TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Aaronette Vonleh scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half and No. 5 Colorado used a massive run to beat Arizona State 81-68 on Sunday.
The Buffaloes (13-1, 3-0 Pac-12) had to survive two potential game-winning shots in the final 10 seconds on Friday to pull out a 75-74 win over Arizona.
Colorado found a lot less resistance from short-handed Arizona State (8-7, 0-3) in the first half.
The Buffaloes scored the game's first nine points, had a brief defensive lapse to let the Sun Devils back in it, and then raced away.
Keyed by its defense, Colorado went on a 26-2 run spanning the first and second quarters to build a 23-point lead. The Buffaloes went into a fourth quarter funk, but held on for their first 3-0 conference start in 27 years and first sweep of the Pac-12’s Arizona schools since 2012-13.
The Sun Devils trailed by 24 heading into the fourth quarter before turning up their defensive pressure to pull within 78-68. Colorado went more than eight minutes without a field goal and hit two in the quarter before holding on to win their seventh straight.
Jalyn Brown keyed the run and led Arizona State with 35 points.
Vonleh got the big run started with six straight points before going out with a left leg injury. Maddie Nolan hit two of her three 3-pointers in the second quarter during the run, Vonleh returned and the Buffaloes built the lead to 43-20.
Colorado hit 19 of 35 shots in the first half to lead 50-25.
BIG PICTURE
Colorado: The fourth quarter wasn't great, but the Buffaloes held on for their seventh two-game weekend sweep since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils went on a furious rally in the fourth quarter, but had fallen into too big of a hole to finish off the comeback.
UP NEXT
Colorado: Hosts California on Friday.
Arizona State: Visits Oregon on Friday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
