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Written by Colin Wagner | CU Athletic Communications Associate
The No. 3 Buffaloes hopped back in the win column in its second top-6 matchup of the weekend, defeating No. 6 USC 63-59 Sunday at the CU Events Center. The win marked Colorado's third against a top-10 opponent this season, the most in program history.
Quay Miller and Jaylyn Sherrod led the Buffs to the nail-biting victory, combining for 36 of Colorado's 63 points.
The Buffaloes (16-2, 6-1 Pac-12) held the Trojans (13-3, 3-3 Pac-12) to just 12 points in both the second and fourth quarters as the defense made stops in the clutch.
"Another great crowd, awesome environment," said head coach JR Payne after the tight win. "I'm really, really proud of our team because we haven't played a ton of really close games this year where every single possession was crucial. But our veterans totally led us down the stretch of the game.
"They were communicating next-level things like who has the jump ball on a tie-up? How many fouls do they have to give? How do we want to get the ball? Just lots of really high-level thinking at the end of the game. I'm just really proud of these guys and having that mindset down the stretch, I think allowed us to be able to win the game."
Miller recorded yet another double-double, her fourth in the last five games, as she led the team with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She shot 7-for-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Sherrod showed up big in the fourth quarter with eight points, bringing her total to 17. She continued to climb up the all-time scoring ranks moving into sole possession of 19th all-time, surpassing 1,300 points in her career (1,302).
Tameiya Sadler and Kindyll Wetta both had solid performances off the bench this afternoon. Sadler recorded seven points in her 15 minutes while Wetta had two steals and dished out out six assists.
Wetta, who drew the assignment of USC standout freshman Juju Watkins, made her impact felt outside of the score column with three rebounds, two key steals and a block. The pesky guard was +10 on the afternoon in her 28 minutes.
"I just want the world to know that Kindyll Wetta is the best defender in America," Payne stated. "She is tough. She is fearless. She has cat-quick hands. She's disruptive. She can guard without fouling and she's totally annoying on defense to her opponent."
Colorado found a way to win down the stretch, despite committing more turnovers than the Trojans (15-12) and shooting just 25.0% from 3-point range (4-16). USC kept clawing back late, but CU's defense made the stops it needed to secure the victory.
Next, the Buffs will travel to Corvallis, Ore., to faceoff against Oregon State on Friday, January 26th at 8 p.m. MT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
USC came out firing in the third quarter, scoring the first eight points for a six-point advantage. Two minutes later, Miller helped the Buffs answer with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 40-40.
From there, the Buffs and the Trojans fought back and forth for the remainder of the quarter as Colorado held a 49-47 lead heading into the fourth.
Scoring was stagnant to start the final quarter as both teams combined for just five points through four minutes. The Buffs led 52-49 before USC hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 5:14 to go.
Wetta's defensive pressure paid off late in the quarter, forcing a steal and assisting on a Sherrod layup that Colorado up 56-52. But the Trojans would answer with a quick 4-0 run to tie the game at 56 with 1:33 to play.
Aaronette Vonleh converted on a second-chance layup, putting the Buffs back in front by two, 58-56. Colorado managed to get a stop defensively before Frida Formann knocked down two free throws with 20 seconds remaining.
The Trojans hit a 3-pointer out of a timeout to cut the lead to one, 60-59, and force a Colorado timeout. With 14 seconds to go, Sherrod made one of two free throws, making it 61-59.
The Buffs got a second defensive stand, leading to Vonleh icing the game with two successful free throws.
Miller was the catalyst for the Buffs early on Sunday, scoring eight of the Buffs' 14 first-quarter points. She was 4-for-4 in the opening quarter and had 11 points and six rebounds at the half.
Colorado's defense shut down the Trojans midway through the second quarter, holding USC to an 0-for-9 finish from the floor. The Trojans scored seven of its 12 second-quarter points from the free throw line, and the Buffs finished off the half with a Sherrod free throw to take a 32-30 lead at the intermission.
KEY MOMENT
With 49 seconds remaining in the game, Vonleh made a second-chance layup to put Colorado up by two at 58-56. After the bucket, the Buffs got a stop defensively, forcing USC to start fouling with 20 seconds left.
NEXT
No. 3 Colorado will travel to Corvallis to take on the Oregon State Beavers on Friday, January 26, at 8 p.m. MT.
NOTES