On Friday at 6:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and Varsity Network radio, #2 Stanford women’s basketball will take on #22 Colorado on the road in Boulder. Stanford comes in at 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12 while Colorado comes in at 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: On Sunday, Stanford defeated Gonzaga 66-50 in their second game against the Bulldogs this season. Stanford junior guard Hannah Jump led the way for the Cardinal with 21 points on 8-16 shooting from the field and 5-13 shooting from 3-point range.

RECAP: #2 Stanford WBB wins Maples rematch with Gonzaga

On Colorado: The Buffaloes come in undefeated and 10-0 at home on the season. Due to their quality fan support and positioning in high elevation, they’re one of the toughest if not the toughest road game in the Pac-12. Stanford is the first ranked team Colorado will have played all season, so in a lot of ways, this is their first major test.

The Buffaloes are led by fifth-year forward Mya Hollingshed (14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, & 1.2 blocks) and junior center Quay Miller (11.7 points & 5.9 rebounds). Miller interestingly enough comes off the bench and yet is the number two scorer on this Buffaloes team, so she’s a prime candidate for Sixth Man of the Year honors.

As a team, the Buffaloes average 71.3 points per game on 45.1% shooting from the field, 33.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 66.1% shooting from the foul line. They average 37.3 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 12.3 steals, 4.5 blocks, and 13.6 turnovers per game. They also average a +4.6 rebound margin and a +6.8 turnover margin. Their opponents are averaging 52.1 points per game on 36.8% shooting from the field, 28.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 66.7% shooting from the foul line.

Keys to the game: For Stanford the first thing they have to do is win the battle in the paint. Both on the glass and getting points in the paint. Hollingshed does work inside and the Buffaloes rely heavily on her shot blocking, rebounding, and scoring prowess around the rim. If Stanford is the team that has the better night inside, they should win this game. This is a game where Cameron Brink is going to need to make her presence felt.

The second thing Stanford has to do is make threes. The Buffaloes aren’t used to having teams make threes on them judging by their opponents’ 28.6% shooting from deep. If Stanford is making threes at a clip of 34.0% or better, that’ll make things tough on the Buffaloes and give them something they’re not used to dealing with.

Finally, Stanford has to make their free throws. Teams are shooting 66.7% from the foul line against Colorado this year while Colorado is shooting 66.1%. Stanford is shooting 64.4% at the foul line on the year, but they’ve picked it up as of late, shooting 9-12 against Gonzaga on Sunday and 10-12 against Oregon last Friday. If Stanford can shoot 70% or better in Boulder, that’ll be huge. It won’t be easy given the altitude, so this is a game where Stanford’s conditioning will be put to the test.

Prediction: Colorado is ranked, undefeated, they’re at home, and last time these two teams faced in Boulder, Colorado won in overtime 77-72. This is not going to be an easy game for Stanford to win. However, Stanford has shown that they’re able to go into tough environments and win. Hence their number two ranking. I’m going to pick Stanford to win, but I think it’ll be close: 70-64.

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