Woelk: Payne's Buffs Send Nation A Message

Women's Basketball November 07, 2023 Neill Woelk, Contributing EditorBOULDER — Anyone who has followed the progress of JR Payne's Colorado Buffaloes over the last few seasons knows this much:

The Buffs' 92-78 win over LSU on Monday was not a fluke.

Not by any stretch.

Upset? Of course. When No. 20 knocks off No. 1 — and No. 1 happens to be the defending national champion — that's the definition of an upset.

But this wasn't a case of an unknown catching the big dog by surprise.

Payne knew the Buffs had it in them — and so did LSU coach Kim Mulkey. The Tigers knew what was coming their way and couldn't stop it.

"We had our hands full," Mulkey said after the game. "Colorado did exactly what I…