Oregon State got business done in their conference opener against Utah, increasing their best ever start to 13-0. The team is firing on all cylinders and they’ll look to keep that momentum going tomorrow against Colorado.

Colorado Buffaloes (12-1, 1-1)

• Head Coach: JR Payne (4th Season)
• Top Performer: Mya Hollingshed
• Points For: 70.8
• Points Against: 61.8
• Last Game/Streak: 46-104 L at Oregon (1L)

The Skinny

In the first three years under head coach JR Payne, Colorado’s record got worse and worse each year. Fans had reason to be excited about her fourth season however, with the team going undefeated for the non-conference schedule, and opening Pac-12 play with a win over Utah.

In addition to beating Utah, they picked up wins over solid teams such as Wisconsin, Wyoming and Colorado State, but the team hadn’t really been tested. They got their first test on Friday against Oregon, and it didn’t go well. The Buffaloes were wiped off the court, 104-46.

None on Colorado managed to score much against the Ducks. The team’s top scorer so far this season has been Guard/Forward Mya Hollingshed. Hollingshed is an incredibly versatile player. At 6’4” she has enough size to be an effective in the key, but she’s also one of the team’s best shooters, hitting .491% of her Field Goals, and .371 % of her 3 point attempts.

Sophomore Guard Emma Clarke is the team’s other main perimeter threat, shooting .359 from beyond the arc, but she was shut down against the ducks, going 0 for 5 on three attempts.

The team’s biggest failing was in the turnovers department, which had been a strength earlier in the season. The Buffaloes only generated 6 turnovers against Oregon. Colorado will need to turn that around against OSU. Hollingshed has 18 steals and 14 blocks so far this year. Clarke has 17 blocks and 10 steals. As a unit, the Buffaloes have out blocked their opponents 71-46.

Clark is the only Buffalo to start every game, there has been a lot of experimentation with the rest of the starting lineup. Charlotte Whittaker is likely to join Hollingshed as a starting Forward. Whittaker is not the scoring threat Hollingshed is, but she’s also 6’4”, and a pair of forwards that size might prove an interesting challenge for the Beavers.

Colorado has shuffled through a few guards this season, and the unit seems reasonably deep. Freshman Jalyn Sherrod has been playing a lot at point, and leads the team in assists, averaging 5.3 per game. Senior Quinessa Caylao-Do is a veteran presence, and is one of the best defensive players in the conference, though her scoring has been reduced this season. Sophomore Aubrey Knight is the team’s best rebounder, with 6.8 per game. The team has a lot of options to rotate through.

Player to Watch

Quinessa Caylao-Do (Senior, Guard)

Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The biggest question for Colorado is how they’re going to contend with Mikayla Pivec and Destiny Slocum. Caylao-Do has been tasked with perimeter defense for most of her Colorado career, and has excelled. Last season she was named to the All Pac-12 Defenive team, and has been the team’s defensive MVP for the past two seasons. Caylao-Do is probably the biggest obstacle the Beavers’ Guards have had to contend with this season.

Game Info

• Date: Sunday, October 5th
• Time: 12:00 PM PT
• Location: Gill Coliseum
• Coverage: Pac-12 Networks