CU Buffs women dominate MTSU, advance in NCAA Tourney – Pointypress

DURHAM, N.C. – Several of the experts picked Colorado to be an upset victim.

At the very least, a tough wire-to-wire battle with Middle Tennessee figured to be on tap for the Buffaloes.

But this? This was not expected.

Led by Frida Formann catching fire from 3-point range, the CU women’s basketball team dominated Middle Tennessee, 82-60, on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Sixth-seeded CU (24-8) will face the winner of Saturday night’s Duke-Iona game Monday night at Cameron. This is CU’s first win in the NCAA Tournament since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2003.

Formann finished with 21 points and hit 5 of 8 3-pointers, but she wasn’t alone in firing and hitting from beyond the arc.

Overall, CU was 13 of 27 from 3-point range. It’s the most 3-pointers ever made by a CU team in the NCAA Tournament and just the 10th time in program history the Buffs have hit that many in a game.

Jaylynn Sherrod added 13 points and six assists, while Aaronette Vonleh had 11 points.

MTSU (28-5), the Conference USA regular season and tournament champs, had won 10 in a row coming in, but couldn’t find its rhythm all night. The Blue Raiders were just 4 of 24 from 3-point range.

Kindyll Wetta drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a great first half for the Buffs.

After a slow start for both teams, Tayanna Jones hit consecutive 3s to spark a 12-0 run that gave the Buffs a 17-6 lead with 3:13 to go in the first quarter.

CU never trailed again, but MTSU sliced into the lead in the second quarter. A layup from the Blue Raiders’ Alexis Whittington with 1:52 to go in the quarter cut CU’s lead to 33-28.

The Buffs responded with a 9-0 run — capped by Wetta’s buzzer beater — to end the half.

Formann then hit a 3 in the opening moments of the third and two more a few minutes later as CU increased its lead to 21, at 56-35, midway through the quarter.

By the end of the third, Wetta had hit another 3 to increase the lead to 70-44.

CU’s lead reached 31 points in the fourth before MTSU closed the game on an 11-2 run over the last 6 minutes.