Colorado Buffaloes Coach JR Payne Gets Real About Big 12 Tournament Loss

History repeated, history was rewritten, but the end remained a pain to swallow for Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball.

Coach JR Payne's Buffs suffered a gut-wrenching semifinal exit from the Big 12 tournament on Saturday, a 48-47 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Colorado rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to lead in the final minute but couldn't meet a decisive moment.

Colorado Has Heart Broken In Big 12 Semis

Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia guard Sydney Shaw (5) gets set for a throw in against Colorado Buffaloes forward Jade Masogayo (14) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

A defensive slugfest with little room for error ended without what would have been Colorado's first appearance in a Big 12 Championship since 1997. The Buffaloes were gifted two chances to at least force overtime, including possession down one with two seconds left. But star Mountaineer guard Jordan Harrison stripped forward Jade Masogayo as she struggled with her dribble off the inbound.

“They were denying everywhere,” Payne said. “[Masogayo] had been very effective down the stretch of the game [while] attacking ... We thought we could open up a seam for her to take advantage of the way she had throughout the second half.”

West Virginia, ranked No. 15 in the AP poll and the tournament's No. 2 seed, advances to face top-seeded TCU in the title game. The Mountaineers possibly secured a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament with the win, meaning they'll host one of 16 opening-weekend sites.

Harrison had a dynamic performance that proved why she's this season's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as the last of her four steals decided the game. She led WVU with 15 points, while guard Gia Cooke and forward Kierra Wheeler combined for 22 in the second half.

Both sides were struggling to find baskets, but WVU held a slim lead for most of the tilt. The score remained close, even amid a second quarter in which the teams combined to shoot 3-for-25. It was 17-17 at the break, the lowest-scoring half in Big 12 semifinal history.

Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan Harrison (10) reacts to an and one foul by guard Gia Cooke (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Guard Zyanna Walker led Colorado with 16 points, playing all but one minute while playing her third game in as many days. She helped the Buffs rally for their first lead since it was 2-0 when down 34-22 late in the third quarter, scoring eight points over the next eight minutes.

Forward Anäelle Dutat finished with a game-high 13 rebounds but only played seven minutes in the second half, including on crucial possessions in the final minutes.

Guard Desiree Wooten emerged down the stretch, scoring nine of her 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead 3 with a minute left. But after Cooke fired right back, and Harrison dropped two free throws, Wooten missed a golden opportunity to tie the game. A foul was called on a 3-point heave with under three seconds left, but she missed the first, made the second and accidentally made the third to keep West Virginia in front.

The Mountaineers finished with a season-low in points but limited mistakes other than missed shots, logging just one turnover in the first half. In a game as tight as it was, they were more composed when it mattered most.

Championship Bid Ends, But Season Stays Alive

Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Jr. Payne watches the run of play against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

As frustrating as their exit from the Big 12 tournament was on Friday, the Buffaloes' future is bright. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City, contrary to last year, when they won two games but still fell short.

In ESPN's latest bracketology, one week before Selection Sunday, Colorado is among the "Last Four Byes." Payne's squad started the week as one of the "Last Four In" and at risk of missing March Madness with an early exit, but notched impressive wins over Kansas and No. 20 Baylor to perhaps avoid a First Four play-in game.

Dazed after a poor finish to the regular season, the Buffs didn't bow down.

"After last week, I don't think there were very many people outside of our locker room that believed we would come here and do what we've done," Payne said. "But we have a tremendous amount of belief in ourselves and in each other. We have a very resilient team, and I think we saw that on full display for three hard-fought games."

The Buffaloes will enter the Big Dance No. 45 in NET, with two Quad 1 wins against TCU at home and Baylor on Friday. They were 6-3 against Quad 2 teams, dominating at home and managing four straight road wins during Big 12 play. Their largest margin of defeat in conference play was 13, a game in which they led BYU by eight entering the fourth quarter.

Colorado will officially find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN+.