PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Frida Formann matched her career high with 27 points, draining six 3-pointers, and No. 6 Colorado pulled out a 63-57 win over Washington State on Friday night.
The Buffaloes put together a 7-0 in the last minute with Formann making five free throws, to ice a game that prior to that never had a lead larger than six points. That made the score 63-54 before the Cougars hit a late 3. There were 13 ties and 10 lead changes.
Aaronette Vonleh scored 20 points for Colorado (18-3, 8-2 Pac-12 Conference) and Quay Miller grabbed 15 rebounds as the Buffaloes ended up with a 50-38 advantage on the boards. Formann had 27-points in a season-opening win over No. 1 LSU.
Tara Wallack scored 19 points to lead the Cougars (15-7, 4-5) and Eleonora Villa and Astera Tuhina both had 15.
Tuhina returned just in time after missing seven games with an injury, stepping back into the starting lineup to replace All-America guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who was lost for the season in last Sunday’s historic win over No. 2 UCLA.
Only four players scored for WSU. Bella Murekatete had eight points and 10 rebounds, which gave her 899 boards, tying Kate Benz for the program record.
Wallack had consecutive layups and Tuhina had a jumper that had the Cougars on top 50-48 near the midway point of the fourth quarter but Formann drained two more 3s to grab the lead for good, 54-50.
Wallack had 10 points, including a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first half, to give Washington State a 28-25 lead at the break.
The half was evenly matched with 10 ties and five lead changes, with the halftime score WSU’s biggest lead while Colorado’s biggest lead was 9-5.
The Cougars quickly got the lead to six twice in the third quarter but after CU’s Tameiya Sadler converted a three-point play and WSU’s Villa hit a 3, Formann drilled three-straight 3s for a 39-38 Buffalo lead.
WSU responded with four points but in the last 10 seconds Colorado got a free throw, an offensive rebound three-point play by Vonleh and then two more free throws from Vonleh after an inbounds turnover, a seven-point run for a 45-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Colorado is at Washington on Sunday when No. 20 Utah plays at Washington State.
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