WOMENS BASKETBALL

Colorado 71, Stanford 59

PAT GRAHAM
AASSOCIATED PRESS

BOULDER, Colo. - No. 5 Colorado rode a strong third quarter to a 71-59 victory over eighth-ranked Stanford, keeping Tara VanDerveer a win away from tying Mike Krzyzewski as the winningest coach in college basketball history.

The longtime Cardinal coach can match Krzyzewski’s all-time record of 1,202 wins Friday in a home game against Oregon.

Jaylyn Sherrod and Quay Miller each had 13 points as the Buffaloes (15-1, 5-0 Pac-12) saw five players score in double figures on their way to a ninth straight win. They also snapped a six-game slide against the Cardinal (15-2, 4-1).

Colorado weathered a slow start and pulled away in the third quarter with a 20-2 run. Stanford cut it to 65-59 in the final minute before Sherrod sealed the win with a layup.

This marked the first top-10 matchup at CU Events Center since Dec. 17, 1994, when the eighth-ranked Buffaloes lost to top-ranked Tennessee. And despite the frigid weather, the crowd turned out, too, with the place packed with 9,111 fans. It was Colorado’s ninth-largest home crowd for a women’s basketball game.

A five-time national coach of the year, VanDerveer spent seven seasons at Idaho and Ohio State before her arrival at Stanford in 1985-86. She's 1,201-267 all-time in her career and 1,049-216 with the Cardinal.

Kiki Iriafen had a big afternoon for Stanford with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Cameron Brink added 12 points and 12 rebounds as she became the seventh player in program history to record 1,000 career boards.

Colorado had a 22-3 advantage in fast-break points, along with a 30-18 margin in points in the paint. The Buffaloes are 15-1 for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

It was a back-and-forth first half, featuring five lead changes and both holding as much as an eight-point lead. Kindyll Wetta hit a running 3-pointer at the buzzer from a step inside the half-court line to give Colorado a 36-30 lead at the break.

BIG PICTURE

Stanford: The Cardinal's last true road win over an AP top-five team was Nov. 11, 2007, when they beat No. 3 Rutgers.

Colorado: The Buffaloes improved to 6-27 against the Cardinal in their last regular-season meeting as members of the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are set to join the Big 12 next season and the Cardinal are headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Colorado athletics press release

January 14, 2024