By Susan Harman

ALBANY, N.Y.—Colorado trots out two strong, mobile, 6-foot-3 players that will be Iowa’s biggest challenges at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the NCAA Sweet 16 matchup. Not only are they challenging individually, they are the fulcrum for the Buffaloes’ offense.

Junior center Aaronette Vonleh averages 14 points, 5.2 rebounds and has 37 blocks and 57 steals. She had seven steals against Kansas State in the second-round victory. Graduate forward Quay Miller averages nine points and 7.5 rebounds. Her range extends to the 3-point line, and she darn near has a patent on the 15-footer from the baseline.

Colorado coach J.R. Payne had a recent conversation with Vonleh after her outstanding performance against the Wildcats.

“I said, ‘It’s an incredible thing to see for as much success as you’ve had this year that you’re continuing to get better,’” Payne said. “I think the rebounding has been huge for Aaronette. I think her approach to both of those games knowing that they were key matchups for us, her focus was great, her intentionality about being really aggressive on the glass, knowing that we needed those, I thought those were game-changers last weekend.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder will counter with 6-2 Hannah Stuelke in the post and 6-0 Kate Martin at forward.

“Quay is a power forward,” Bluder said. “She can play the post, but she is a power forward, and Kate has been doing a good job for us all year at the power forward position. Yeah, we’re a little smaller there, and Quay will come out and face up and shoot threes as well.”

Iowa’s Stuelke will be front and center in defending Vonleh, and Addi O’Grady will come off the bench.

“She’s very strong; she has some good moves; she likes to rebound,” Stuelke said of Vonleh. “So just focusing on boxing out and being physical back.”

O’ Grady thought the West Virginia defense was good preparation for Colorado’s aggressive bigs even if the Mountaineers weren’t nearly as tall.

Bluder thinks Iowa can handle that matchup. Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen said it’s just a matter of mindset for Iowa’s posts. They have faced Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski and Natalie Potts as well as Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes.

“You kind of have to use what you have and what they don’t,” Jensen said. “And we have to be a little better because what we don’t (have) was what they did. So we’ve got to bring it, some other ways to defend, some other ways to score.”

“They’ve got a good inside game, but, you know, we just kind of have to deal with that,” Martin said. “I think we’re going to mix up defenses, and hopefully that will get them out of rhythm.”

Both Iowa coaches emphasized that blocking out on rebounds will be critical against CU’s taller inside presence.

“We have to box out better than we did last year,” Bluder said. “We gave up 22 O-boards against them last year. Just crazy numbers.”

“Rebounding, boxing out is more about effort than how big or how strong you are,” Iowa junior Sydney Affolter said. “Just as long as we find someone to box out; if you’re boxing someone out, they can’t get around without a foul.”

Miller said Iowa’s inside game isn’t that different this year even with the loss of Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock.

“(Czinano) was a really great player, but they still have Stuelke,” Miller said. “But I’m always going to ride with my post player. And I think that Nettie has shown tremendous growth since last year. I’m excited for her just to see how she’s going to come out.”

MIller said Vonleh has grown emotionally and physically this season. Miller confided that she’s taken the brunt of her teammate’s aggressiveness in practice.

“I was like, we’re on the same team, you’re not supposed to be like bringing your full strength at me. But I’m confident in Nettie, so play. I know when we give it to her it’s either two points or she’s to the free-throw line.”

Vonleh said she’s become more consistent, and that’s helped her confidence. As to the post matchup, Vonleh compared Stuelke to 6-3 Kiki Iriafen of Stanford, a high compliment after Iriafen saved the Cardinal in its overtime win over Iowa State.

“I think all the matchups on the floor are going to be key,” Vonleh said when asked about Stuelke. “I think that one is going to be about physicality, athleticism, rebounding, just really little things. She’s a good player, but I think we’re prepared for all of them.”

In last year’s game Vonleh and Miller combined for 19 rebounds and 26 points. The Buffs are well rounded offensively and scoring will come from multiple sources, but their presence is key. Vonleh thought the biggest difference between CU a year ago and CU now is its experience and chemistry.

Like Iowa, Colorado has effective 3-point shooters that the posts can find if they are doubled inside. Michigan transfer Maddie Nolan is a starter and is shooting .435 behind the arc. Last year’s Iowa villain, Frida Formann, who dropped 19 first-half points against the Hawkeyes, including four 3-pointers, is back and shooting .422 behind the arc.

Iowa will need to counter with perimeter shooting that wasn’t there against West Virginia. Only Clark made threes against the Mountaineers (5-of-14) and everyone else was 0-for-8.

Point guard Jaylyn Sherrod fuels Colorado’s transition offense and Iowa cannot afford to be careless with its ballhandling. The reason Vonleh had seven steals against K-State is that the Wildcats forced passes into the post, something Iowa has been known to do with equally poor results.

Turnovers, rebounding, and making shots. The basics will decide this one.