Arizona women’s basketball head coach Becky Burke wishes “badly” for no more games like this.
The Wildcats (11-15, 2-13) lost 78-70 to Colorado, dropping their fourth straight game on Tuesday night at home.
However, Arizona rallied to lead in the fourth quarter against the Buffaloes (19-8, 10-5), who have won four in a row.
“I'm gonna look at this one as a tale of two games, when we played them six weeks ago and then when we just played them just now,” Burke said. “When we went to Colorado, we got our butts kicked from start to finish and did not look presentable at all, and (Tuesday) we're in a position to win with three minutes left in the game.
Arizona guard Molly Ladwig (5) gets some love from the bench after she helped the Wildcats grab the lead late in the third quarter of their Big 12 game against Colorado, Feb. 17, 2026, in Tucson.
“I have to have some perspective on it and be really proud of truly how far our team has come, and you know six weeks ago we had Micky Perdue playing and (Tuesday) we don't have her," Burke said. "But how far we've come collectively as a unit and to be in a position to close the game out with three minutes left, but again not be able to do it once again. So frustrating pieces of that, not being able to close the door on teams as of late, but perspective on them giving themselves a chance to even be in basketball games that maybe on paper that they shouldn't be.”
On Dec. 31, the Wildcats lost 75-56 to Colorado in their first road game of the season. Perdue, who suffered a season-ending injury in early January, scored 22 points in her third-to-last game as a Wildcat that night.
UA graduate student guard Noelani Cornfield, who led all scorers with 25 points Tuesday, hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as the third quarter ended to give the Wildcats the lead, 57-56.
The Wildcats would lead by as much as seven points in the fourth quarter before CU used a 12-1 run to get the win. There were 12 ties and six lead changes.
“So really proud of our group, when I watch the film from six weeks ago, and I watch this one (Tuesday), I will see two different teams and this team for the better,” Burke said. “I just wish so badly for them that they could win some of these close ones and just find a way down the stretch to just pull these out.
“They're working so hard. They're working their butts off and they deserve it, and they've earned it, but unfortunately at this level there is very, very little room for error down the stretch or slippage.”
Colorado held the Wildcats to no field goals in the last 4:24 of the game.
“I just wanna start by tipping my hat to Arizona, what an incredibly resilient, well-coached, hard-nosed team,” said CU head coach JR Payne. “I thought that was a great battle, I think that type of battle shows you how great the Big 12 conference is.
“I'm proud of our conference, proud of how well teams are competing down the stretch.”
Arizona’s run came despite missing junior guard Sumayah Sugapong, who had 14 points and 2 steals, fouling out with 3:27 left in the third quarter. Sugapong picked up her fourth foul and a technical to foul out to the chagrin of Burke.
Arizona head coach Becky Burke talks to guard Sumayah Sugapong after she fouled out on a technical foul in the third quarter against Colorado, Feb. 17, 2026, in Tucson.
“Sumayah has for the last month been the best player on almost every floor we've stepped on, along with this one (motions towards Cornfield) and we need both of them on the floor and everything that I'll say right now I'll say to Sumayah and I’ll probably say to her tomorrow, but we need to get on floor and when you compete and you are as competitive as she is, there also needs to be a balance of maturity and discipline with your words, your actions towards officials,” Burke said. “I wrap my arm around her and try to teach her and pat her on the back and talk her through this stuff, but it's hurting our team and it's not the first time it's happened this year.”
Cornfield scored a career-high 25 points against Colorado, right after she had a then-personal record 24 points against ASU on Saturday. She has scored at least 21 points in three of her last four games
Arizona guard Noelani Cornfield drives past Colorado guard Zyanna Walker during the first quarter of their Big 12 game, Feb. 17, 2026, in Tucson.
“You tell your players or tell your teammates you play until the buzzer sounds and we play until the season ends,” Cornfield said. “I mean, it doesn't matter what the record shows, as long as we've grown from what we were in the summer to now if you see growth, then that's all that really matters. All you can do is just keep going back to the drawing board.”
Up next for the Wildcats is a trip to No. 15 Baylor on Saturday. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Wildcats host Houston for their final home game of the season.
Perdue gets bad news
On Sunday, Perdue announced on social media that her college career was over due to her wrist injury, and on Tuesday, Burke clarified what happened.
“Got some tough news with her latest scan that I think she was hopeful before that,” Burke said. “Just timing-wise, I think if our season were a couple of weeks longer, we might have gotten her back, but not the news on the scan that she wanted.
“So she actually won't even get rescanned until we get back from Kansas City, so likely that should be done.”
The Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament, in Kansas City, Mo., starts March 4.
Perdue leads the Wildcats in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Cornfield is second with 14.1 points.
Rim shots
Arizona forward Daniah Trammell (33) dribbles into the lane against Colorado during the second quarter of their Big 12 game, Feb. 17, 2026, in Tucson.
– Attendance was 5,393 as UA baseball opened its home schedule and Arizona softball played a home game nearby. The softball team beat Nevada 9-7 to win its fourth straight.
– Colorado brought two athletic directors to the game: Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo, who took over in December, and Athletic Director Emeritus Rick George.
