This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you may go to the hyperlink bellow: https://cubuffs.com/news/2026/3/19/womens-basketball-buffs-travel-to-nashville-for-ncaa-first-roundand if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us [ad_1] GAME #34 • Saturday, March 21 • 7:30 p.m. MT Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tenn. [10] Colorado (22-11, 11-7 Big 12) vs. [7] Illinois (21-11, 9-9 Big Ten) TIP: 7:32 p.m. MT WATCH: ESPN2 (https://buffs.me/4se8IeN) (Jay Alter, Kim Adams) RADIO: Colorado's News, Talk & Sports Station, KOA 850AM / 94.1FM (Cory Lopez, Carol Callan) LISTEN ONLINE: Sirius XM 84, and on the SiriusXM App, or at LIVE STATISTICS: SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 4-2 (.667) LAST MEETING: W, 79-56 (Dec. 7, 2013 • Boulder, Colo.) STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-2 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Colorado ladies's basketball crew (22-11, 11-7 Big 12) is again in motion on the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament this week at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn. The Tenth-seeded Buffs will match up with seven-seed Illinois (21-11, 9-9 Big Ten) on Mar. 21 at 7:30 p.m. MT within the first spherical of the match. In the opposite first-round match on the Nashville web site, second-seeded host No. 6 Vanderbilt (27-4, 13-3 SEC) will tackle Big South Conference match champion High Point (27-5, 13-3 Big South). The winners of the 2 first-round contests will meet within the second spherical on Monday, Mar. 23. The Buffs meet the Fighting Illini for the seventh time in program historical past on Saturday and for the primary time since 2013. CU sports activities a two-game profitable streak versus Illinois, beating the Illini by 23 factors of their final assembly in Boulder, 79-56 (Dec. 7, 2013). This would be the groups' first assembly within the NCAA Tournament. The Buffs performed three Big 12 Tournament video games two weeks in the past, beating Kansas (55-48, Mar. 5) and No. 20 Baylor (62-53, Mar. 6), and falling by only one level to No. 15 West Virginia (48-47, Mar. 7). After taking over West Virginia, Colorado is 12-16 in Big 12 Tournament play and 43-39 in convention match video games general. TIP-OFF (TL;DR) 
 CU is led by Tenth-year head coach JR Payne, who has led the Buffs to a 186-127 (.594) file as CU's eighth head ladies's basketball coach. Coach Payne has been prolonged via the 2031 season and has led the Buffs to now 4 NCAA appearances, two WNIT appearances and one WBIT look.
 Colorado was awarded one of many 37 at-large berths into the 2026 NCAA match and can make its seventeenth look within the nationwide tourney. The Buffs acquired the 10-seed in one of many two Fort Worth quadrants of the bracket and can face Illinois (21-11, 9-9 Big 10) in a first-round sport.
 In its second yr again within the Big 12, Colorado completed sixth within the convention. Colorado is 120-156 (.435) general in Big 12 convention play. The Buffs boasted an 11-7 file in convention play this season, they usually have been a six-seed within the convention match.
 CU is receiving votes within the USA Today/WBCA (thirty third) ballot for the third week in a row and within the AP ballot for the second time this season (twenty ninth). The Buffs are forty sixth within the NET rankings and forty first within the WAB.
 The Buffs return 4 from the 2024-25 roster: Sr. F Jade Masogayo, So. G Kennedy Sanders, fifth C JoJo Nworie and So. F Tabitha Betson. Colorado has 10 newcomers on the squad for the 2025-26 season, 5 transfers and 5 freshmen.
 Jr. G Desiree Wooten acquired All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Wooten is ranked 18th within the Big 12 Conference for scoring, averaging 13.3 factors per sport. She additionally ranked twentieth in free throw share, taking pictures 72.2% from the road, and tied for nineteenth in assists per sport with 2.6. Wooten led the Buffs in scoring within the Big 12 Tournament, averaging 150 factors per sport and accumulating 45 complete factors.
 Named to each the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, Jr. G Zyanna Walker is third general within the convention with 67 steals in 30 common season video games performed. Walker is tied for fourth general within the convention with 2.1 steals per sport. She is ranked twenty second within the convention in free throw share with 68.5%. This is Walker's second All-Defensive Team choice, in addition to second within the Big 12, having earned it on the finish of final season at Kansas State. Walker had the second most factors for Colorado within the Big 12 Tourney, ending with 41 and averaging 13.7 factors per sport. She additionally led CU in assists with eight complete, 2.67 per sport.
