Colorado Buffaloes' NCAA Tournament Run Ends in Loss to Illinois

Coach JR Payne expresses pride in her team's effort and camaraderie despite the defeat.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 12:52pm

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The Colorado Buffaloes' NCAA Tournament hopes came to an end on Saturday night with a 66-57 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini. Despite a hard-fought effort, the Buffaloes struggled to generate consistent offense and couldn't contain Illinois' balanced scoring attack. Coach JR Payne praised her team's character and chemistry, expressing confidence that the core group will return next season motivated to build on this experience.

Why it matters

The loss ends Colorado's tournament run, but Payne sees the potential for the Buffaloes to bounce back stronger next year. The coach highlighted the team's strong relationships and camaraderie as a foundation to build upon, suggesting the defeat could serve as motivation for a talented roster to take the next step.

The details

Colorado was unable to match Illinois' offensive production, as the Fighting Illini had three players score in double figures, led by forward Cearah Parchment's 21 points. The Buffaloes struggled to generate consistent offense and couldn't string together enough stops to keep pace as Illinois slowly pulled away down the stretch.

  • The first-round matchup took place on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

The players

JR Payne

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team, who has led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances in her tenure.

Cearah Parchment

A forward for the Illinois Fighting Illini, who led all scorers with 21 points in the first-round victory over Colorado.

Berry Wallace

An Illinois forward who scored 18 points in the win over the Buffaloes.

Destiny Jackson

An Illinois guard who contributed 16 points to the Fighting Illini's balanced scoring attack.

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What they’re saying

“We talked about the chemistry of this group, and I feel confident this team wants to stay together. Sometimes a loss like this is very motivating. I've been in these positions before where your offseason and the next year are very locked in because you don't want to feel this again.”

— JR Payne, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes

“I thought both teams really played hard and competed. I think it was a fun game to watch. You know, I'm proud of how we competed and, again, someone has to win and someone has to lose.”

— JR Payne, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes

“What I shared with them is this one is harder than most because of the character and the relationships and just the camaraderie of this group. It's almost unlike anything I've ever seen in my 25 years of coaching.”

— JR Payne, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes

What’s next

With the loss, the focus now shifts to retaining key players and building continuity for the Buffaloes heading into next season. Coach Payne expressed confidence that the core group wants to stay together, suggesting the defeat could serve as motivation for the team to come back stronger in 2026-27.

The takeaway

Despite the disappointing end to their tournament run, the Colorado Buffaloes demonstrated the type of chemistry and camaraderie that Coach Payne believes can be a foundation for future success. The Buffaloes' inability to generate enough offense against Illinois proved costly, but Payne's optimism about the team's future points to a program poised to bounce back and make another deep postseason run.