What Colorado's Upset of TCU Means for the Buffaloes' NCAA Tournament Hopes

BOULDER — As she tied the game with two seconds left, Colorado Buffaloes forward Jade Masogayo couldn't keep her eyes off the scoreboard.

She earned one free throw that would give Colorado an upset over No. 14 TCU, but making it wasn't a given. The senior missed six straight crunch-time freebies one week prior against Kansas, and again on Sunday when tasked to tie it with 58 seconds remaining.

As frazzled as a puppy on New Year's, Masogayo recentered with her teammates, toed the line and saved the Buffaloes' season.

Colorado Upsets No. 14 TCU

Mar 7, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Jade Masogayo (14) shoots a free throw against the TCU Horned Frogs during the fourth quarter at T-Mobile Center. | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

Off her last-second and-one basket, Colorado (16-8, 7-5 Big 12) stunned the Horned Frogs (21-4, 9-3 Big 12) to preserve its NCAA Tournament chances. The 80-79 win astounded box scores and atoned for past heartaches, including when TCU squashed the Buffs' tourney hopes in last season's Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.

Masogayo scored a career-high 23 points in the effort, one more than in that bout 11 months ago. But to change the result, she didn't return to Kansas City — she was in Lawrence.

"On the one I missed, I was pretty much taken back to Kansas," Masogayo said. "I was telling myself, 'Jade, we're not gonna do this again, come on, let's just finish it.'"

She only needed 27 minutes to lead a spectacular offensive performance, as the Buffs scored their highest point total since November against one of the nation's best defenses. It hasn't always been pretty, but when needed, Masogayo knows she can still put on the cape.

"This is going in, right here, right now," she said of her mindset before the go-ahead free throw. "I don't got no other choice."

Mar 7, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Kindyll Wetta (15) high fives forward Jade Masogayo (14) after a play against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first quarter at T-Mobile Center. | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

The Buffaloes had TCU's vaunted stoppers reeling from the get-go, playing their best first quarter all season and leading 28-20. Guard Desiree Wooten scored 12 of her 20 points and dished three of her team-high six assists in the period.

But the track meet took a hiatus in the second, as TCU began living up to its scouting report. Colorado shot just 3-for-13 and went nearly eight minutes without scoring. Still, a juiced CU Events Center crowd and some late buckets kept the score tied at halftime.

TCU's stars dialed up the heat in quarter three. Guard Olivia Miles scored 14 of a 31-point effort that tied her career-high. Her blink-fast first step, paired with forward Marta Suarez's dominance down low, put the Horned Frogs ahead throughout the frame.

Coach JR Payne needed someone who wouldn't let her squad go away, and she chose a freshman. Forward Logyn Greer scored 10 of her 17 points in the third, keeping Colorado afloat amid an up-and-down season.

Jan 19, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach JR Payne during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the CU Events Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

With as little as 6:12 left in regulation, the Horned Frogs led by eight. Only four different Buffs had scored to that point: Masogayo, Greer, Wooten and guard Zyanna Walker. But with Miles on the bench and Suarez fouling out, others got involved to spur a 7-2 run.

While that ended when Masogayo split her crucial pair, TCU's other starting forward, Clara Silva, also picked up her fifth foul. Miles missed a vital free throw of her own, and Masogayo attacked backup bigs on back-to-back possessions to seize victory from the charity stripe.

Despite recent rock fights, the Buffaloes put up the most points of any team against TCU in regulation this season. They kept it clean as well, finishing with just eight turnovers and 12 fouls.

"What a resilient group we have," Payne said. "To take a team like that down the stretch, down eight, two separate times."

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Colorado's March Outlook

Louisville’s Skylar Jones is in a tug-o-war for the ball against Colorado’s Anaëlle Dutat Wednesday night at KFC Yum! Center. November 12, 2025 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With six games remaining, Colorado sits in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Big 12. Slaying TCU was the Buffaloes' second Quad 1 win, a much-needed beacon for the NCAA Tournament selection. If they had lost, March Madness would be almost impossible without fitting glass slippers for the conference tourney.

Still, coach Payne's squad has little room for error down the stretch. It'll look to avoid a let-down at lowly Houston this Wednesday before returning home to face a solid BYU team. A week later, the Buffs have their last chance at a regular-season Quad 1 win against No. 18 Texas Tech.

The Big 12's volatile state hurts Colorado's shot if the rest of February doesn't go as planned. Hard-fought losses won't matter on their resume, and the Buffs can play with anyone or against themselves.

However, Sunday's win is the type that could spark a meteoric run. With a favorable closing schedule, they can surge just in time.