Colorado Buffaloes Outmatched By Illinois In First Round Of NCAA Tournament

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As usual, the Colorado Buffaloes put every bead of sweat into the opportunity to play in late March. But on Saturday, it was never enough.

Coach JR Payne's No. 10-seeded Buffs were outgunned and out-hustled by the No. 7-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini, falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 66-57. Colorado kept the game winnable throughout, but its season ended after a series of failed runs, shaky interior defense and untimely miscues.

Final: Illinois 66, Colorado 57

Illinois guard Maddie Webber (34) guards Colorado guard Zyanna Walker (1) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffaloes never fell behind by double-digits, but didn't lead after the first quarter. Illinois, the youngest team in the NCAA Tournament, found life from two freshmen. Early production came from forward Cearah Parchment, who scored a game-high 21 points, while guard Destiny Jackson sparked late magic, compiling 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Senior forward Jade Masogayo emptied the tank in her final collegiate game, scoring an efficient 15 points and adding five rebounds. Guard Desiree Wooten led Colorado with 17 points and seven rebounds.

After trimming the lead to one moments into the fourth quarter, the Fighting Illini remained composed and forced one tough shot after another while building a cushion. They advance to face No. 2-seeded Vanderbilt on Monday, while the Buffaloes' riveting run through winter ended on the second day of spring.

Fourth Quarter

Q4 1:31 - Parchment got to 21 points on a fading jumper down low, a huge bucket to up the Illinois lead to 60-54. The Fighting Illini looked to exploit mismatches but only had intermittent success. Still, they forced one tough shot after another.

Q4 5:01 - As Colorado traded baskets with Illinois, Jackson made an incredible impact to keep her team's lead. She reached 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Fighting Illini remained in slim control, 56-50.

Third Quarter

Colorado forward Jade Masogayo (14) shoots past Illinois guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger (8) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Q3 0:00 - Colorado closed the frame on an 8-2 run, powered by two-way play from Dutat. She scored her first six points of the game while reaching a team-best six rebounds. The Buffaloes are 2-3 when trailing by one possession entering the fourth quarter.

Q3 2:00 - Illinois had its largest lead before a Dutat layup and free throws from Walker ended a Colorado scoring drought of over five minutes. Illinois leads, 45-40.

Q3 4:15 - Illinois scored a few baskets to hold off Colorado's burst. Wallace reached 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Parchment remained atop all scorers with 19. After the 3-of-4 start, the Buffaloes missed their next six shots. Masogayo returned to the game.

Q3 7:07 - Masogayo stayed down after a hard fall but remained behind the Buffaloes' bench and returned to the huddle. Colorado started the period hot, with Dutat and Masogayo helping the push. Illinois remained in the lead, 38-36.

Halftime

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Desiree Wooten (3) attempts to edge around Baylor Bears forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (5) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Colorado trailed Illinois 34-29 after the first half. Parchment reached 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting to lead the Illini and all scorers, while Wooten battled for 10, the Buffs' most.

It was a physical, dynamic half that saw each side flex its size, but Illinois won out by leaps and bounds. The Buffaloes shot just 4-for-13 in the second quarter, struggling to find creases within the Illini front.

Illinois did well to force tough shots and, while not spotless, had success shooting over and around Colorado's defense. While standing just 5-6, Jackson led all rebounders with six, to go with four assists and four points.

The Buffs' top freshman, Greer, was rough from the field (1-for-7) but led the side in rebounds with four. Masogayo added eight points from a strong start and three boards.

Second Quarter

Q2 4:55 - Colorado's defense and offense were lackluster, shooting 2-for-7 in the period and allowing Parchment to continue dominating. She reached 15 points. Illinois led, 26-22. Rebound battle dead even, 13 all.

Q2 8:12 - The Illini gained separation to lead 23-18, proving stout defensively early in the period. Parchment drained another 3, with the size of Illinois appearing as a factor.

First Quarter

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Anaëlle Dutat (15) passes the ball against the Baylor Bears during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Q1 0:00 - Illinois led the Buffaloes 20-18 after guard Maddie Webber banked in a deep 3 at the horn. Both sides shot 50 percent or better from the field. Illini found six points from forward Berry Wallace, while Colorado got six from guard Desiree Wooten, along with eight from forward Jade Masogayo

Q1 2:09 - Colorado opted for jumpers early in the shot clock, a sign its offense was stalling. Still, Wooten found a quick four points. Illinois generated clean looks to remain on top, 15-14.

Q1 4:55 - Illinois forward Cearah Parchment had seven points to help Illinois lead 11-10. Both teams executed well offensively, though the Buffaloes started to commit turnovers. Masogayo attacked the basket effectively for six points on 3-of-4 shooting.

Starting Lineups

Colorado:

Zyanna Walker, guard
Maeve McErlane, guard
Anaëlle Dutat, forward
Tabitha Betson, forward
Jade Masogayo, forward

Illinois:

Destiny Jackson, guard
Jasmine Brown-Hagger, guard
Aaliyah Guyton, guard
Berry Wallace, forward
Cearah Parchment, forward

Colorado Seeking More March Success

Colorado basketball coach JR Payne during the Sweet 16 game against Iowa in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA on Friday, March 24, 2023. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Payne's squad enters Saturday in search of its fifth March Madness win in the last four seasons. Colorado reached the Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024 before falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes both times.

On both runs, the Buffaloes went on the road and thrived. They battered Middle Tennessee before upsetting Duke, then coasted past Drake before a hard-fought win over Kansas State. Both second-round wins came on higher-seeded opponents' home floors.

For the first time since 1988, the program's first NCAA Tournament berth, the Buffs are dancing without AP top-25 status at any point prior. They have received votes twice this season, currently the fourth-most among unranked teams, but mostly floated around the March Madness bubble.

Colorado stumbled through the fall but built a worthy resume by Selection Sunday. Beating ranked foes in Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech, as well as Baylor en route to the Big 12 semifinals, proved enough to the NCAA selection committee. It awarded the Buffs a No. 10 seed, just over the boundary to the field of 64.

They got hot at the right time, earning eight wins in nine games from late January through February. That included four straight road victories, a rarity not even Colorado's recent tournament teams accomplished.

Colorado Buffaloes Injury Report

Oct 21, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Coloradoís Kennedy Sanders speaks to media during Big 12 Womenís Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. | Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images

OUT:
Kennedy Sanders, guard (hip)
Claire O'Connor, guard (foot)

Colorado vs. Illinois History

Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Zyanna Walker (1) drives the ball up court against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Saturday is the seventh ever meeting between Colorado and Illinois, the first in the NCAA Tournament. The Buffs lead the all-time series 4-2 and are 2-1 this century, having last met in 2013.

Vanderbilt Awaits in Round of 32

Mar 6, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Mikayla Blakes (1) brings the ball up court during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

After defeating No. 15-seeded High Point, the Vanderbilt Commodores will face Illinois on Monday. A No. 2 seed ranked No. 6 in the latest AP poll, Vandy poses a star-led challenge for the Fighting Illini.

Show-stopping guard Mikayla Blakes leads the Commodores into their third consecutive NCAA Tournament as the nation's top scorer and National Player of the Year finalist. The sophomore averages 27 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting and can erupt on any given night, tallying 11 performances of 30 or more. In an SEC deluged with talent, Blakes stood above the rest.

Freshman guard Aubrey Galvin provides a major boost, as her 5.9 assists per game rank fifth in the conference, along with 13.1 points.

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