JR Payne, whose team will hit the court after a nine-day break. “It’s kind of feeling like this is a new season. The first part of the season was great, second part begins now. I’m just excited for what’s going to be such a difficult Pac-12 Conference.”
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Although ranked No. 8 nationally, the Buffs are just the third-highest ranked from the conference, behind No. 2 UCLA and No. 6 USC. Stanford, at No. 9, and Utah aren’t far behind. Washington and Washington State are both receiving votes and have been ranked this season. Oregon State is 11-0 and also receiving votes.
To this point in the season, no team in the conference is worse than 8-4.
“Oh, I think it’s the best it’s ever been top to bottom,” Payne said. “I think it’s awesome. It always is intense. It’s always so well-coached and so many talented players and things like that, but it’s even more exciting just being that it’s the last of the Pac-12 seasons, and it’s going to be the best.”
Coloradoxe2x80x99s Quay Miller looks to make a move on UNCxe2x80x99s Aniah Hall in Boulder on Dec. 21, 2023.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
All 12 teams will be in different conferences next year, with CU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State heading to the Big 12. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will go to the Big Ten, while California and Stanford will be in the ACC. Oregon State and Washington State are being added as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for basketball.
CU hasn’t won a regular season conference title since 1994-95 (Big Eight) and would love to finish the Pac-12 era with a banner.
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“We’re really excited (for the Pac-12 season),” center Aaronette Vonleh said. “Preseason is fun. You get to play teams you don’t usually see, but to be able to get back into conference and, it’s kind of the last year of the Pac-12 now, so it’s even more special. We want to end it on an even higher note, like win the last Pac-12 Championship. … That’s like making history.”
That’s not going to be an easy task, however, with so many elite teams in the conference. Four of the Buffs’ first seven conference games are against teams in the top 12.
“It’s gonna be a hard few months because you don’t really get a break and you’re just playing top 10 teams back-to-back-to-back,” guard Kindyll Wetta said. “That’s what we’re here for and that’s what we’re excited to do.”
A year ago, CU was third in the Pac-12 standings, the program’s best regular season conference finish since 2003-04 (third in the Big 12). But guard Jaylyn Sherrod and center Quay Miller both returned for a bonus fifth season (granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic) aiming for more with a strong core group around them.
“We feel like Quay and Jaylyn and some of these guys came back to see how well we could finish during this part of the season,” Payne said. “It wasn’t necessarily about the first part of the season. But I think we’re definitely excited and motivated.”
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CU isn’t looking too far ahead, though. The opening game, against Utah, is a significant test right out of the gate.
“I think both teams are really good,” Payne said. “Both teams are very veteran-laden. Both teams are hungry to do well and feel like they have the personnel to go far in the season and so I would expect it to be a really, really fun and tough game.”
In recent years, CU and Utah have split their season series, so it’s a good Pac-12 opener to test the Buffs’ focus.
“I think it does (help) because we do know they’re gonna be a very good team,” Wetta said. “Historically we’ve been win one, lose one with them. It will definitely heighten the level of (the game).”
No. 8 CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. No. 12 Utah Utes
TIPOFF: Saturday, 1 p.m., CU Events Center in Boulder
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 8th season (129-94; 230-207 career). Utah — Lynne Roberts, 9th season (149-106; 370-281 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G Frida Formann, 5-11, Sr. (15.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, .496 FG%, .481 3PT%, 1.000 FT%); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Sr. (10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg); G Tameiya Sadler, 5-8, Sr. (5.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.2 spg); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Sr. (13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.0 spg, .485 FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Jr. (15.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, .651 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Jr. (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, .492 FG%). Utah — F Jenna Johnson, 6-2, Jr. (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, .558 FG%); G Kennady McQueen, 5-10, Jr. (9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, .518 FG%, .467 3-PT%); F Alissa Pili, 6-2, Sr. (23.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 bpg, .697 FG%, .565 3-PT%); F Reese Ross, 6-1, Fr. (8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .627 FG%, .609 3-PT%); G Ines Vieira, 5-6, Jr. (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 3.3 spg).
