Vonleh lifts No. 3 Colorado over No. 6 USC 63-59

Buffs took care of business for another top ten win on the season

Jason Jones/BuffsBeat

No. 3 Colorado had some huge moments down the stretch, but none bigger than Aaronette Vonleh stepping up late. The go-ahead layup with 49 seconds left was key with the Buffs center sealing the game at the free throw line for a 63-59 win over No. 6 USC on Sunday afternoon.

The Buffaloes (16-2, 6-1 Pac-12) hung in tough and gave the Trojans their second straight loss against a ranked team. Quay Miller had a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She led CU in scoring with Jaylyn Sherrod finishing not far behind with 17 points.

CU's senior guard took a charge to foul out USC's star JuJu Watkins with 5:50 left. It was a turning point in the contest as the nation's second-highest scorer was benched with her team down by three. USC tied the game on their next possession but never led from that point on. Watkins led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc. The second game this season without a made three-pointer for the Trojans standout freshman.

Southern Cal (13-3, 3-3 Pac-12) has struggled in conference play and got knocked down to fifth in the standings after the loss. Colorado is tied for first with No. 8 Stanford, who they beat last week.

“I’m really proud of our team because we haven’t played a ton of really close games this year, where every single possession was crucial,” Colorado coach JR Payne said. “But our veterans totally led us down the stretch of the game.”

Colorado bounced back after a tough loss 76-68 to fifth-ranked UCLA. The Buffs were riding a nine-game winning streak before falling in front of a record crowd at CU Event Center on Friday night. With the victory, the Buffs have defeated four ranked opponents so far this season, including top-ranked LSU to open the season in Las Vegas.

UP NEXT:

Colorado heads to Corvallis to face Oregon State on Friday night at 10 p.m. ET. The first of a four-game road stand to end the month of January.

USC returns home to host Washington State on Friday night.