STATELINE, Nev. >> Despite coming off a disappointing loss, the Colorado women’s basketball team went into Tuesday with confidence.
Still, the Buffaloes needed some positive results to back up that confidence.
Senior Johanna Teder led a balanced attack as the Buffs rolled past Nevada, 75-59, at Tahoe Blue Event Center in the Tahoe Tip Off.
“I think it was really good, obviously,” freshman Grace Oliver said. “We had a tough one on Sunday (in a 50-47 loss to Boise State), but I think we knew the stakes. We’ve had a long road trip, been away for five days, and we wanted to come off on a good note.
“The energy was really high before the game. We all knew what we needed to do individually and as a team. The energy we brought in was great.”
Head coach JR Payne loved the energy around the Buffs (3-1) in the wake of the loss at Boise State, but it was a fast start that got the team settled in. Teder came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers in an 18-7 surge during the first eight minutes.
“I do think the first few minutes helped us from a basketball standpoint, to calm our nerves,” Payne said. “Even though we were feeling good and had a good warm up and good energy and stuff, just to be able to have some shots fall early was important for us.”
After going 0-for-17 from 3-point range on Sunday — snapping a streak of 125 consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer — the Buffs went 9-for-29 on Tuesday, including a 4-for-4 stretch early in the third quarter to open up a 15-point lead.
“We know we’re capable of shooting better than 0-for-17, and I don’t expect we’ll ever do that again,” Payne said. “But yes, definitely felt good. Felt good for several different people to hit threes.”
Teder went 3-for-7 and Sara-Rose Smith 3-for-3 to lead the charge from beyond the arc.
In addition to Teder’s 14 points, Kindyll Wetta had 12 and Jade Masogayo 11, while four others had between seven and nine points.
Oliver, a true freshman from Norwell, Mass., had bit of a breakout game. Prior to Tuesday, she had appeared in just one game, for two minutes, and she didn’t even attempt a shot.
On Tuesday, she played 14 minutes, going 3-for-4 from the field, including 1-for-1 from 3, and scoring seven points. She also had three rebounds and two steals.
“Grace is a great player,” Payne said. “She was great high school player, and is very savvy. I told her before the game, ‘You’re gonna get in early.’
“I kind of prepped her ahead of time so she wasn’t taken off guard, and I thought she was ready, mentally, physically. I thought she came in and did such a great job; very calm, very poised.”
Part of Oliver’s night included four points during a 10-2 run in the second quarter.
“It felt really good,” she said. “And obviously being surrounded by my teammates that believe in me and coaches that believe me … it felt very nice being out there again. Being surrounded by such wonderful people, it really helps. You always feel supported, and you know that a lot of people have your back.”
Notable
CU played its fourth consecutive game without senior Frida Formann, who continues to nurse a foot injury. … CU improved to 3-1 all-time against Nevada. … The Buffs never trailed and led by as many as 24 points before the Wolf Pack closed on an 11-3 run.