NOTES: This is the final Pac-12 opener for both teams, as Colorado and Utah will both join the Big 12 next summer. … CU is 3-9 in Pac-12 openers since joining the conference, including a loss at Utah in last year’s conference opener. … The Buffs are 21-21 all-time against Utah, including 11-8 in Boulder. … This is the first time that CU and Utah are both ranked among the top 25 when squaring off. … CU has held steady at No. 8 for the past four weeks. The Buffs have been in the top 10 for seven straight weeks, the longest stretch for the program since a 16-week run during the 1994-95 season. … Since CU and Utah joined the Pac-12 together in the summer of 2011, the Buffs are 14-11 against the Utes. … Last year, the two teams split their series, with Utah winning in Salt Lake City (85-58 on Dec. 14, 2022) and CU winning in Boulder (77-67 on Jan. 6). … Utah is third in the country in scoring (93.3 points per game), while CU is 15th (84.0). … The Buffs are 66-210 all-time against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 10-48 under Payne. The Buffs are 7-8 in their last 15 games against top 25 teams. … Utah is 5-63 all-time against opponents ranked in the Top 10, with all five wins at home. The highest-ranked team the Utes have ever defeated on the road was No. 15 Oregon State on Dec. 8, 2020. … Utah is 10-54 against ranked opponents under Roberts, including 0-2 this year. … CU’s only loss came against then-No. 10 North Carolina State (now No. 3) in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Nov. 25. … Utah lost at No. 21 Baylor on Nov. 14 and to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 10 in Uncasville, Conn.
Utah — The Utah ski industry isn’t usually the first in North America to open. However, two Utah ski resorts are already open in early November.
Solitude Mountain Resort was the first to open in Utah, as their season kicked off at 9 a.m. local time. Solitude Mountain has opened up the Link chairlift for skiing and riding. Easy Street will be the only trail open off the chairlift. Solitude parks crew has also been busy, adding 7-8 features on the trail. Solitude will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend, with lift tickets costing only $25. Solitude will then close back down to continue working on their early season snowmaking efforts.
However, Solitude wasn’t the only ski resort that open today. At 10 a.m. local time, Brian Head Resort opened up for the season. They’ve opened up the Paradise Strip, Freemont, and Easy Time trails, which are serviced by the Navajo Expres chairlift. This is Brian Head’s second-earliest opening, with the earliest ever being November 4, 2022. Brian Head plans to remain open daily until May 4th.
Brighton is likely the next ski resort to open. Yesterday, the Utah ski resort announced that they’re opening next Thursday, November 14th. The Majestic and Explorer chairlifts will be spinning, and snowmaking has commeneced on the terrain around Crest 6 to get that part of the mountain operational soon.
It’s a good start so far for Utah, but let’s hope they keep getting snow so they can get the steeper terrain open.
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Image/Video Credits: Brian Head Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort (@flanellifestyles)
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Utah Jazz (1-7, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (4-5, 12th in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes San Antonio and Utah will play on Saturday.
San Antonio finished 22-60 overall, 14-37 in Western Conference play and 12-29 at home during the 2023-24 season. The Spurs averaged 112.1 points per game last season, 51.4 in the paint, 15.4 off of turnovers and 15.6 on fast breaks.
Utah went 31-51 overall and 16-36 in Western Conference play during the 2023-24 season. The Jazz averaged 115.7 points per game last season, 18.8 from the free-throw line and 38.7 from deep.
INJURIES: Spurs: Devin Vassell: out (foot), Tre Jones: out (ankle), Jeremy Sochan: out (thumb).
Jazz: Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned to the lineup Thursday night against Utah in the team’s first game since he was taken to the hospital after getting hit in the neck with a puck.
Holloway participated in the Blues’ morning skate at Enterprise Center and declared he felt good to return, and coach Drew Bannister put him in the starting lineup.
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“Talking to the doctor at the hospital, he said just no activity for 24 hours. But other than that, I’m fine,” Holloway said at morning skate. “All my tests came back good. There’s no further damage — nothing. It was kind of the best news I could get, and I feel like I’m ready to go.
Holloway was hurt late in the first period of St. Louis’ 3-2 victory on Tuesday night when he was struck by a puck off the stick of Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul. Play was stopped with 1:11 left in the period, and referees sent the teams to the locker rooms early after Holloway was taken from the bench area on a stretcher.
“It was definitely kind of crazy. I felt pretty fortunate. I had a Iot of people reach out to see if I was OK,” said Holloway, who signed with the Blues after appearing in the Stanley Cup final last season with Edmonton.
“I appreciate all the love and the support that I was getting. The team has been great, all the boys have been great, the coach has been great. I’m just thankful to have such a supportive group around me.”
Holloway said he felt dizzy and nauseous at the hospital but has had no other ill effects other than a bruise at the base of his neck.
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“I just want to go out there and kind of forget about it, put it in the past,” Holloway said. “I feel good and I’m just excited to get out there.”
Bannister said Holloway rode an exercise bike Wednesday and then “pushed himself hard” during the morning skate.
“He’s a worker. He has a high motor. The way we want to play, he dictates a lot of the play,” Bannister said. “He dictates a lot of the energy that happens on the bench and on the ice. He just works to get pucks back and he uses his speed. He does a lot of things really well and he’s fit in nicely.”
“Whether we’ve put him at center or put him at wing, he’s found a way to contribute to the team game and contribute on the scoreboard but also defensively.”
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