BOULDER — Anyone who has followed the progress of JR Payne‘s Colorado Buffaloes over the last few seasons knows this much:
The Buffs’ 92-78 win over LSU on Monday was not a fluke.
Not by any stretch.
Upset? Of course. When No. 20 knocks off No. 1 — and No. 1 happens to be the defending national champion — that’s the definition of an upset.
But this wasn’t a case of an unknown catching the big dog by surprise.
Payne knew the Buffs had it in them — and so did LSU coach Kim Mulkey. The Tigers knew what was coming their way and couldn’t stop it.
“We had our hands full,” Mulkey said after the game. “Colorado did exactly what I thought they would do.”
What the Buffs didn’t do was flinch. Instead, they stepped onto the big stage in a nationally televised season opener, flexed their muscles, and sent the nation a message: “We like it here — and we’re about to get comfortable.”
They were certainly comfortable on opening night. Point guard Jaylyn Sherrod terrorized the Tigers, slashing through LSU’s defense like a knife through hot butter. Guard Frida Formann rained 3-pointers, forcing LSU to try to guard the perimeter. And Aaronette Vonleh looked LSU star Angel Reese directly in the eye and made it clear who would rule the paint.
Hint: It wasn’t last year’s Final Four MVP.
This wasn’t a case of the No. 1 team having a bad night and the opponent hanging around long enough to pull off the upset.
This was a case of a seasoned, veteran squad punching the Tigers into submission from every angle and dominating the game for the final two periods.
“We’re a pretty physical team,” Payne said after the game. “We’re always the underdog because we don’t have a single five-star kid or a McDonald’s All-American. We’re built on toughness.”
Indeed, that’s how Payne has steadily built her program. She has identified players who fit her plan and recruited accordingly — and along the way, built a family atmosphere that her players love.
That’s why Sherrod, who has become a bona fide star, chose to return for a fifth season. It’s why grad student Quay Miller elected to come back for another year, and why Vonleh made the decision to transfer and make Colorado her new home last season.
And it’s why Formann — who Payne and her staff identified as a difference maker when she was a virtual unknown Danish star —…
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