Playing in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament provides Colorado’s seniors an opportunity to extend their careers.

For several youngsters, though, it’s a chance to gain more valuable experience.

In CU’s 73-41 rout of Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the WBIT on Thursday, seniors Lior Garzon and Kindyll Wetta, along with junior Jade Masogayo, led the Buffs.

Freshmen made an impact, too.

Grace Oliver, a 6-foot-1 guard from Norwell, Mass., scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and pulled down five rebounds.

It was just the second time this season Oliver has scored in double figures, but she’s made a habit out of making an impression. She’s averaging 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds and Thursday was the fifth time in the past nine games she’s had at least five rebounds.

“It’s been really fun to watch,” CU head coach JR Payne said of Oliver’s development this season. “We’ve all appreciated, all season long, how steady she is. She’s so reliable, so consistent; not just in games, like every day she comes to practice in the same manner, just ready to work, ready to do her job. So it’s fun to see someone like that, that just really, truly just does what she’s supposed to do to have so much success as a young player.”

Redshirt freshman Kennedy Sanders had four points, four rebounds and two assists, as she continues to play well down the stretch. She’s averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 assists on the season, including 8.8 points and 3.4 assists in the past five games.

Meanwhile, Tabitha Betson contributed seven points, five rebounds and a season-high five assists. She’s averaging 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds this season.

CU’s run in the WBIT continues Sunday when Gonzaga comes to the CU Events Center for the second round (1 p.m., ESPN+).

Sizzling shooting

CU’s shooting percentage was over 60% for much of the night Thursday. A 2-for-8 stretch to end the game dropped the Buffs’ to 56.8%, but it was still their second-best percentage of the year (they hit 57.1% against Tennessee Tech on Dec. 3).

The hot shooting wasn’t much of a surprise. Although the Buffs have struggled in various areas this year, they hit their shots. In fact, after Thursday, the Buffs are at 46.7% for the season, which is on pace to be the seventh-best percentage in program history.

Five of the six CU teams with a better percentage played before the 3-pointer was introduced to the game in 1986. The other team ahead of this year was 1986-87, the first year of the 3-pointer. That CU team attempted just five 3s all season, though.

Good atmosphere

Thursday’s attendance was a season-low 1,469, but it was a spirited crowd that brought energy to the Events Center. The NCAA-run WBIT, in its second year, helped set the tone with pregame festivities that gave it a big-game feel.

“The WBIT has been awesome, organizing and social media and pushing, and so I thought they did great,” Payne said. “And we just want to keep growing the fans over this, certainly for Sunday.”

Masogayo said she felt the energy from the CU faithful in the stands.

“I feel like it’s always cool to have a lot of people out and just hear them cheer us on and all that type of stuff,” she said. “So it’s just a good feeling and a good environment to play in.”

Notable

CU has made 212 3-pointers this year, the sixth-best total in program history. The record is 236 in 2007-08. … Thursday’s 32-point win was the fourth-largest margin of victory for CU in a postseason game and the largest since an 84-45 win vs. BYU in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. … The Buffs had recorded at least two steals in 312 consecutive games (dating back to Feb. 27, 2015) before having just one on Thursday.