The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (9-4, 0-2 in Big 12) suffered its second consecutive loss 75-56 against the University of Colorado, Boulder. The teams met on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. MST in the CU Events Center. This game was the Wildcats first away game of the season and their second conference game. 

The Wildcats fell behind early and were unable to recover.   

Key players 

Leading the way for the Wildcats was Mickayla Perdue, who collected 22 points and shot five 3-pointers. Following Perdue, Noelani Cornfield tallied 13 points and three assists for Arizona, marking her sixth consecutive game scoring double figures. Redshirt junior Tanyuel Welch was essential, grabbing eight rebounds along with 12 points. This was Welch’s fourth consecutive game hitting double figures.  

Logyn Greer was the top scorer for the Buffs with 14 points followed by Jade Masogayo who collected 13 points. Anaelle Dutat led Colorado with 12 rebounds.   

First half 

The Buffs got the first points on the board after Zyanna Walker hit a 3-pointer about one minute into the game. Colorado began building a 7 point lead before Perdue made a 3-pointer with an assist from Daniah Trammeli putting Arizona on the board. Cornfield made a driving layup with 0:18 left in the first quarter marking Arizona’s second basket of the game. 

The Wildcats were facing a 12 point deficit by the end of the first quarter. They struggled to maintain possession, which gave Colorado more opportunities to score. Blessing Adebanjo made a free throw that brought the Wildcats into double digits, making it 28-10 with 3:35 minutes left in the second quarter. With 1:17 left, Welch made a 3-pointer off an assist from Adebanjo. It was 32-18 at halftime and Arizona was down 14.   

Second half 

The Wildcats began to push back in the second half by tightening their defense, leaving the Buffs with fewer scoring opportunities. Perdue’s layup brought the Wildcats to trail 32-20 after a steal from Sumayah Sugapong. A foul on Nora Francois sent Boulder to the free-throw line to shoot two. These free-throws were immediately followed by a 3-pointer by Perdue. 

Arizona continued to chip away at the deficit. Another 3-pointer from Perdue assisted by Welch brought the gap down to a 10 point difference. The Wildcats were on a roll as shortly after a driving layup was made by Welch making it 39-31. This didn’t last long as the Buffs pulled away again with shots from Jade Masogayo and Greer. The third quarter ended with the Wildcats behind 51-36. 

Arizona continued to push in the fourth quarter and put defensive pressure on the Buffs. This was not enough as Colorado pulled away too early and maintained control throughout the game. Colorado won 75-56.   

Looking forward 

Arizona will remain on the road taking on Texas Tech University this Saturday, Jan. 3 at 5 p.m. MST. This game will be streaming on ESPN+ for Arizona fans to watch at home. 

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