Bears Fall To No. 5 Colorado 76-61

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) Quay Miller delivered the pass that set up Colorado teammate Aaronette Vonleh's first 3-pointer of the season. Along with it, a telepathic vote-of-confidence assist, too.
 
Just the way the in-sync evening went for the Buffaloes.
 
Vonleh scored 19 points, including that rare 3-pointer, and No. 5 Colorado won its eighth straight by fending off California 76-61 on Friday night.
 
Miller did her part, too, adding 12 points and 12 rebounds for Colorado (14-1, 4-0 Pac-12). On top of that, Frida Formann scored all 14 of her points in the second half to help the Buffaloes break open a tight game with a late third-quarter spurt. Colorado led by 20 points in the fourth quarter.
 
The Buffaloes used a strong inside game led by Vonleh and Miller to wear down the Bears (12-4, 2-2). Colorado also was off-and-running with an 18-9 advantage in fastbreak points.
 
Marta Suárez scored 14 points for a surprising California team that was picked to finish 11th in the preseason Pac-12 media poll. Ioanna Krimili had 11 points, below the graduate transfer's 16.5-point average this season.
 
Kemery Martín, Leilani McIntosh, Suárez and McKayla Williams all hit two 3-pointers each for the Bears.
 
"They just were the better team today," Suárez said. "We just weren't lucky enough."
 
Colorado moved to 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 1994-95 when the team finished league play 14-0 as a member of the Big Eight.
 
So much for getting caught looking ahead.
 
The Buffaloes were laser-focused even with the showdown against No. 8 and Pac-12 power Stanford looming on Sunday. That game will mark the first top-10 matchup at CU Events Center since eighth-ranked Colorado knocked off No. 7 Purdue on Dec. 3, 1995.
 
It could be a milestone moment for Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer, who enters the contest with 1,201 wins after Stanford beat Utah 66-64 on Friday night. VanDerveer has a chance to tie Mike Krzyzewski (1,202) as the winningest coach, men's or women's, in the history of college basketball.
 
California had a rough opening half, shooting 35.7% and turning the ball over 11 times, but kept it an eight-point game thanks to five 3-pointers on 50.0% shooting. The Bears settled down, pulling to within four in the third, before Colorado pulled away with an 8-0 run to end the quarter.
 
"They got us outside of our comfort zone a little bit," California coach Charmin Smith said. "It got us off-rhythm and we weren't able to score the ball the way we usually do."

BIG PICTURE

California: The last time the Bears knocked off a top-five team on the road was Jan. 13, 2013, when No. 7 Cal beat fifth-ranked Stanford 67-55.

Colorado: Of the team's 14 wins this season, 13 have been decided by 10 or more points.

UP NEXT

California: At No. 19 Utah on Sunday.

Colorado: A big crowd is expected when the Buffaloes host Stanford on Sunday.