Formann, Buffs Finish Tour in Convincing Fashion

BARCELONA, Spain—Frida Chairman‘s shooting on Sunday night was equally as hot as the blazing temperatures the Colorado women’s basketball team has been experiencing in Spain. Formann put in 30 points and helped the Buffaloes cruise to a 71-49 win over the Barcelona All-Stars.

The Buffs finished the trip with a 3-0 record with one day left in Spain, before departing for home on Tuesday. Colorado showed signs of improvement throughout the tour, growing as a team in the past week and a half.

“I thought we played pretty well in spurts tonight,” head coach JR Payne noted after the win. “You could see all of the newness on the floor, but I thought we played well tonight. We definitely had some different lineups and different looks that we can start tinkering with. I’m excited about how we’ve progressed over three games.”

The Buffs opened the night with a 10-0 run, getting back-to-back 3’s from Jada Wynn to start. Fellow freshman Brianna McLeod had five points in the quarter and the Buffs were a perfect 7-fo-7 from the free-throw line, gaining a 19-4 lead.

Formann, who went scoreless in the first quarter, caught fire in the second with four 3’s. She totaled 12 of the team’s 19 points in the second frame, helping the Buffs to a 38-17 halftime lead.

Barcelona got to within 10 in the third quarter, but Formann continued to hit form deep with three more triples in the quarter to take a 22-point lead at the end of the third.

Formann stretched the fourth-quarter lead to 29, 65-36, with her 10th 3 of the game inside the first four minutes of the period.

“Frida shot the ball really well tonight,” Payne continued. “It’s not just that though. She’s very heady. She’s savvy. She’s confident. She communicates. She does all the things you need from a veteran and it was really fun to see her teammates celebrate her like that.”

Payne added that the experience of being together on this trip has brought the team closer together in ways that normal practice and team activities could never do.

“It’s been incredible [this trip]. Everything about it has been so great. From the culture, the food, the excursions and the games. I really feel like we’ve developed and bonded as a group more than we ever could at home both on and off the court. It’s been an unbelievable tour.”

Once the Buffs return it will be back to normal activities with classes being thrown into the mix starting Aug. 22.