 Sr. F Jade Masogayo was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Masogayo is ranked twenty first in convention for blocks per sport with 0.8, and he or she is 18th free of charge throw share wit 75.5%. This marks Masogayo's second All-Conference award within the Big 12 after being named honorable point out on the finish of final season. Masogayo had 19 common season video games with double-digit factors, and had a stretch of 10 double-digit level video games in a row throughout convention play. In the Big 12 Tournament, she had 18 factors (6.0 ppg), 15 rebounds (5.0 rbg), 4 assists, two blocks and two steals.
 Fr. F Logyn Greer was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Greer had 15 common season video games this season with double-digit factors and recorded a double-double in opposition to Miami (OH) with 12 factors and 12 rebounds. Greer shot 52.6% within the Big 12 Tournament, averaging 8.3 factors per sport and totaling 25. She additionally had 13 rebounds and 6 blocks within the tourney.
 Sr. F Anaëlle Dutat leads the Big 12 in offensive rebounds per sport (3.9) and complete offensive rebounds (128), and he or she is tied for second in convention for rebounds per sport (8.1). Dutat led the Buffs in offensive, defensive and complete rebounds within the Big 12 Tournament with 11, 14 and 25, respectively, averaging 8.3 per sport.
 As a crew, the Buffs are second within the Big 12 for offensive rebounds per sport (13.2), third for rebounding margin (6.9), sixth for scoring protection (60.7), sixth for rebounds per sport (38.2), and seventh for scoring margin (7.1).
 ROAM WITH THE BUFFS: The Buffs' sport versus [7] Illinois might be broadcast on ESPN2. The Buffs are on the radio through the CUBuffs.com web site and Varsity app for each sport. The pregame present, Buffs Warm-up, begins a half-hour earlier than tip and features a pregame interview with Coach Payne. At halftime, keep tuned for a get-to-know interview with gamers and coaches. Colorado will broadcast NCAA match video games on Colorado's News, Talk & Sports Station, KOA 850AM / 94.1FM. Available on the Varsity app. Fans may observe Colorado video games via reside stats with hyperlinks accessible at CUBuffs.com. NCAA TOURNEY BITES: The Buffs make their first look within the postseason match because the 2023-24 season, and this system's seventeenth general. The Black and Gold have reached three Elite Eights and are 21-16 (.568) in NCAA match video games. Since this system's inception, Colorado has superior to eight regional championship video games (Sweet Sixteens), 12 second-round appearances, and 16 first-round appearances (two first-round byes). In 2024, the Buffs reached their second Sweet Sixteen in as a few years, defeating 12-seed Drake (86-72) and four-seed Kansas State (63-50) within the first and second rounds, respectively. Colorado fell within the spherical of 16 to top-seeded Iowa, 89-68 (Mar. 30, 2024). The Buffs are 5-8 because the decrease seed in March Madness, and 9-12 in video games performed outdoors Boulder. LET'S TALK ABOUT 10-SEEDS: Since the NCAA Tourney expanded to 64 groups in 1994 (31 tournaments), No. 10-seeds are 43-81 (.347) within the first spherical. In 18 of these 31 tournaments, there have been two 10-seeds that beat the seven-seed. In 25 of these 31 tournaments, not less than one 10-seed beat the seven-seed. BACK TO NASHVEGAS: The Buffs are enjoying on Commodore turf for the fifth time within the final 25 years. Three of the final 4 instances Colorado performed in Memorial Gymnasium have been in 2001 – twice within the NCAA match on the finish of the 2000-01 season, and as soon as in nonconference play within the 2001-02 season. The Buffs gained of their most up-to-date outing in Nashville – a 62-51 victory over Vanderbilt on Dec. 9, 2007. MILESTONE WATCH: So. F Tabitha Betson has 195 rebounds, 5 away from 200, and 273 factors, 27 away from 300. Sr. F Anaëlle Dutat has 775 factors, 25 away from 800. Sr. F Jade Masogayo has 1,296 profession factors, 4 away from 1,300. Jr. G Maeve McErlane has 199 factors, one away from 200. MILESTONE CHECK: Jr. G Desiree Wooten reached 1,000 profession factors in opposition to West Virginia within the Big 12 Tournament (Mar. 7), and 300 profession rebounds. Jr. G Zyanna Walker reached 900 factors within the Big 12 Tournament. Jr. G Maeve McErlane reached 100 rebounds within the Big 12 Tournament. Fr. F Logyn Greer reached 300 profession factors within the Big 12 Tournament. Sr. F Anaëlle Dutat reached 117 offensive rebounds on the season, setting this system file for offensive boards in a single season (vs. BYU, Feb. 28). For extra info on the Colorado ladies's basketball crew, an entire schedule and outcomes, please go to CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can observe the crew on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWBB. [ad_2] This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you may go to the hyperlink bellow: https://cubuffs.com/news/2026/3/19/womens-basketball-buffs-travel-to-nashville-for-ncaa-first-roundand if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us