Women’s basketball: CU Buffs embrace challenge with No. 14 West Virginia coming to Boulder

One of the trademarks of the Colorado women’s basketball team in the past few years has been its ability to embrace the underdog role and rise to every challenge.

The roster this season is vastly different, but fifth-year senior Frida Formann believes that mentality hasn’t changed.

“Yeah, I think so,” she said as the Buffaloes prepared this week for Saturday’s Big 12 Conference opener against No. 14-ranked West Virginia. “It’s not like anyone in the Big 12, from the media’s perspective or anything, is expecting us to do big things. So we are naturally just an underdog.

“Then I think we’ve really been working on that, just, attack mentality of like, anyone who comes into our house, or every time we step in someone else’s house, we want to win. It doesn’t matter what they’re ranked or all that stuff. I think every game in this conference is very winnable, for sure.”

Despite back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the past two years, CU was projected for a ninth-place finish in its return season to the Big 12. That is, in large part, because the Buffaloes feature 10 new players.

The new-look Buffs now have 11 games under their belt, however, and head coach JR Payne believes her team is ready for conference play.

“Definitely ready,” she said. “We’re very excited. I thought the preseason was good and challenging, lots of road games and challenging things, but we’re really excited to get going.”

West Virginia is one of three ranked teams in the Big 12 – just behind No. 12 TCU and No. 13 Kansas State – and the Buffs are eager to jump into the fire, rather than easing into conference play.

“We always love a challenge, and we’re always glad to play at home, like every team in the country,” Payne said. “So, we might as well play one of the best right off the bat.”

The only returning starter from last year, Formann has been a part of a lot of big games with the Buffs, including several victories against ranked opponents.

CU lost its only previous game this year against a ranked team, 79-71 against then-No. 24 Louisville on Nov. 30 in Boulder, but it was one of its better games, minus about three minutes.

The Buffs led that game, 57-56, with 7 minutes, 20 seconds to play before the wheels fell off, as Louisville went on a 16-0 run during a stretch of 3:02. During the other 37 minutes of the game, CU outscored the Cardinals 71-63.

“When we had that Louisville game and played against another Power Five team, the energy we had – we shouldn’t play down to our opponent or anything, but it’s just really fun to play good opponents that have really great players, good coaching,” Formann said. “So I’m just really excited to do that every single week (in the Big 12), and really getting into our prep, executing scout, really caring about all that stuff. Just very excited for that to start.”

Formann is also eager to see how this version of the Buffs responds to a significant challenge before the holiday break.

“We get them at home, and I think we’re great at home,” she said. “You know us from past years, we don’t really back down from a challenge. Being the underdog is fine with us. I think it’s honestly perfect for us, them coming here right before Christmas. It’ll be good.”

CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. No. 14 West Virginia

TIPOFF: Saturday, 6 p.m., CU Events Center

TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM

RECORDS: Colorado 9-2; West Virginia 10-1

COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 9th season (152-104; 253-217 career). West Virginia — Mark Kellogg, 2nd season (35-9; 480-129 career).

KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Nyamer Diew, 6-2, Sr. (7.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg); G Frida Formann, 5-10, Sr. (14.1 ppg, 2.6 apg, .439 3Pt%); F Lior Garzon, 6-1, Sr. (12.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Jr. (10.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, .554 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (7.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, .368 3pt%); G Johanna Teder, 5-11, Sr. (5.5 ppg, 2.2 apg, .548 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Sr. (5.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.1 spg). West Virginia — F Kylee Blacksten, 6-3, Sr. (7.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg); G Jordan Harrison, 5-6, Jr. (15.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.8 spg, .438 3pt%); G JJ Quinerly, 5-8, Sr. (17.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.9 spg); G Sydney Shaw, 5-9, Jr. (12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.3 spg, .439 3pt%); F Jordan Thomas, 6-3, Fr. (8.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .621 FG%); G Kyah Watson, 5-10, Sr. (6.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.1 spg).

NOTES: The Buffs bring a three-game winning streak into their first Big 12 game in more than 13 years. CU spent the past 13 seasons in the Pac-12. … The Buffs were 4-9 in Pac-12 openers and went 7-8 in Big 12 openers during their first stint in the league (1996-2011). … This is the first-ever meeting between CU and West Virginia. The Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012, a year after CU left. … Wetta and her backup at the point, Kennedy Sanders, have missed the past two games with concussions, but they are expected to play on Saturday. … This will be CU’s only game in about a three-week stretch. The Buffs haven’t played since Dec. 10 against Denver and won’t play again until Jan. 1 at TCU. … This will be CU’s second game against a ranked opponent this season. The Buffs lost to then-No. 24 Louisville, 79-71, on Nov. 30 in Boulder. … West Virginia has won two in a row since its only loss, 78-73 to No. 5 Texas on Dec. 1 in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. … CU and WVU have one common opponent this year: Boise State. The Buffs lost at Boise State, 50-47, on Nov. 10, while the WVU routed the Broncos, 82-47 on Nov. 30 at the Gulf Coast Showcase. … Kellogg’s first head coaching job came at Fort Lewis College in Durango from 2005-12, going 173-46. … Blacksten, an Air Academy High School graduate, played her first two seasons at CU before transferring to WVU before the 22-23 season.

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