CU Buffs women’s basketball is going to the Sweet 16 after defeating Duke

The CU women’s basketball team waited 20 years for this feeling.

Oh, how sweet it must be.

The No. 6 seeded Buffs are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003 after knocking off No. 3 Duke on Monday night at the famed Cameron Indoor Stadium. It took overtime, but Colorado grinded out a gritty 61-53 victory to keep dancing.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝓢𝓦𝓔𝓔𝓣 𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗦

Buffs moving on to the Sweet 16 with a 61-53 overtime win over Duke!#GoBuffs // #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Due68JxYRz

— Colorado Women's Basketball 🦬 (@CUBuffsWBB) March 21, 2023

Coach JR Payne’s bunch was led by center Quay Miller who chipped in 17 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Jaylyn Sherrod scored 14, including the bucket to tie the game at 50 and send things to an extra session. Aaronette Vonleh added 12 points.

For perspective, Duke has been to 17 Sweet 16s since 1998, while the Buffs haven’t been back to this round of the tournament since the legendary Ceal Barry roamed the sidelines. The men’s team up in Boulder hasn’t made it to the Sweet 16 since 1969, showing how rare of an accomplishment it is for either program.

Up next is a date with No. 2 Iowa on Friday in Seattle. The Hawkeyes have the best player in the country in Caitlin Clark, so the Buffs will have their work cut out for them. CU last made the Elite 8 in 2002.

But for tonight, they’ll be celebrating. It’s quite an accomplishment for Payne and the entire squad. It’s a great time to be a sports fan in Boulder and across Colorado, and this will only add to the excitement.

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