Fast break
What went right: The Buffs did just enough throughout the night to give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter.
What went wrong: A bad start and a bad finish doomed the Buffs. Utah opened up an 12-4 lead early, and then outscored the Buffs 18-10 down the stretch.
Star of the game: Kennedy Leonard. The freshman had 16 points, five assists, seven steals and six rebounds, while making six of 10 shots from the floor.
What’s next: The Buffs host the Utes on Sunday at noon at Coors Events Center.
Freshman Kennedy Leonard had one of the best all-around games of her career on Thursday night, but it wasn’t enough to save the Colorado women’s basketball team.
Host Utah had five players score in double figures and the Utes pulled away late for a 71-55 victory against the Buffaloes at the Huntsman Center.
Colorado (6-16, 1-10 Pac-12) was unable to win its second conference game in a row, while Utah (13-9, 5-6) snapped a five-game skid.
Leonard, the Buffs’ dynamic young point guard, had 16 points and five assists. She also had a career-high seven steals and tied her career high with six rebounds.
Senior Jamee Swan had 12 points and six rebounds for the Buffs, who played without junior starter Lauren Huggins (concussion) for the third game in a row.
Makenzie Ellis converted a layup with 9 minutes, 15 seconds to play, cutting CU’s deficit to eight, 53-45. In the ensuing seven minutes, however, the Buffs were outscored 12-4, going 1-for-6 from the floor with four turnovers during that stretch.
CU never led and fell behind 12-4 early in the first quarter. The Buffs managed to stay within arms’ length, until the Utes’ late surge.
Colorado swept the two meetings with Utah last year and had won three in a row — and six of the last seven — against the Utes coming into the night.
Danielle Rodriguez led the Utes with 19 points and seven assists, while Malia Nawahine had 15 points.
Utah 71, Colorado 55
COLORADO (6-16, 1-10 Pac-12)
Robinson 3-9 2-2 8, Leonard 6-10 3-4 16, Correal 1-3 0-0 2, Smith 3-8 1-2 7, Swan 5-11 2-6 12, Ellis 3-7 0-0 6, Watts 2-4 0-0 4, Thomas 0-3 0-0 0, Beard-Fails 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 8-14 55..
UTAH (13-9, 5-6)
Nawahine 6-15 2-2 15, Potter 5-9 1-2 11, Crozon 4-8 0-0 10, Rodriguez 8-12 2-4 19, Boclair 1-7 1-2 3, Bowie 0-1 0-0 0, Bean 0-0 0-0 0, Owens 0-2 0-0 0, Kuklok 1-4 0-0 3, Fatuesi 5-7 0-0 10. Totals 30-65 6-10 71..
Score by quarters:
Colorado
7
19
17
12
—
55
Utah
14
19
18
20
—
71
3-point goals — CU 1-5 (Leonard 1-2, Ellis 0-2, Robinson 0-1), Utah 5-16 (Crozon 2-4, Rodriguez 1-1, Kuklok 1-3, Nawahine 1-5, Boclair 0-2, Owens 0-1). Rebounds — CU 34 (Leonard, Swan 6), Utah 42 (Potter, Fatuesi 8). Assists — CU 11 (Leonard 5), Utah 13 (Rodriguez 7). Turnovers — CU 18, Utah 19. Total fouls — CU 14, Utah 16. Fouled out — Beard-Fails. A — 1,054.
