ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored 15 points and No. 3 Colorado opened the Paradise Jam tournament by fending off Cincinnati 77-60 on Thursday.
Kindyll Wetta added 14 points and Aaronette Vonleh had 13 points for the Buffaloes (5-0), who shot a season-best 53.3% from the field (32 of 60) and went 8 for 8 on free throws.
Jillian Hayes had 17 points and Mya Jackson added 11 for the Bearcats (2-2), who were held to 35.8% from the field (19 of 53) as they saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
Wetta scored eight points in the third quarter as Colorado turned a 41-28 half time lead into a 64-39 margin — the Buffaloes’ biggest lead of the game — after three quarters.
Cincinnati opened the fourth quarter with nine unanswered points during a 13-2 run that cut Colorado’s lead to 14 points (66-52) with 5 minutes, 47 seconds left.
But the Buffaloes responded with Sadler’s jumper and a 3-pointer from Maddie Nolan, and the Bearcats never pulled closer again.
BIG PICTURE
Colorado: The Buffaloes are off to their third straight 5-0 start under coach JR Payne as the team has skyrocketed up the AP Top 25 over the first three weeks of the season.
Cincinnati: Even with a loss, the Bearcats got in their second tuneup game against a Top 25 team before opening their inaugural season in the Big 12 in five weeks.
UP NEXT
Colorado: Faces Kentucky on Friday in its second Island Division game at the Paradise Jam.
Cincinnati: Gets another Top 25 matchup — against 10th-ranked North Carolina State — at the Paradise Jam.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
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