The Buffs scratched and clawed. They fought. For forty minutes, in a win-or-go-home game, they battled as hard and as long as they could.
They kept on nagging the No.-2 seeded University of California Golden Bears, unwilling to give up in their last hope for the NCAA tournament.
Sophomore Rachel Hargis drives to the basket against USC on January 26th. The Buffs beat the Trojans 69-67. CU was ousted out of the Pac-12 tournament in LA after losing to Cal 68-59 (CU Independent/James Bradbury)
But a talented and athletic Cal team never lost hold of the lead, and CU got ousted in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Los Angeles, 68-59.
“There was a point in the first half where we could have stopped playing and it could have been a blowout,” said CU head coach Linda Lappe.
That instance could have been among several in the opening act. Cal scored the first 10 points of the game and then had the Buffs nearly pinned down at 26-11.
“We took enough pride in who we were and what we were doing and the fact that we were on the floor,” Lappe said. “We didn’t quit, but we kept fighting and I give credit to our players. They really rose to the challenge.”
The Buffs may have been outmatched, as they were in the previous two match-ups during the regular season, but that didn’t stop the Buffs from believing they could win. No. 10 seeded Colorado, having upset the University of Utah a day prior, had a mindset to surprise a team for the second straight day.
“For us to battle with that team, I think a lot of people thought we would lay down and get blown out because of the standings: they’re No. 2, we’re No. 10,” said sophomore guard Brittany Wilson. The sophomore knocked down three three-pointers to close the gap at halftime.
Colorado went into halftime only down by eight points (35-27), and they were confident at the beginning of the second half.
CU played the Bears even the whole game, particularly in the second half, when the Bears only outscored the Buffs 33-32. Colorado was continually nipping at Cal’s heels, but the Buffs missed a plethora of open looks that kept them from breaking the margin.
“When you’re a shooter and you’re on the outside, you have to expect those are going in,” Lappe said. The Buffs were 0-11 from behind the arc in the second half. “They just didn’t fall for us tonight.”
Colorado played a better game, but Cal was the better team, and that is something Lappe said she could be proud of.
“The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but I’ve got to be happy about how we played,” Lappe said.
The Buffs end the season 18-13 (6-12 Pac-12) and will use their hot play at the end of the season as momentum for next year. Linda Lappe will lead Colorado into her third year as head coach, a season where she will be able to “settle in”. CU only loses a single senior, forward Julie Seabrook.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Andy McDonnell at Andrew.mcdonnell@colorado.edu.
