BROOKINGS – Colorado pulled out an 81-75 win over South Dakota State in what was more of a roller-coaster ride than a WNIT second-round game on Sunday afternoon at Frost Arena.

“It was disappointing; I thought we had some chances throughout the game to just play a little better, to be honest with you,” said SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston. “But good teams can make you not play the way you want; Colorado played well.

“Defensively, their length and their quickness really caused some problems. I think their size inside was something we haven’t seen in a long time. Just with Ellie and Clarissa down there, who we depend on for some offense. (Colorado) just kept making some big shots, especially in overtime. I thought we defending okay, but they made some big shots. And we had a couple chances that didn’t quite go our way, too.”

The Jackrabbits led 17-9 after a quarter. But the Buffaloes closed the first half on a 14-2 run to pull within 29-28 and led by as many as 10 points in the third stanza before taking a 51-43 cushion into the fourth.

Colorado’s lead peaked at 13 points – 58-45 – with 6:23 to go.

That’s when the Jackrabbits got going again.

Clarissa Ober started an 18-5 run with a 3-pointer and Madison Guebert followed with one of her own.

Following a bucket by Colorado’s Quinessa Caylao-Do, Thompson hit a pair of treys in a 36-second span to pull SDSU within 60-57 with 3:02 to go.

Kennedy Leonard countered with a trey for the Buffaloes to make it 63-57 with 2:30 left in regulation.

SDSU scored the final six points in regulation.

Ober hit two free throws with 2:15 showing on the clock. Guebert added a pair of driving layups – the latter coming with 36 seconds left – to pull the Jackrabbits even.

SDSU had a transition opportunity following a Colorado miss on its final possession, but couldn’t convert.

Ober struck first in OT with two free throws 21 seconds in; however, it was all Colorado after that.

Leonard hit a straight-on bomb from 27 feet for the answer and added a jumper soon thereafter. Haley Smith’s 3 made it 71-65 with 2:25 left.

Later, Young canned back-to-back 3-balls to pull SDSU within 76-73 with 30 seconds showing on the clock, but that would be as close as the Jackrabbits would get.

Kennedy totaled 29 points, eight rebounds and seven rebounds to offset seven turnovers. Smith added 21 points and Makenzie Ellis 10.

Thompson paced the Jackrabbits with 20 points and eight boards. Young and Guebert added 17 points apiece.

Young appeared in all 135 games in her SDSU career with 100 starts, including 99 consecutively. She finished with 1,370 points – 14th in school history.

COLORADO 81, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 75

Colorado (17-15)

Makenzie Ellis 3-8 1-2 10, Haley Smith 9-14 0-0 21, Zoe Correal 4-4 0-0 8, Quinessa Caylao-Do 2-4 0-4 4, Kennedy Leonard 8-19 10-11 29, Ariana Freeman 2-4 0-0 4, Brecca Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Monica Burich 1-1 0-0 3, Zoe Beard-Fails 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 30-57 11-17

South Dakota State (23-9)

Clarissa Ober 1-6 4-4 7, Ellie Thompson 7-15 2-3 20, Alexis Alexander 3-9 0-0 6, Kerri Young 6-11 2-2 17, Madison Guebert 6-11 2-2 17, Ena Viso 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Palmer 1-4 0-0 2, Sydney Tracy 3-7 0-0 6, Tiffaney Flaata 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 10-11 75.

Colorado 9 19 23 12 18 – 81

SDSU    17 12 14 20 12 – 75

3-point goals – UC 10-21 (Makenzie 3-4, Smith 3-5, Leonard 3-10, Burich 1-1, Beard-Fails 0-1), SDSU 11-23 (Thompson 4-6, Young 3-5, Guebert 3-5, Ober 1-3, Palmer 0-1, Tracy 0-1, Alexander 0-2). Rebounds – UC 34 (Kennedy 7), SDSU (Thompson 8). Assists – UC 18 (Leonard 8), SDSU 13 (Guebert 3). Steals – UC 10 (Smith 4), SDSU 8 (Thompson 3). Blocks – UC 1 (Beard-Fails 1), SDSU 2 (Ober, Tracy 1). Turnovers – UC 17, SDSU 18. Total fouls – UC 18, SDSU 16. Fouled out – Correal. Technical fouls – none. A – 2,793.