The fifth-seeded Colorado Buffaloes (22-9) will play No. 12 Drake (29-5) to open the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in Manhattan, Kansas.
Drake secured a ticket to the dance after a buzzer-beating 76-75 win over Missouri State in the MVC championship on Sunday. Anna Miller got a layup to fall for the victory. The Bulldogs are 21-1 in the calendar year and are currently riding a 14-game winning streak. They took a 79-70 lost to Illinois State on Jan. 27.
JR Payne's Buffaloes luck ran out after dropping six of the final eight games, including a 85-79 double overtime heartbreaker to Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament. However, Colorado is a dangerous team going into year's round of games having been in the top five earlier this season. Since CU's loss to OSU, nine teams projected around on the bubble to host lost in their respective conference tournaments. But the No. 4 seed was given to Kansas State over Colorado.
The Buffs will try to advance past the Sweet 16 round of the tournament for the first time in 22 years. Colorado's run last year ended in Seattle with Iowa's Caitlin Clark going off for 31 points. It was the fifth time CU made to an NCAA semifinal over the past three decades.
The winner of Colorado and Drake will face the winner between No. 4 Kansas State and No. 13 Portland.
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