Colorado Buffaloes Make History in Big 12 Tournament Upset

Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball had more March magic waiting. It just needed the pressure off.

On Friday, coach JR Payne's Buffs upset the No. 20-ranked Baylor Bears 62-53 to reach their first Big 12 semifinals since 2003. It was the first time this century they've won three straight games against top-25 opponents, this time all but sealing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Colorado Makes History In Pursuit Of NCAA Tournament

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Desiree Wooten (3)shoots a jumpshot against the Baylor Bears during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Colorado (22-10, 11-7 Big 12) contained last season's conference runner-ups for all 40 minutes, never trailing after its first made basket. Transfer guards Desiree Wooten and Zyanna Walker combined for 40 points, while the Buffaloes' defense kept up the tenacity that beat Kansas on Thursday.

Baylor (24-8, 13-5 Big 12), the tournament's No. 3 seed, bowed out quickly after receiving a double-bye. The Bears shot just 30.6 percent and 14 percent on 3s, with top scoring guard Taliah Scott going 5-for-21.

It was a clunky contest of fouls and clock stoppages, but the Buffaloes remained free and easy. They led by double-digits from the start of the second quarter until a slugfest fourth, when Baylor pushed but never got closer than seven.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Zyanna Walker (1) drives the ball up court against the against the Baylor Bears during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Entering Thursday among the Big 12's worst sides from beyond the arc, Colorado tied a season-high with five made 3s in the first half. Wooten drained three of them, leading with 13 points at the break.

The Buffaloes stalled sporadically down the stretch, but only until Walker or Wooten found their next tough bucket. They scored every point of Colorado's fourth quarter, demoralizing a Baylor squad that hadn't played in five days.

BU had rust to shake, while the Buffs had a piano on their back after winning Thursday. And having already almost beaten the Bears on their home floor back in January, Colorado entered with a mental edge.

"We were very prepared and very excited for this opportunity," Payne said. "We were frustrated with the way we finished the one game we did play with Baylor this year. We were just really excited for the opportunity to play them again ... It wasn't perfect in any sense of the word, but I thought we did exactly what we needed to do to be successful."

Can Colorado Win The Big 12?

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach JR Payne watches the run of play against the Baylor Bears during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

After two conference tourney wins, with the latter of the Quad 1 variety, the Buffs can fire up their NCAA Tournament itinerary. ESPN's Charlie Creme boosted their bracketology standing to among the "Last Four Byes" after Friday's win, meaning they'd avoid a First Four game. And with fellow bubble dwellers Arizona State and BYU eliminated, they can only go up.

But another fish is in the fryer. Colorado is two wins away from a Big 12 championship, which would be its first since the conference's inaugural tournament in 1997.

Four teams remain after a wild quarterfinal Friday, with the No. 6-seeded Buffs' next battle being their third in three days. They face the No. 2 seed and AP No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers (25-6, 14-4 Big 12) on Saturday.

Mar 6, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Anaëlle Dutat (15) and Baylor Bears forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (5) chase down a loose ball during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

WVU handed Colorado a rare home loss in the sides' only matchup this season, 61-55 on Feb. 4. Guard Jordan Harrison scored a game-high 18 points and kept the Mountaineers at arm's length throughout.

They didn't have it easy in the quarterfinals, though. No. 10-seeded Arizona State emptied its clip until a late run resulted in West Virginia's win.

On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded TCU faces a Cinderella-running Kansas State for a spot in the title game. Colorado has beaten both teams this year.

The Mountaineers are in pursuit of a top-four seed in March Madness, but the Buffs still have plenty to play for. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

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