In Kansas City, Missouri, Lior Garzon led the charge for Colorado with a stellar 21-point performance, while teammate Jade Masogayo contributed 14 points, securing a 66-58 victory over sixteenth-seeded Houston in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament on Wednesday. With this win, ninth-seeded Colorado (19-11) advanced to face eight-seed Arizona in the second round, scheduled for Thursday. Last month, Colorado experienced success against Arizona, winning 56-47 on their home court.
Despite the best efforts of Laila Blair, who scored 15 points, and Gia Cooke’s 13 points, Houston (5-25) couldn’t overcome their losing streak, which extended to 13 games. Eylia Love added 11 points and Leilani Augmon chipped in with 10 as the Cougars rallied to score 26 points in the fourth quarter, having amassed just 32 points in the preceding three quarters.
Throughout the match, Colorado was plagued by ball-handling errors, culminating in a season-high 33 turnovers. A significant portion, 14 turnovers, occurred in the fourth quarter alone, converting into 16 points for Houston. Nonetheless, the Buffaloes managed to maintain their lead, particularly after Masogayo’s layup cemented a 57-43 advantage with 3:40 remaining on the clock. By making 9 out of 10 free throws in the closing stages, Colorado ensured their place in the subsequent round.
Colorado built momentum early in the game, closing the first quarter with back-to-back three-pointers from Garzon and Johanna Teder, establishing a 19-12 lead. A dominant start to the second quarter saw the Buffaloes score eight unanswered points, pushing the lead to 27-12.
Although Houston managed to close the gap to 29-20 by halftime and remained competitive, narrowing the lead to just six points early in the third quarter, Colorado responded to the challenge. Garzon’s layup and three-pointer sparked a 9-0 run, while Ayianna Johnson’s precise free-throw shooting, four successful attempts in the last 16 seconds, expanded the lead to 49-32.
In the fourth quarter, Augmon and Blair injected energy into the Cougars’ efforts, closing the margin to 10 points midway through. Blair’s remarkable four-point play further reduced the deficit to 53-58 with just 25 seconds on the clock. However, Colorado’s sustained composure and execution ultimately sealed their progression in the tournament.
