Colorado’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament run is now over as the No. 6 seed Buffs fell in the Sweet 16 to the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, 87-77.
Caitlin Clark was as good as advertised, scoring 31 points to go along with eight assists in leading the Hawkeyes to the Elite 8.
Colorado held a one-point lead at halftime, 40-39, thanks to Frida Formann’s four first-half 3s and 19 points. The Buffaloes did a good job in the first half of slowing down Clark, who missed seven first-half field goals and scored 11 points.
Colorado also did an incredible job on the offensive glass all game, pulling in 21 ORBs, although few led to immediate points.
The game turned in the third quarter. Iowa started the half on a 15-2 run to take control of the game. Iowa pushed its lead to 15 points during that third quarter before the Buffaloes started to chip away. Colorado was able to narrow Iowa’s lead to four before running out of steam late in the fourth quarter.
CU was in foul trouble for most of the game as Jaylyn Sherrod picked up two early fouls and stayed off the court for most of the first half and Formann fouled out at the 6:27 mark of the fourth.
The loss sends Colorado to the offseason with lofty goals for next year after reaching the program’s first Sweet 16 in 20 years.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
[lawrence-related id=19496,19549,19537]